News Archive for 2010
Mar 12, 2010 (The Tampa Tribune)
New voluntary prekindergarten scores released
The latest preschool ratings are out for centers that offer the state's Voluntary Prekindergarten program. The scores, compiled by the state Department of Education, allow parents to compare providers. Known as VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rates, they measure how well preschools prepare 4-year-olds for kindergarten.
Mar 12, 2010 (American Educator (American Federation of Teachers))
The Promise of Preschool
Why We Need Early Education for All
Based on our research, and our review of others' research, we have consistently advocated for universal access to high-quality preschool. The United States faces serious problems that effective early education can help alleviate, most notably high rates of school failure, dropout, crime, and delinquency, as well as far too many youth who are not well prepared for the workforce.
Mar 11, 2010 (WAMC, Albany, NY)
Business Leaders See Major Economic Boost for NY By Expanding Child Care and Pre-K
There's a report out showing that New York should keep up investments in pre-k and child care as an effective way to stimulate the economy and build a stronger workforce. The report, entitled "Strengthening New York Businesses through Investments in Early Care and Education" shows that for every dollar invested in early care and education in New York, $1.86 is generated in additional spending within the state... those dollars trickle down and the investments generate economic growth at the local level.
Mar 10, 2010 (Reno Gazette-Journal)
Report: Nevada pre-kindergarten teachers among best trained in U.S.
Nevada is among the states that require the most education and training for pre-kindergarten teachers, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Institute. The report advocates more uniform training to improve early childhood education, raising salaries for pre-K educators and consequently improving teacher retention.
Mar 9, 2010 (The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA)
Bill would consolidate childhood-aid program
A 12-year-old state program to help children in low-income families get off to a healthy start and get ready for school has such scattered oversight that it could be prone to fraud, according to the state budget director.
Mar 9, 2010 (Education Week)
Better Educated Teachers Needed for Early Ed., Study Suggests
Studies suggest, [a Pre-K Now report] says, that teachers with bachelor's degrees and specialized training in early education are more effective than those educators who don't hold such credentials. In other words, it's not enough to be good with kids or to like working with them; teachers benefit from specific training.
Mar 4, 2010 (The Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD)
Preschool plan rejected
For a fourth straight year, lawmakers have said no to a preliminary step toward state-funded, voluntary preschool programs.
Mar 3, 2010 (The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA)
Pre-K safe from cuts
While other Southern states are slicing pre-school funding to cover budget deficits, Louisiana's Cecil J. Picard LA-4 Early Childhood Program is safe — for now.
Mar 2, 2010 (The Daily Reflector, Greenville, NC)
State official: Early childhood programs pay off for state
North Carolina's programs for children younger than age 5 are a national model, said Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton told educators at summit on early childhood education Tuesday.
Mar 1, 2010 (Honolulu Advertiser)
Hawaii might halt junior kindergarten
Plan to move up kindergarten eligibility date would leave many kids waiting a year to start school
Lawmakers are considering a measure that would eliminate junior kindergarten in Hawai'i public schools and move up the date children are eligible to enter kindergarten, changes that would require thousands of late-born 5-year-olds to wait an additional year before they can start school. Despite junior-K's problems, educators, parents and early-education advocates say the program is helpful and that the proposed changes will create a burden for parents at a time when they can least afford it.
Feb 28, 2010 (The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA)
Editorial: Keep momentum for early learning
Alongside the many millions of dollars Virginia is considering shearing off of its support of public schools is a little nick that would have an outsized impact on children's education. The $1.5 million a year the state now puts into the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation is a small investment in a big initiative, a public/private partnership dedicated to making sure youngsters reach school ready to learn.
Feb 25, 2010 (The Guardian, London, UK)
Underclass of pre-school children emerging, says report
A study blames a lack of spending at pre-school level for educational disengagement in children under four
More than one in 10 children begin primary school unable to learn and unwilling to build relationships with their peers, a "disengaged generation waiting in the wings", said the thinktank Demos today in a report. Researchers said that data from the Millennium Cohort Study showed 66,000 children scored "borderline" or "abnormal" in tests designed to reveal behavioural and emotional problems that are intimately linked to under-achievement at school, risk of truanting, and exclusion.
Feb 24, 2010 (Jackson County Floridan)
School officials say pre-K bill unlikely to pass
A bill to require teachers in state pre-kindergarten programs to hold a bachelor's degree by July 2013 has been filed for the third consecutive year by Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole. A 2008 report by the National Institute for Early Education Research concluded that while Florida is a national leader in providing pre-kindergarten classes, the program falls way behind in quality and spending.
Feb 23, 2010 (The Times-Herald, Newnan, GA)
Editorial: One million 4 year olds have brighter futures thanks to free pre-K
This month the state is celebrating having provided free pre-K to one million youngsters in our state during the past 17 years. Georgia becomes the first state in the nation to serve more than one million pre-K children in a voluntary, universal, lottery-funded program.
Feb 19, 2010 (The DeSoto Times-Tribune, Hernando, MS)
Opinion: Child care ratings need teeth
Mississippi citizens receive more information about the quality of their hamburger or fried chicken joint than they do about the quality of care for their children. [That] doesn't seem right.
Feb 18, 2010 (Scientific American Magazine)
Start Science Sooner
Excellence in science education must begin in kindergarten
Good science education at the earliest grades is supremely important, but in most classrooms it gets short shrift. Studies have found that children in kindergarten are already forming negative views about science that could cast a shadow across their entire educational careers.
Feb 17, 2010 (The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD)
Pre-K program advances in Senate
The state Senate passed legislation Tuesday paving the way for pre-kindergarten programs that would serve lower-income children throughout South Dakota. The proposed law establishes a 16-member Early Learning Council appointed by the governor and sets requirements that communities must follow to be eligible to participate.
Feb 17, 2010 (The Miami Herald)
Legislature to consider class size, replacing FCAT
And [Gov. Charlie] Crist's education spending proposal has called for a $44.8 million increase in the program for 4-year-olds. A 2008 report by the National Institute for Early Education Research concluded that while Florida is a national leader in providing pre-kindergarten classes, the program lags in quality and spending.
Feb 17, 2010 (Philadelphia Daily News)
Poll: Early-childhood education has wide support in Pa.
A new poll says that 81 percent of Pennsylvania voters support providing early-childhood education to children under age 5, and that 71 percent believe those programs should be state-funded.
Feb 16, 2010 (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Column: Preschool offers helpful transition to kindergarten
Preschool serves several important roles. Although many people assume that it's about giving children a jump-start on learning the alphabet and numbers, the goal is more about exposure than actual learning. It's about putting kids in a language-rich environment. It's about getting kids to problem-solve, even if the problem is as simple as building a block tower.
Feb 15, 2010 (Republican-American, Waterbury, CT)
Push on to close preschool gap
Stalled efforts to expand statewide access to early education may soon regain momentum, as a growing number of school districts work to cobble together local programs and the governor's Early Education Cabinet returns to action Thursday following a budget-induced hiatus.
Feb 12, 2010 (Northwest Herald, Crystal Lake, IL)
State budget woes spare preschool program
Like many preschool programs, District 50's is funded by state grants. Unlike many programs, District 50 has received most of the grant money that is expected from the state.
Feb 9, 2010 (Omaha World-Herald)
A fairer start for kindergartners?
Reading skills span from pre-kindergarten to the third-grade level. In between are students who work on three-letter words and construct sentences. Some educators say that those gaps in ages and skills are too wide for today's rigorous kindergarten classrooms.
Feb 3, 2010 (Houston Chronicle)
Opinion: Early-childhood education: an issue of national security
Early-childhood education is not just an education imperative — it needs to be a national security priority. Let me tell you why. Seventy-five percent of young Americans are not qualified to join the military, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The three primary reasons are inadequate education, criminality and physical unfitness.
Feb 2, 2010 (Orlando Sentinel)
Pre-K program could be headed for 'train wreck'
Florida's pre-kindergarten program is in financial trouble — facing a nearly $29 million budget shortfall this year and a worse deficit next year. The budget woes are raising fears that a program meant to offer "high quality" preschool classes is on a downward slide.
Jan 31, 2010 (The Sag Harboe Express, Sag Harbor, NY)
Editorial: Do pre-K right
Countless studies have proven the numerous benefits of this type of early education, including increasing the rates of graduation, helping students perform better on standardized tests, decreasing the rates of crimes perpetrated by youths and reducing the number of special education students.
Jan 29, 2010 (The Telegraph, Alton, IL)
Parents protest lack of school funding
Gov. Pat Quinn came to Alton on Friday to talk about high-speed rail, but a group of demonstrators had the issue of education funding on their minds. Several parents and children attended the news conference at Alton's Amtrak Station, carrying signs asking for the state to make its payments for early childhood education, which is at risk for elimination in the Alton School District.
Jan 28, 2010 (Columbia Missourian, Columbia, MO)
Parents As Teachers targeted for cuts
As state leaders prepare to write a budget with less cash in the coffers, they have pledged to protect public education from the axe. But Parents As Teachers, a nationally recognized early-childhood education program funded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will receive less funding for the second straight year.
Jan 28, 2010 (The New York Times)
Preschools Add Brush-and-Spit to Day
Massachusetts is the first state to add toothbrush time to the color-nap-snack-and-play routine of preschools, requiring that all children who eat a meal at day care, or attend for more than four hours, brush their teeth during class and be educated about oral health.
Jan 26, 2010 (Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, AL)
Editorial: Expanding Montgomery prekindergarten wise
Alabama is in the odd position of having perhaps the best pre-kindergarten program in the nation, but only providing access to that program to a very small percentage of children in Alabama because of funding problems.
Jan 25, 2010 (The Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, MI)
Study finds early education saves Michigan millions
It might take 15 years for today's finger painters and "Sesame Street" fans to hit the work force, which is the challenge of arguing for public investment in early childhood education. But preschool saves Michigan taxpayers mountains of money and increases revenues -- about $1.15 billion over the past 25 years, according to the first comprehensive study of the state's programs for children from birth to 5 years old, to be released today by state Schools Superintendent Mike Flanagan.
Jan 25, 2010 (The Blade, Toledo, OH)
UT adds bachelor's program for early childhood teachers
The University of Toledo is working to help preschool teachers better prepare their young students for a positive educational experience. A new program will help early childhood teachers receive their bachelor's degrees in a fast-track program for which they could receive substantial scholarships.
Jan 24, 2010 (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
Editorial: Prekindergarten must be part of basic education
The Legislature can boost Washington's chances of financial success by signaling the state's long-term commitment to high-quality prekindergarten learning. Lawmakers can do that by including prekindergarten learning as part of the state's definition of basic education.
Jan 24, 2010 (The Arizona Republic)
Program encourages adults to engage children in reading
The Raising A Reader Initiative, a multiyear project, is linking free literacy training with outreach activities in apartment communities to help children 5 years old and younger develop the skills they need to be successful readers.
Jan 23, 2010 (The Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD)
Preschool efforts face challenges
With permanent money proving elusive, a Sioux Falls public preschool program for low-income children probably will serve fewer students next school year when the initial funding runs out. Meanwhile, supporters of early childhood education again are looking to establish statewide standards for such programs in hopes the state will pay for them when the economy improves.
Jan 22, 2010 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Doyle's child-care rating plan gets broad support
Community leaders, child advocates and state lawmakers spoke out Friday in support of Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to rate child-care centers in Wisconsin and link their performance to state subsidy payments. While many of the details have yet to be finalized, the plan unveiled Friday calls for rating the centers with one to five stars depending on the education level of the staff, the curriculum for children, the business practices they utilize and other criteria.
Jan 22, 2010 (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN)
Editorial: Backward approach to student learning
The state doesn't have $23.5 million to spend, so the debate is academic. But lawmakers should know that investing in early childhood education is a better and less-costly way to ensure children succeed in school.
Jan 20, 2010 (Irish Independent, Dublin, Ireland)
Opinion: New scheme opens up an early education to all
The significance of the Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) scheme, which is under way from this month, must not be underestimated. It is a ground-breaking development in the childcare sector and means that children in Ireland, regardless of their parents' income, are entitled to one year of pre-school education free.
Jan 20, 2010 (Daily Record, Jacksonville, FL)
Business, education groups reveal wish lists
With the support of Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush, business and education leaders unveiled a report filled with sweeping reforms that include doubling the funding for the higher education system and raising the standards for the popular Bright Futures scholarship program.
Jan 20, 2010 (The Times, Trenton, NJ)
More NJ children slipping below poverty line
New Jersey experienced an increased rate of child poverty at the onset of the nation's economic downturn in 2008, according to a new report by the nonprofit Association for Children of New Jersey.
Jan 20, 2010 (The New York Times)
Foreign languages fade in class — except Chinese
Thousands of public schools stopped teaching foreign languages in the last decade, according to a government-financed survey — dismal news for a nation that needs more linguists to conduct its global business and diplomacy. But another contrary trend has educators and policy makers abuzz: a rush by schools in all parts of America to offer instruction in Chinese.
Jan 19, 2010 (The New York Times)
School adds weeding to reading and writing
Anyone who has come home from school carrying a sprouting bean in a foam cup can attest that growing plants has long been used as a teaching tool.
Jan 19, 2010 (East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ)
Outcry over plan to cut full-day kindergarten
Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal to cut state support of full-day kindergarten would create unequal access to a popular program children need, parents and educators say.
Jan 18, 2010 (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Gregoire proposes enhanced preschool
Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday that she wants all preschools for children ages 3 and 4 to be certified by the state. Gregoire said that under her proposed "All Start" preschool program, certification would ensure that all preschools would operate under the same standards set by the Department of Early Learning.
Jan 17, 2010 (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH)
Opinion: Change how little kids learn and you change the future
New results from the most ambitious early childhood pilot program ever undertaken in Cuyahoga County leave no doubt that quality early education targeting 3- and 4-year-olds can begin to change young lives and dramatically improve performance when children enter kindergarten. That test data show that a single year of instruction for children who began the pilot in the bottom 25 percent achievement level resulted in remarkable improvement -- a jump of nearly 40 percent in key child-development skills.
Jan 15, 2010 (Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, NY)
State attempting to rate preschool programs
The state is looking to quantify quality in preschool programs to guide investment of public funds and support. Participants will be graded on five levels -- one to five stars -- to help families in their search for early childhood care.
Jan 15, 2010 (The Charleston Gazette)
Pre-K programs adding morning meals
Children at First Presbyterian Church's pre-kindergarten program - and at similar programs across West Virginia - will enjoy a hot breakfast each morning next fall, after the state Board of Education approved new state guidelines last month.
Jan 13, 2010 (The Early Ed Watch blog (New America Foundation))
Thoughts on today's release of the Head Start Impact Study
In short, the Impact Study's results strike us as more evidence that to do right by today's children, we have to not only ensure that 4-year-olds receive a high-quality pre-K experience, but that children experience high-quality instruction all the way up through the primary grades.
Jan 12, 2010 (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Column: An early start, a big step ahead
Economists argue that educating children in these vital years is also a superb development initiative, producing more high school and college graduates with a potential for higher earnings, while reducing the demands for remedial education, repeating grades, crime prevention, and prisons down the road.
Jan 12, 2010 (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA)
Louisiana Department of Education cuts to hit adult education hardest
The $825,000 cut to prekindergarten statewide comes at a time when several local educators say they already struggle to adequately finance the programs.
Jan 11, 2010 (The Forum, Fargo, ND)
North Dakota sees spike in pre-K programs
State seeks to get rid of 'dirty dozen' label
After decades of early education being set aside in North Dakota, programs such as pre-K are on the upswing in the state thanks to federal aid. The state has received nearly $30 million in stimulus funds, which can be used for early childhood education or pre-K programming.
Jan 11, 2010 (Education.com)
Is your pre-K teacher giving what they get?
One of the biggest reasons preschool teachers site leaving the field is salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wages of preschool teachers were $23,870 in May 2008, with the bottom 10 percent earning less than $16,030.
Jan 11, 2010 (Press-Register, Mobile, AL)
Editorial: Expand pre-K and invest in the future
Thanks to far-sighted leadership at both the state and local level, the pre-kindergarten program has suffered few ill effects from the recession and repeated school funding cuts. We hope this leadership bodes well for the future of the program, which remains too small to have a major impact on the state's preschool population.
Jan 9, 2010 (The Boston Globe)
Learning how to play
Most of us take it for granted, but for some parents it is a foreign concept
The teacher is Kaltun Guled, a Somali "home visitor" with the Parent-Child Home Program, which aims to prepare children challenged by limited educational opportunities for entering school. Based on the premise that there's a connection between parent-child verbal interaction and success in school, the program models reading and play activities to parents who might otherwise not have the ability, or the opportunity, to do it on their own.
Jan 7, 2010 (Times-Georgian, Carrollton, GA)
City changes pre-K student acceptance
The program, which accepts 180 students and is always full, has accepted students on a first-come, first-served basis, but with the poor economy the school system expects demand for the free preschool program to increase.
Jan 6, 2010 (The Jacksonville Observer, Jacksonville, FL)
Recession Fuels Shift to Public Schools
It’s too early to tell whether the recession has had a profound effect on public schools’ educational mission. But parents and educators across the nation say it’s already bringing subtle changes to the culture of many public schools as some families seek the personal attention they received from private schools.
Jan 6, 2010 (The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, TN)
Data from school system's Pre-K program shows results
Data from the local school system shows that its pre-K program is getting results that help young children create a sound footing for their education. Since the program began in 2005 when legislation was passed for the state to fund it, the pre-K program has grown from 40 students in two classrooms to 400 students in 20 classrooms at 16 sites across the system.
Jan 6, 2010 (SnoValley Star, Snoqualmie, WA)
Opinion: Social skills can be more important
Looking back to our younger years, many of us recall kindergarten and early elementary grades, and because of those memories we assume that preschool should be about worksheets and homework and packing our little ones’ brains with ABCs and arithmetic. Not so. Of course, preschool is about learning, but for 3- and 4-year-olds learning is primarily the act of play.
Jan 6, 2010 (Press of Atlantic City)
State Early Childhood Council formed
Governor Jon S. Corzine on Jan. 6 signed an Executive Order establishing the New Jersey Council for Young Children. The role of the council will be to ensure collaboration and coordination among early childhood programs in the state and maintain compliance with federal guidelines.
Jan 5, 2010 (The Wall Street Journal)
Column: Should the government help provide child care?
Child-care advocates in the U.S. have called on government to increase support for high-quality child care. The 2008 economic-stimulus package contained $2 billion in child-care aid, bringing total federal child-care aid to $7 billion last year. Many people, however, prefer that government stay out of early-childhood care, leaving responsibility to families and holding down costs to taxpayers.
Jan 4, 2010 (The Times, Shreveport, LA)
Louisiana sees boost in pre-K enrollment
Louisiana is making "significant progress" toward preparing youngsters for kindergarten, according to data released last month, but educators say more must be done to provide universal preschool to all children. In terms of education, pre-K enrollment in Louisiana public schools increased 57 percent between 2000 and 2009, raising the total head count from 21,290 in the 2000-01 school year to 33,438 during the 2008-09 school year.
Jan 4, 2010 (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
Gov. advises no funding for academic program aimed at low-income families
[Gov.] Freudenthal says Even Start, which costs the state $1.4M, duplicates other childhood and adult literacy programs. Even Start has five centers across the state and supporters say it helps in ways other programs can't.
Jan 3, 2010 (The News Enterprise, Elizabethtown, KY)
Editorial: KEES to success
Recent studies have shown a remarkable return on investment in preschool programs. Perhaps KEES money would be better spent at the other end of a student’s journey — the beginning — building an economic foundation on which higher education can grow and prosper.
Jan 1, 2010 (Hawaii Business)
Early Education
Investing in families today pays off now and tomorrow
Some of Hawaii's business leaders ... believe high-quality and convenient childcare makes for more productive workers now. Plus, they see a future benefit: Children who spend time in good day-care will be better workers tomorrow.
Jan 1, 2010 (State Legislatures)
Early Returns
Even though the poor economy has restricted the money available for these early programs, state lawmakers have increased funding for pre-K in the last several years. But as states try to cope with shrinking revenues—a situation expected to last at least a couple of more years—they will find it more difficult to do so.