140 likes | 232 Views
Invest in pre-k. Win valuable prizes. Patte Barth ♦ National School Boards Association ♦ March 15, 2013. Message to school leaders. Education funding is limited, but we must recognize the proven link between quality pre-kindergarten and narrowing achievement gaps. Sally Howell
E N D
Invest in pre-k Win valuable prizes Patte Barth ♦ National School Boards Association ♦ March 15, 2013
Message to school leaders Education funding is limited, but we must recognize the proven link between quality pre-kindergarten and narrowing achievement gaps. Sally Howell Alabama School Boards Association
Investing in kids is an investment in the community • Short term: Good pre-k programs save school dollars related to fewer ELL and special education placements and grade retentions • Long term: One drop out costs communities about $60,000 in lost tax revenue over a lifetime.
The benefits of pre-k convey to all children Effects of Tulsa Preschool Program on School Readiness by Race & Ethnicity Effect Size (gains) 4 Source: Cannon & Karoly, Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? RAND, 2007. Data from Gormley et al, 2005.
Access to pre-k varies by race & ethnicity 62 61 60 60 50 Percent of 4 year-olds 5 Source: NCES, Pre:school: First findings, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort Follow up, 2007
Texas pre-k program • Targeted to FRPL eligible, LEP, homeless, foster care and/or active military families • Launched in 1985-86 • Served over 200,000 3- and 4-year olds in 2008-09 • Meets 4 of 10 NIEER quality indicators SOURCE: Andrews, Jargowsky, Kuhne, The Effects of Texas’s Pre-Kindergarten Program on Academic Performance, Calder Institute, November 2012
Effect of participating inTexas pre-k program • Higher math and reading scores in 3rd grade • 24 percent lower chance of being retained 40 percent lower for LEP students • 13 percent lower chance of placement in special ed SOURCE: Andrews, Jargowsky, Kuhne, The Effects of Texas’s Pre-Kindergarten Program on Academic Performance, Calder Insitute, November 2012
ConfiguringPre-K and Kindergarten • Question: is it better to invest in full-day K or pre-K? • 3rd graders who had pre-K and full-day K were most likely to have strong reading skills • 3rd graders with pre-K and half-day K were 18 percent more likely to have strong reading skills than their peers with full-day K alone 8 SOURCE: Hull, Starting out right: Pre-K and Kindergarten, Center for Public Education, 2011
Pre-k/k v full-day kIncreased chances by student group Hispanic students: 24% Low-income students: 20% African American students: 17% ELL students: 25% 9 SOURCE: Hull, Starting out right: Pre-K and Kindergarten, Center for Public Education, 2011
ConfiguringPre-K and Kindergarten • Question: how many hours are best? • One study showed that children with 15-30 hours per week posted stronger cognitive gains than children with fewer hours • More than thirty hours per week generally did not have added benefits • Can vary widely by student population, community needs 10 SOURCE: Loeb, et al., How much is too much?, Berkeley, CA, 2005
Planning for Pre-K • Establish a vision • Review the research • Engage the community • Take inventory • Design a program • Ensure quality • Secure funding • Monitor results 11
Possible SD Role: Provide financial support Provide Certified Teacher Share training and professional development Give resources/materials/supplies/equipment Possible Partner Role: Provide space Provide “wrap around care” Advertise to community Allow access to children’s developmental screenings Share resources Building Partnerships 12
Policy considerations • Equitable access • Program quality • Quality workforce • Program coordination • P-3 alignment 13
For more information … Download more tools and resources to start the pre-k conversation contact me: Patte Barth pbarth@nsba.org www.centerforpubliceducation.org/preK