Many Happy Returns: Why school boards should care about Pre-K

1. The Center for Public Education Many Happy Returns:Why school boards should care about Pre-K Laurie Hart, NSBA Development Manager-Central Region Jim Edwards, Kansas Association of School Boards Patte Barth, NSBA, Center for Public Education Wisconsin State Education Convention January 23, 2008

2. Agenda • Why pre-K? • The school board role • State trends – access AND quality • A federal role questions

3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4. 1 Pre-kindergarten education means putting little children in desks.

5. 1 False Home

6. 2 Gains made in preschool fade out in elementary school.

7. 2 False Home

8. 3 Each dollar invested in high-quality pre-k can save the community up to $16 dollars later on.

9. 3 True Home

10. 4 Kids with high-quality pre-k are less likely to drop out of high school.

11. 4 True Home

12. 5 Pre-k is only important for low-SES children or children with special needs.

13. 5 False Home

14. 6 School boards have no voice in pre-kindergarten education.

15. 6 False Home

16. Why should school boards care about pre-K?

17. What school board members say about pre-k • Greatest benefit: accelerates children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development to become school ready (77%) • Reduces the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers (71%) • Reduces district expenses by decreasing remediation and special education costs (46%) Source: NSBA survey of school board members, 2006

18. Challenges • Making pre-K a public priority • Implementing a sound system – one that accommodates diverse providers

19. Findings from Survey: Challenges 79% 26% 17% 16% Lack of resources Hiring qualified teachers/staff Coordinating/ collaborating with eligible providers Lack of clear expectations/standards for school readiness Source: NSBA Survey, 2006

20. Pew-CPE initiative • Making the case for pre-kindergarten • Intensifying efforts in Kansas, Ohio and Texas • Reaching out broadly to other states and nationally

21. What the research says about pre-K

22. Poor children start school behind their more affluent peers academically … Percent of students scoring in top quartile Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

23. … and socially Percent of students who engage in pro-social behavior often or very often Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

24. The benefits of pre-k convey to all children Effects of Tulsa Preschool Program on School Readiness by Race & Ethnicity Effect Size (gains) Source: Cannon & Karoly, Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? RAND, 2007. Data from Gormley et al, 2005.

25. The benefits of pre-k convey to all children Effects of Tulsa Preschool Program on School Readiness by Family Income Effect Size (gains) Source: Cannon & Karoly, Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? RAND, 2007. Data from Gormley et al, 2005.

26. Short-term benefits • More likely to score higher on math and reading state tests in elementary school • Less likely to be retained in grade • Less likely to require special education services Sources: High Scopes/Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, Chicago Child-Parent Centers

27. Long-term benefits • More likely to earn high school diploma • More likely to be employed • More likely to earn high wages • More likely to be home owners • Less likely to be a teen parent • Less likely to be involved in criminal justice system Sources: High Scopes/Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, Chicago Child-Parent Centers

28. Pre-K is a gift that keeps on giving Percent of individuals SOURCE: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40, Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions, November 2004

29. And it adds up:Gains per $1 invested SOURCE: CED, 2006

30. Savings to K-12 in Wisconsin • 68 cents per dollar invested in pre-K for 4-yr-olds statewide • 76 cents per dollar invested in Milwaukee alone Savings in special ed placements, less grade retention, higher teacher retention, fewer substitutes, school safety. SOURCE: An economic analysis of four-year-old kindergarten in Wisconsin: Returns to the education system, PreK Now, Washington, DC, September 2005.

31. Access to pre-k varies by race & ethnicity 62 60 61 60 50 Percent of 4 year-olds Source: NCES, Pre:school: First findings, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort Follow up, 2007

32. Access to pre-k also varies by family income 72 57 47 Percent of 4 year-olds Source: NCES, Pre:school: First findings, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort Follow up, 2007

33. Adapted from Pew Charitable Trusts, 2006

34. State trends -- pre-k access

35. Access • 38 states fund pre-k programs • 20% of all 4-yr-olds enrolled in state pre-k – up from 14% in 2002 • 2/3 of children served are in public school settings Source: NIEER, 2006

36. More state dollars for pre-k Source: Pre-K Now, Votes Count 2007

37. Pre-k funding by state, FY08 Orange: increase Black: decrease Tan: Flat Blue: Inc, expected White: no state pre-k Gray: no budget Map: Pre-K Now, Votes Count 2007

38. Access to state pre-kFour-year-olds

39. 4-yr-olds in state pre-k Map: NIEER State Preschool Yearbook, 2006

40. Wisconsin access Source: NIEER, 2006

41. State trends -- pre-k quality

42. NIEER’s 10 quality indicators • Early learning standards • Lead teachers with B.A. • Lead teachers with early ed training • Ass’t teachers with CDA • Min. 15 hrs PD • Max. class size of 20 • Min. staff-child ratio 1:10 • Health support • Min. 1 meal • Site visits Source: National Institute for Early Education Research

43. States meeting standards • 2 states – AL and NC -- meet all 10 indicators • 30 require a 1:10 staff-child ratio • 28 have a max class size of 20 • 28 require early ed training • 18 require BAs Source: NIEER, 2006

44. Wisconsin state requirements4K programs • Early learning standards • Lead teacher with BA • Early ed training • 15 hrs professional development • Site visits Source: NIEER, 2006

45. Wisconsin state requirementsHead Start • Early learning standards • Early ed training • Max. class size of 20 • Staff-child ratio 1:10 • Health screening • Min. one meal Source: NIEER, 2006

46. A federal role

47. NSBA’s Pre-K Legislative Committee • Advocates for federal pre-k agenda to include more investment in high-quality pre-k • Includes over 300 NA, FRN and CUBE representatives at present

48. NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations • New federal grant program to fund portion of costs to develop and expand voluntary quality preschool programs in local school districts. • Key caveats: • School district participation discretionary • Parent/student participation discretionary • Not at expense of K-12 funding • Doesn’t foster vouchers

49. NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations (cont.) • Programs adopt developmentally appropriate early ed standards aligned with state’s K-12 standards. • Require outside pre-k providers to collaborate with local districts. • Encourage states to upgrade teacher certification / licensure systems to include BA & early ed training

50. NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations (cont.) • Devote resources to districts to develop / implement joint training and professional development programs for early ed instructors. • Tools / incentives to replicate effective models and improve program quality.