Hawaii’s newly created Executive Office of Early Learning announced today that it has released new research-based standards that identify the expectations of knowledge and behavior for kids from birth up through kindergarten.

“This is the first time a set of standards have been released that addresses the development needs of the whole child from birth to kindergarten entry,” said Terry Lock, director, Executive Office on Early Learning, in a release. “In addition to national research, the updated HELDS are based on decades of work within the Hawaii early childhood community and show our state’s commitment to ensure that all children receive a high quality early learning experience.”

Learn more about how the new standards will be used here.