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Motivations for State Investment in Pre-Kindergarten Programs

Motivations for State Investment in Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Cultural Factors, School Failures, and Helping States Invest “Better” Elaine Weiss, PhD Candidate, the G.W. University. The Importance of Pre-K for Low-Income, Female-Headed Families.

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Motivations for State Investment in Pre-Kindergarten Programs

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  1. Motivations for State Investment in Pre-Kindergarten Programs Cultural Factors, School Failures, and Helping States Invest “Better” Elaine Weiss, PhD Candidate, the G.W. University

  2. The Importance of Pre-K for Low-Income, Female-Headed Families • Early years of children’s lives central to later development • Increasing concern re lack of school readiness, rich-poor/white-black gap • Children of poor, single mothers at risk • Evidence that ECE interventions help • Common in Europe, where schools are ↑ • Head Start vs. “model” programs • Targeted vs. “universal” (UPK)

  3. Why State Motivations Matter • Policy: • Understanding reasons for program  better program, better evaluation • Pre-K advocates can better push for adoption, and retention, of programs • Re UPK, understand trade-offs, potential gains and losses for most at-risk kids

  4. Research Questions, Hypotheses • Motivations for state investment? • Internal – political, economic, strength/ weakness of education system/labor force • External – inter-state imitation, competition • Cultural features mediate above different “sets” of motivators for different states • Trade-offs of “going to scale” – i.e., pros and cons of UPK?

  5. Initial Results:Economicand Political Characteristics • Economic influences: strong in the South • Political influences: stronger in the non-South

  6. Initial Results: Education System and Labor Force Influences • Education/Labor Force: strong in the South

  7. Quality-Access Matrix

  8. “Role Models”: GA and OK • Georgia: • Devoted policy entrepreneur: Zell Miller • Dedicated funding source: lottery • Private-public partnership • Oklahoma: • Devoted policy entrepreneur: oil baron • Dedicated funding source: public schools • State law allows empty kindergarten classrooms used for four-year-olds

  9. Analysis/Policy Implications • Policy-makers: Know your reasons for having pre-k. • Poor schools/labor force? Broad school readiness issues? • Rich/poor gap? Targeted at-risk children? • Pre-K advocates: Understand differences among states. • Target your message based on state’s specific needs. • Help policy-makers design good program, maintain public support, properly evaluate program outcomes. • Keep in mind UPK trade-offs, use role models as guides. • Parents and those guiding them: • Look at state’s pre-k program when making life choices.

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