How Ellis and Boston Pre‑K Work Together to Support Young Learners

Boston’s universal pre‑K initiative was launched in 2005 by then‑Mayor Thomas Menino, who called for Boston Public Schools (BPS) to expand pre-K access alongside a quality improvement plan known as Boston K1DS. Ellis Early Learning has been part of that effort from the beginning.

Today, Ellis has four classrooms funded through BPS: Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots in the South End, and Maple in Jamaica Plain. All Ellis preschool classrooms use the BPS Focus Curriculum, a play‑based approach supporting children’s intellectual, social-emotional, and physical development.

In a recent unit, Ellis’s four‑year‑olds explored light in the world around them—observing how people and animals respond to it and experimenting with natural and artificial sources. Each unit is guided by “Big Ideas” that shape learning over several weeks.

This consistency is intentional. Across Boston’s network of more than 50 community partners, BPS ensures quality through clear standards.

“Our partnerships are centered on quality,” says Marie Joelle “Joelle” JB Auguste, Boston Pre‑K Family Engagement & Comprehensive Services Manager. Joelle listed some of the pillars of quality, she said: “Programs need strong accreditation, licensures, qualified teachers, a family engagement coordinator, a family representative (parent voice), and a commitment to using the Focus Curriculum.”

A key benefit of the BPK partnership is ongoing coaching and professional development, and instructional coaches from BPS work directly with teachers to strengthen curriculum implementation and classroom practices.

Maryan Yasin, an educator in Ellis’s Celtics classroom, has experienced this support firsthand. “He’s incredibly supportive of our team,” she says about BPS coach Anthony Valdez. “He helps us make sure we’re applying the curriculum effectively, so the children are getting the most out of it. It helps the classroom runs more smoothly.”

Ellis Pre-K curriculum features plenty of play-based activities, including building with Legos.

Observations and feedback also help refine the curriculum. When lessons proved too advanced, BPS redesigned them into age appropriate K0 and K1 versions. “Now our units are much more developmentally appropriate,” Maryan says.

The BPK model also prioritizes family support. It is an intentional partnership with families: “If you support families, it trickles down to the children,” Joelle explains. “Family engagement is the foundation of everything we do.”

Each partner site includes a family representative and a family engagement coordinator – at Ellis, social worker Cherish Casey – who works closely with caregivers and helps connect families to resources.

“They know the families best,” Joelle says. “They’re often the first to notice when something isn’t quite right.”

Support includes access to speech, occupational, and behavioral therapies delivered directly to the classroom. “We work closely with specialists to ensure children receive the services they need right where they are,” Joelle adds.

For Ellis, the partnership with BPS brings resources, expertise, and a voice in shaping early education’s future. “Ellis gets a seat at the table,” says Vice President of Programs Claire McNally. “Our educators help influence standards across the Commonwealth.”

Through more than 15 years of collaboration, the partnership has advanced equitable, high‑quality pre-K, visible every day in supported families, confident educators, and children building the foundation they need to thrive.