Universal Preschool News
In this section, you'll find editorials, legislation, public policy and trends
on issues relating to preschool, pre-kindergarten, childcare and the push toward
universal preschool education. Particularly of note are articles concerning the
states claim of a compelling interest in compulsory preschool education. Visit
often for the latest preschool news.
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New Research Says Pre-K Works : NPR Ed : NPR
In 2001, not long after Oklahoma had adopted one of the nation's first universal pre-K programs, researchers from Georgetown University began tracking kids who came out of the program in Tulsa, documenting their academic progress over time.
In a new report published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management today, researchers were able to show that Tulsa's pre-K program has significant, positive effects on students' outcomes and well-being through middle school.
by Claudio Sanchez
December 12, 2017
[More Results from npr.org]
Don't Rush to Get Onboard With Universal Preschool
President Obama has pledged to spend $10 billion more a year on "zero to five" education, and his 2010 budget makes a $2 billion "down payment" on that commitment. (Billions more are already in the "stimulus" package.)
Preschool is educationally effective. On the contrary, while a few tiny, costly programs targeting very poor children have shown some lasting positive effects, the overwhelming majority of studies show that most pre-K programs have little to no educational impact...
by Chester E. Finn Jr.
May 15, 2009
[More Results from The Washington Post]
Pre-K bill headed to Douglas' desk
MONTPELIER -- Lawmakers reached a deal on the rules around state funding of early childhood education - that pitted those who want universal coverage against those who worry about increasing the cost to the education fund and the future of private nursery
In the end, they split the difference. School districts will get state assistance in providing education to half of their 3- and 4-year-olds if they choose to do so. But if they provide those services to more than that number, local taxpayers will have to put up the additional money.
by Louis Porter and Sarah Hinckley
May 25, 2007
[More Results from Rutland Herald (VT)]
RAND Preschool Study, Part II
RAND's report, County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California, predicts local reductions in high school dropouts, grade retention, special education years and juvenile crime.
New research from economists at the RAND Corporation shows that a strategic, statewide investment in quality preschool opportunity for all would deliver major education and public safety benefits to local communities.
by Lynn A. Karoly, Elaine Reardon, Michelle Cho
March 27, 2007
[More Results from Preschool California]
State Panel Seeks Hike In Preschool Spending
Connecticut should spend as much as $100 million over the next two years to expand children's services, including preschool classes, to make the state "a national model for early childhood education."
The ambitious recommendation is the first stage of a five-year proposal to more than double the number of low-income children in preschool classes, to train more preschool teachers and aides, and to bolster the quality of preschool programs statewide.
by Robert A. Frahm
December 7, 2006
[More Results from Hartford Courant]
Redshirting: A "Moving" Experience
The question about whether a child should begin kindergarten when he or she reaches the prescribed age for school entry has "readiness" written all over it.
And as we all know, "readiness" is not something that can be easily measured. What variables need to be considered when we think about readiness for? Ask any child who has had to repeat a grade how they feel about having been "left back" and you'll quickly realize how serious a decision this is for parents and educators to make. An early study asked young students to rate a series of stressful events, and being left back ranked third, immediately following "going blind" and "losing a parent." Point made!
by Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz
August 18, 2006
[More Results from National Center for Learning Disabilities]
Research Disputes Benefits of Early Education
Arizona's move toward more government preschool and kindergarten programs is not unprecedented. In France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, there is nearly universal enrollment of three-and four-year-olds in center-based institutions.
A few states across the country have adopted similar systems. Georgia created the first statewide universal preschool program for four-year-olds in 1993, and Oklahoma, New York, and West Virginia have moved in a similar direction. In 2002, Florida voters adopted a constitutional amendment requiring the state to provide free preschool for every four-year-old child.
by Darcy Olsen, with research assistance from Jennifer Martin
November 24, 2005
[More Results from Eagle Forum]
Study: Children don't exercise nearly enough at preschool
Children are supposed to play, run, jump and be active for at least two hours a day, but most aren't doing even half that much at preschool, says one of the first large studies to examine physical activity in children ages 3 to 5.
This low activity level could be contributing to the increasing problem of excess weight in kids, says researcher Russ Pate, a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.
About 10% of children ages 2 to 5 are overweight; another 12% are at risk of becoming so, the latest government statistics show. More than half of 3- to 5-year-olds go to preschool.
Children need more vigorous play during unstructured free time at preschool, Pate says, and they also need more organized physical activities, like dancing the hokey-pokey.
by Nanci Hellmich
November 1, 2004
[More Results from USA TODAY]
Commentary on Baby Ed
As a pediatrician, a mother of three, and a long-time researcher of children's issues, I must respectfully, but vehemently disagree with Mr. Rolnick and your editorial about the value of early childhood programs.
Scholars debate the social gains of the programs Mr. Rolnick praises as "fall[ing] short of statistical significance," and even if they are significant, require so much in the way of funding and personnel, that they could not realistically be reproduced on a massive scale.
by Dr. Karen Effrem
October 21, 2003
[More Results from Ed Watch]
Quotes and References from Early Childhood Testimony
Head Start - "Once the children enter school there is little difference between the scores of Head Start and control children. . .
Findings for the individual cognitive measures--intelligence, readiness and achievement--reflect the same trends as the global measure. . . By the end of the second year there are no educationally meaningful differences on any of the measures."
by Karen R. Effrem, MD
October 20, 2003
[More Results from Ed Watch]
Do Pre-K Center Care Programs Work?
A number of states have initiated, or are in the process of initiating, free pre-K center care programs for children from low-income families.
In the case of Smart Start and Kid Stuff, the states estimate that when fully implemented, these programs will cost in excess of $300 million per year.
During the past 40 years there have been five large-scale trials conducted to investigate the relationship between pre-K and developmental outcomes in children. We will examine each of these studies to see if they support the claim that high quality pre-K contributes to the intellectual, academic, and behavioral development of children.
by Verne R. Bacharach, Ph.D., Appalachian State University; Alfred A. Baumeister, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; Jaimily A. Stoecker, M.A., C.A.S., Caldwell County NC Public School District
August 1, 2003
[More Results from Eagle Forum]
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