Early Education Initiative: Policy Papers

The Next Step in Systems-Building

Education Policy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:44:00 -0500

Today, preschool and other services for young children are delivered through what is widely recognized as a non-system, with programs like child care, pre-kindergarten, special education services and Head Start operating in separate policy silos, each with differing objectives and different funding streams. This uneven and uncoordinated character of early childhood policy can impede access, quality, and return on investment to these programs. Indeed, stories of avoidable dysfunction-of low-income parents who are unaware that their child

On the Cusp in California

Education Policy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0400

If children are the future, then looking at a state's educational system is like peering into a crystal ball. California is a state teeming with young children -- 4.7 million under age 8, to be exact. One in every eight young American children lives in California. And many of these children come from minority ethnic and racial backgrounds and speak languages other than English. If Americans want to get a glimpse at our future as a "majority minority" country they don't have to look beyond California.

Building a Solid Foundation

Education Policy — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:59:00 -0400

In April, the states and school districts began receiving the first installment of more than $48 billion in federal economic stimulus funds for education and child care appropriated under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). This unprecedented federal investment in education—from early childhood through college—is a tremendous opportunity for state and local investments to improve our nation's schools. The danger is that states and school districts may squander these funds on ill-conceived projects or use them simply to maintain the status quo.

A Stimulus for Second-Generation QRIS

Education Policy — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:03:00 -0400

On April 1, 2009, the states began to receive education and child care funds appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, or "the stimulus").^[1] Child care advocates in several states have urged policymakers to use some of the stimulus funds to launch or expand a statewide Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for providers of early childhood education and care.

10 New Ideas for Early Education in the 111th Congress

Education Policy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:17:00 -0500

As a new congress and new administration take their places in Washington, early education is attracting more attention. The 111^th Congress will have numerous opportunities to enact policies that improve access, quality, efficiency, and alignment in early education, including the forthcoming economic stimulus package and the scheduled reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The New America Foundation's Early Education Initiative proposes

Partners In Closing the Achievement Gap

Education Policy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:47:00 -0400

Over the past eight years, states have dramatically expanded their support for publicly-funded pre-k programs, and the number of children enrolled in these programs has grown significantly. States are investing in pre-k because research shows that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs can have a positive long-term impact on children’s life outcomes, help narrow the achievement gap between poor and affluent youngsters, and that the benefits of these investments to children and the taxpaying public outweigh their costs. In other words, high-quality pre-k is a key weapon in the arsenal of public policies that we can use to combat poverty and inequality and strengthen the skills of our workforce for the modern economy.

A similar argument could be made for charter schools. Charter schools are independent public schools that are publicly funded and accountable to the public for results. More than 4,250 charter schools serve more than 1.2 million students in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Although aggregate charter school performance nationally is mixed, some of our nation’s most effective schools in educating disadvantaged youngsters are charters, and charters in several states are outperforming their district-operated public school counterparts.

The charter school and universal pre-k movement have the potential to be important partners in improving education for America’s children. But despite their similarities and shared goals, these movements generally operate on separate tracks, with little cooperation or exchange of ideas between the two sectors. That’s unfortunate, because both sectors face similar challenges such as building capacity and ensuring high quality across diverse providers, and could help one another develop solutions. For instance, charter schools offer a potential source of new pre-k capacity. And, by the same token, policies to incorporate charter schools into state pre-k programs could support growth and quality in the charter movement. Because achievement gaps are in place long before children start kindergarten, charter schools seeking to narrow achievement gaps must be able to begin working with children in pre-k.

This issue brief analyzes ways to bridge the gap that currently exists between charter schools and early childhood education. Specific recommendations include:

Eliminate state policies barring charter schools from offering Pre-K
Allow public charter schools to access per-pupil funds to educate 3- and 4-year-olds
Build charter authorizer capacity and expertise in early education
Allow charter schools to access state and federal Pre-K funds
Ensure adequate Pre-K funding to ensure quality
Include Pre-K charters in the Federal Charter Schools program
Eliminate caps on the number of charter schools which may serve children

For the full text of the policy briefing memo, please see the PDF attached below.

10 New Ideas for Early Education in the NCLB Reauthorization

Education Policy — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:00:00 -0500

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) seeks to improve student learning and narrow academic achievement gaps that place low-income and minority students at a disadvantage relative to their affluent and white peers. Evidence shows that the roots of children’s academic success or failure are already firmly in place by third grade and as much as half of the black-white achievement gap already exists before children enter first grade. Therefore, to achieve its ambitious goals NCLB must do a much better job of catalyzing and supporting state and local efforts to improve children’s education in the preschool and early elementary years.

But despite the importance of the pre-k and early elementary school years, current debate over NCLB reauthorization has devoted very little attention to improving pre-k and early elementary school programs, separately or as an integrated collective. The main debate has been over the law’s testing and accountability provisions—which focus on student performance in grades three through eight.

Advocates for universal pre-k are lobbying for the creation of a new pre-k title in NCLB and substantial new federal funding to support state universal pre-k efforts. But there is almost no discussion of how provisions already in NCLB could better support high-quality early education in pre-k through grade three (PK-3).

Many provisions in NCLB affect early education. Four federal programs authorized under NCLB—Title I, Even Start, Early Reading First, and the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program—provide nearly half a billion dollars annually in funding for pre-k programs. Two-thirds of children in rapidly growing state pre-k programs attend classes in public schools, so policies that affect elementary schools also affect pre-k. Provisions throughout NCLB—from its teacher quality provisions to its charter school program—should be updated to reflect the increased inclusion of pre-k in public education, and to acknowledge the centrality of high-quality early education to achieving the law’s school improvement goals.

This issue brief analyzes NCLB programs and policies that affect or have the potential to affect early education and recommends 10 ways NCLB reauthorization can better support high-quality early education.

1) Allow Reading First funds to be used for pre-k language and literacy activities

2) Tap supplemental educational services and public school choice set-aside funds for high-quality pre-k

3) Improve accountability for early education programs

4) Restructure elementary schools identified for reconstitution as PK-3 Early Education Academies

5) Strengthen the ability of charter schools to deliver high-quality pre-k

6) Combine NCLB's Title V block grant program with Head Start's newly authorized state early childhood coordination initiative to create a single "2020 Early Education" state grant program

7) Require pre-k programs operated in public schools or with Title I funds to employ "highly qualified early educators" as lead teachers

8) Create a "Pathways to Pre-kindergarten Teaching" alternative certification demonstration program

9) Provide targeted professional development to individual teachers

10) Expand the representation of English Language Learners in pre-k programs

All of these ideas carry little or no cost to the federal government, relying on better use of existing funds rather than new funding. These are not the only ways to improve early education in NCLB, but they form a starting point for a broader discussion about how federal education policy can better support high-quality early education.

For the full paper, please see the attached PDF below.

The Key to NCLB Success: Getting it Right From the Start

Education Policy — Mon, 21 May 2007 00:20:00 -0400

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Access to quality pre-kindergarten (PK) programs varies widely among and within states. While PK enrollment is growing, large disparities in access and quality threaten to undermine the capacity of early childhood education to close achievement gaps. Research shows that at-risk children can catch up to their non-disadvantaged peers by participating in highquality PK programs that are linked to K-3 structures. However, fewer than half of children ages 3 and 4 engage in some type of early childhood education—before quality is taken into account.

Standards and instruction must be aligned from PK through Grade 3 to maximize the advantages of preschool. Achievement gains from preschool "fade out" over time if not followed with a high quality, aligned elementary school program. For PK to be most successful, it is best followed with a high-quality elementary school education that draws on the teaching and learning that provided in the PK classroom.

The federal government and states currently are involved in expanding access to preschool, but coordination is limited and standards are uneven. The main federal investment in early education is through the Head Start program, but Head Start services reach less than half of eligible children. School districts can also use No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Title I program funds for pre-kindergarten programs, but most districts choose to target limited funds on elementary grades. State-funded PK programs operate in 38 states, but there is little alignment of program characteristics or teacher entry standards across states.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1) Dedicate current NCLB Title V funding to a new "2020 Early Education Grant" program. The federal government should restructure current Title V block grant funds instead as matching grants to states to expand access to high-quality PK programs and aligned PK teacher and curricular standards with elementary grades.

Tier One: Fund the development of state PK-16 Coordinating Councils that would create state plans for phasing-in access to universal PK and align standards across the PK-16 continuum.
Tier Two: Provide matching grants to fund high-quality PK programs equal to up to 25 percent of per child expenditures, exclusively for at-risk children. High quality programs are aligned PK-3 and include a highly qualified early educator guarantee.
Tier Three: Provide matching grants to fund high-quality PK programs for all children.

2) Require all PK classrooms to have a lead teacher with "highly qualified early educator" status. Similar to NCLB’s teacher quality requirement, lead PK teachers should hold a bachelor’s degree and evidence competence in early childhood education. A differentiated staffing approach would allow lesser-credentialed teachers to serve as assistant teachers. Over time, Head Start should align their teacher standards with these new requirements. In addition, Title II of the Higher Education Act should be revised to create an incentive for colleges of education to develop integrated PK-3 teacher preparation and certification programs.

3) Increase flexibility for schools districts to use existing NCLB Title I funding for early intervention in grades PK-3, and direct all new NCLB Title I funds to PK-3 initiatives. All Title I schools, not just those high poverty schools with schoolwide programs, should be allowed to use Title I funds for early intervention strategies, not just for those students who have qualified as at-risk. New Title I funding should specifically be dedicated to expanding and improving early education instead of distributed diffusely among a variety of activities. Not only would this save money in the long term by focusing on prevention rather than more costly remediation, it would target Title I program evaluations on a single, research-proven strategy and thus bolster the case for increased future Title I funding.

The full text of this report is available below in PDF format.

Teacher Quality in Grades PK-3: Challenges and Options

Education Policy — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:00:00 -0400

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) The PK-3 Workforce is Subject to an Array of Entry Standards. Public school teachers in grades K-3 must meet the quality standards of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Pre-kindergarten (PK) teachers in Title I-funded programs also are regulated by NCLB. But Head Start teachers have their own separate entry standards. In some state PK programs, all teachers must possess a bachelor’s degree and have engaged in additional early childhood or PK-3 training. In others, only a Child Development Associate certificate is required.

2) There are Approximately 1.5 Million Teachers in the PK-3 Workforce. New America estimates that some 80 percent of the overall PK-3 teaching workforce holds a bachelor’s degree. Only 39 percent of PK teachers, however, hold a four year degree in comparison to almost all K-3 teachers. Of note, three out of four state-funded PK program teachers hold a bachelor’s degree. Elementary school teachers are paid more than double their PK counterparts ($47,000 v. $23,000 per year), except those in state-funded PK programs who, in keeping with their comparable credentials, are paid salaries comparable to, but still lower than, their elementary school counterparts. PK-3 teacher turnover rates are inversely related to salary.

3) Pre-Service and In-Service Training Standards for PK-3 Educators Vary Considerably Across States and Programs. The National Association for the Education of Young Children sets standards for early childhood teacher education programs. However, not all colleges of education meet or are required to meet applicable standards. In fact, colleges of education have limited capacity to offer quality PK-3 teacher training programs. Substantial federal funding exists for in-service Head Start and K-3 training, but surveys suggest that states pay little systematic attention to in-service training quality or content in K-3 education. Instead there is an emphasis on participation hours.

Recommended is that NCLB Title V funding be dedicated to early education expansion, conditioned on an assurance that all publicly supported PK-3 lead teachers meet a new “highly qualified early educator” standard. Competency may be evidenced through completion of a four-year early childhood education post-secondary program or by passing a new, national “high, objective, uniform standard of evaluation” that is a performance-based measure of knowledge, skills and disposition.

Recommended is that over a phased-in period of time, Head Start’s minimum teacher quality standards be aligned with a new, NCLB “highly qualified early educator” definition. A portion of Head Start’s increased future appropriations should be dedicated toward improved Head Start educator quality and pay.

Recommended is that Title II of the Higher Education Act (HEA) be targeted to support integrated PK-3 teacher preparation and certification programs. Further recommended is that HEA’s college of education accountability standard be revised to reflect the percentage of students who begin and complete programs, including improved disaggregation of certification data, such as PK-3 certification success.

Recommended is that Title II of NCLB expressly authorize and encourage integration of PK and K-3 in-service training and alternative certification pathways for non-traditional early educators, including for example new college graduates who might participate in a Teach for America Early Childhood Initiative or similar local efforts.

The full text of this report is available below in PDF format.

A Dissent to 'Closing the Achievement Gap'

Education Policy — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:27:00 -0400

A Dissenting View

Thank you for the opportunity to review "Closing the Achievement Gap Through Expanded Access to Quality Early Education in Grades PK-3.” The paper examines the very important issue of how to better prepare young children for kindergarten and presents a highly ambitious policy response to advance that goal. The following review endorses the aspiration but questions the recommended means of achieving it and suggests that the proposal might both undermine the author’s laudable ambitions and cause severe unintended consequences.

To read the complete dissenting view, please see the attached PDF version below.

Stephen Goldsmith is a member of the Advisory Panel to the Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Education Policy — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:01:00 -0400

A significant, albeit still insufficient, expansion of access to publicly supported early education programs for children ages 3 to 5 has occurred over the last decade. This trend bodes well for children at risk of academic failure, but is endangered by uneven, halting, and at times inadequate attention to program quality in grades prekindergarten through three.

Expanded access to pre-kindergarten in recent years is primarily the result of individual state legislative, state agency, state executive, and state referendum efforts. States have pursued these efforts at different times, unequal rates, and with no coordinating effort from the federal government. (Much of the existing coordination has come from private foundations, such as The Pew Charitable Trusts, Joyce Foundation, and David and Lucille Packard Foundation and national non-profit organizations, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).) The result of this state-by-state approach to program development is an uneven and inequitable national structure. Programs operate with vastly different quality and access levels, and, within states, can be isolated from system wide standards-based school reform. As a result, expanded access to pre-kindergarten is in danger of not fully realizing its substantial potential to help close academic achievement gaps between at-risk children and their nondisadvantaged peers. In fact, in some circumstances, expanded pre-kindergarten programs that are of suboptimal quality could fail of their own weight.

To expand access to pre-kindergarten, heighten early education program quality, and equalize child opportunities, the New America Foundation recommends a series of changes to existing federal grant programs, including a reformed No Child Left Behind Title V, Part A block grant program that rewards and promotes state early education expanded access and quality efforts. Further recommended is dedicated No Child Left Behind Act Title I program funding and increased spending flexibility. The foundations for expanded access to highquality pre-kindergarten programs may be realized through recommended changes at negligible additional taxpayer cost. However, a high-quality, voluntary access pre-kindergarten system is ultimately an expensive proposition. The impact of recommended changes would be heightened if additional federal resources were made available, including through an expansion of existing programs, such as Head Start.

For the complete report, please see the attached PDF version below.

Ladders of Learning

Education Policy — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 04:00:00 -0500

It’s a good news, bad news situation. The good news is an increasing body of evidence shows that children’s participation in high quality pre-kindergarten (PK) programs helps them begin kindergarten ready to succeed. Similarly, there is growing evidence that children who start kindergarten behind but participate in a full-day kindergarten (FDK) program catch up to their peers by the end one academic year. The bad news is these effects often appear to “fade out” over time. As children move through the primary grades (grades 1, 2, and 3), the progress they made in PK and FDK dissipates and they are, once again, lagging behind other children. This fadeout effect suggests that while participation in PK and FDK produces positive short-term outcomes, it may not be sufficient to inoculate children against future academic failure.

Learning and development are like climbing a ladder. One starts at the bottom rung, then climbs to the next, and then to the next, ultimately reaching the top. The rungs provide incremental footholds to span a distance of space. If, however, there are no rungs—or only one or two—at the bottom of the ladder, then a long distance of open air with a random rung here and there, successfully climbing the ladder becomes a dicier proposition. As children progress through learning opportunities, they climb from rung to rung, building skill upon skill, incrementally expanding their knowledge and development. High-quality PK and FDK give children a boost to successfully climb the first few rungs on the ladder of learning. If the rungs stop after kindergarten and there is a long gap of unsupported space until the top of the ladder, children will have more difficulty—and need more assistance—to reach the top. Education should be structured in such a way that all children have learning experiences that build on those in previous years and connect with those to come, creating a smooth and predictable climb to the top.

This paper outlines the importance of having strong, well aligned programs beginning in PK and extending through third grade (PK-3). It reviews the short term impact of PK and FDK programs, then summarizes the evidence that these impacts may “fade out” by the primary grades. To fight fade-out, PK-3 alignment is proffered as one means to enable children to maintain and expand upon the gains they make in early childhood education. PK-3 suggests that PK experiences should be aligned with kindergarten and that kindergarten should be aligned with early elementary education. The paper closes with federal policy recommendations that provide both models and incentives for the nation, states, and local school districts to institute and strengthen PK-3 alignment.

For the complete report, please see the attached PDF version below.

Building a 21st Century Economy

Education Policy — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:00:00 -0500

Never before has the connection between our economic growth and our education system been so critical. In the antiquated industrial economy of the past, a country that could efficiently manufacture and produce material goods succeeded. In today’s new knowledge-based economy, a nation’s success is contingent on its citizens’ human capital. As the Council on Competitiveness predicts, “where once we optimized our organizations for efficiency and quality, now we must optimize our entire society for innovation.”

The drive for innovation demands that we look at improving our education system from the ground up. However, to date, we have heard little in the education debate about children’s early years. This is radically different than our competitors, who begin investing much earlier in their citizens’ education, knowing that these investments have long-term benefits for children and families. For America to succeed, we must do the same. We make the case for a fundamental change in U.S. early education policies, looking specifically at prekindergarten through third grade -- what we call the PK-3 agenda.

The reforms we outline below are critical to developing the foundation for learning that children need to succeed in a global economy. PK-3 efforts will also help to ensure that children who start from behind are able to catch up and become full participants in America’s future growth and prosperity.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version.