To be effective in narrowing Minnesotan's worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps, Close Gaps By 5 believes Minnesota's early education policy must embody these core values:
Close Gaps By 5 supports any approach that embodies those core values. Currently, the only proven approach in existence that embodies those values is the Minnesota Model for Early Learning: 1) Early Education Scholarships to help low-income children access high quality early education programs and 2) the Parent Aware Ratings, which help child care programs adopt kindergarten-readiness best practices, and help parents find those programs. This Minnesota Model has enjoyed bipartisan support.
In addition to the Minnesota Model, Close Gaps by 5 also strongly supports home-based parent coaching for the most at-risk families, and programs that empower parents to get more engaged in their child's education.