Making the Case for Quality Early Childhood Education

1. Making the Case forQuality Early Childhood Education Karen Seeber

2. What is quality? Well-educated teachers. Family engagement. Fun learning activities. Appropriate class sizes in healthy, safe environments. Child observation & assessment.

3. Quality benefits everyone Helps create successful students. Helps create successful adults. Helps create stronger communities.

6. Why make the case? Parents are child’s first teacher. Funding is tight, many demands. Many voices seeking the attention of school and community leaders. Those first years go by really fast – you can’t get them back!

7. Four simple steps Know your audience. Keep it simple with basic facts and research. Share a story that illustrates and reinforces the facts and research. Ask audience to do something.

8. Know your audience What do they care about? What concerns may they have? More likely to respond to research, facts and data -- or stories? How much time can they share?

9. Tips for policymakers Visit their websites. Subscribe to their e-newsletters. Follow them on Facebook. Read previous press releases and articles written by or about them. Talk to others in your community.

10. Start the conversation ASK!

11. Keep it simple Avoid jargon and acronyms. Memorize and share basic facts: 90% of brain development has been completed by age 5. 40 years of research shows that children receiving quality early childhood education are more likely to succeed in school and in life.

12. Keep it simple Memorize and share basic facts: Your county’s risk level. Percentage (%) of children under age 5 receiving publicly-funded quality early education services -- 36% statewide. http://paprom.convio.net/reach

13. Keep it simple • The average risk level in Philadelphia County is 3.8. A rating of one (low risk) to four (high risk) was given for each risk factor, based on the percentage of children affected. The sums of the risk factors for each county and city were averaged to determine an overall Average Risk Level or ARL. • Children in Philadelphia County are at high risk of school failure.

15. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:Reduced Costs to Schools/Communities Every $1 invested in quality early education saves $____ in special education, public assistance, corrections, and lost taxes. 7 12 17

16. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:Reduced Costs to Schools/Communities Every $1 invested in quality early education saves $7 in special education, public assistance, corrections, and lost taxes.

17. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:More Tax Revenues to Schools/Communities More people are working and paying taxes – parents with access to reliable and affordable child care are __% more likely to be employed. 5 15 25

18. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:More Tax Revenues to Schools/Communities More people are working and paying taxes – parents with access to reliable and affordable child care are 15% more likely to be employed.

19. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:More Tax Revenues to Schools/Communities Workers are earning more – parents can remain in workforce and continue to gain job skills, which can lead to a ___% earnings increase over their lifetimes. 10 20 30

20. Longer-Term Economic Benefit:More Tax Revenues to Schools/Communities Workers are earning more – parents can remain in workforce and continue to gain job skills, which can lead to a 30% earnings increase over their lifetimes.

21. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Multiplier Effect For every $1 PA invests in early childhood programs, more than $___ is circulated throughout our local economies through employment and purchasing of goods and services. 7 4 2

22. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Multiplier Effect For every $1 PA invests in early childhood programs, more than $2 is circulated throughout our local economies through employment and purchasing of goods and services.

23. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Cutting Special Education Costs High quality pre-k can reduce special education placements by nearly __%through second grade. 40 50 60

24. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Cutting Special Education Costs High quality pre-k can reduce special education placements by nearly 50%through second grade.

25. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Cutting Special Education Costs On average, a child placed in special education costs an additional $______over his/her school career. 23,400 55,700 67,500

26. Short-Term Economic Benefit:Cutting Special Education Costs On average, a child placed in special education costs an additional $67,500 over his/her school career.

27. Use research effectively WHY? Provides greater validity/credibility. Provides objectivity. Provides an “ah-ha” moment.

28. Use research effectively CONSIDER: Does it reinforce your argument? Is it easy to remember? Will it influence your audience? What is the local connection? Is it from a reliable source?

29. Share a story WHY? Brings research to life. Creates emotional connection. Show real families, children and teachers thriving due to quality.

31. Share a story The power of ONE. Share negative effects when families can’t access quality early childhood programs. Share positive ending when quality supports were finally received.

32. Call to action Ask audience to do something. Adopt a center. Donate materials. Offer scholarship. Share information with others. Sign PA’s Promise Declaration.

34. RESOURCES http://paprom.convio.net/case http://paprom.convio.net/research http://paprom.convio.net/info http://paprom.convio.net/reach Karen Seeber: karsee@berksiu.org