By the end of the third year of this initiative, the participants became recognized as state level teacher leaders who:

• understand kindergarten students’ cognitive, social, emotional and physical development and how this development as well as cultural and socioeconomic characteristics impact how students learn;

• effectively integrate understanding of child development into the subject areas of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study;

• utilize an understanding of children’s diverse developmental needs in order to provide, maintain and advocate for appropriate classroom environments that promote optimal learning opportunities for all students;

• provide appropriately challenging learning opportunities for all children while meeting state and local expectations;

• provide and advocate for curriculum and instructional practices and assessments that are relevant, intentional, integrated and inquiry-based; and

• effectively articulate appropriate expectations of students to families, teachers, and administrators.