Lisa Guernsey with Early Ed Watch, informed us on July 19 that the U.S. Department of Education has added a new page to its website for those interested in early learning issues. The Early Learning Initiative web page is a place where “readers can find out about funding opportunities, programs, and events, and also view webinars, and read policy issues.”

The first topic of the web page is the 2010 U.S. Department of Education Reading Institute. This is a conference being held currently in Anaheim, CA. Viewers will be able to see some sections of the conference. What a great way to begin using this webpage. Go to www.ed.gov.

Last week, I shared with you the news concerning the U.S. Department of Ed.’s release of the K-12 Common Standards for Reading and Math. These standards are to play a major role in Obama’s administration for education reform. The Department of Education has already tied federal money to states embracing the common standards. States vying for the Race to the Top program, for example, received 40 points (out of a possible 500) for participating in the consortium and taking steps to adopt the standards. The Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governor’s Association (NGA) lead the formation of the K-12 standards. It has been announced that CCSSO and NGA will soon be starting on a set of standards for birth to 5 years old and would align with the K-12 ones. Hopefully, the new findings from the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) and the National Research Council’s Early Math report will be a source for constructing these very important standards for Pre-K.