Latest Reports

The National Center for Education Statistics has released its 2008 report card on long-term assessements for reading and mathematics. The assessment was administered to children in the 2007-08 school year at the ages of 9, 13 and 17. The assessments make it possible to chart educational success since the 1970s. In reading, average scores in all three age groups increased since 2004. In math, average scores for 9- and 13-year-olds increased since 2004, but the average score for 17-year-olds did not change significantly. The report also states that black students made greater gains from the ealry 1970s than white students, and most racial/ethnic score gaps have narrowed since the first assessment.

These two briefs by CT Voices for Children discuss the funding coming to Connecticut for early care and education through the stimulus money and how that money can, cannot and should be used.

This report finds that the underutilization of human potential in the United States is very costly. If the United States had closed the international achievement gap between 1983 and 1998 and raised its performance to the level of nations such as Finland and Korea, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2008 would have been between $1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion higher, representing 9 to 16 percent of the GDP. If the U.S. had closed the racial achievement gap and black and Latino student performance had caught up with that of white students by 1998, GDP in 2008 would have been between $310 billion and $525 billion higher, or roughly 2%to 4% of GDP. If the United States closed the income achievement gap so that between 1983 and 1998, the performance of students with family income below $25,000 a year had been raised to the performance of students from homes above $25,000 a year, then GDP in 2008 would have been $400 billion to $670 billion higher, or 3% to 5% of the GDP.

The PreK-3rd approach starts with 3-year-olds and focuses on providing educational experiences to 3- and 4-year-old children on a universal, voluntary basis, until mandatory full-day kindergarten. An effective program, according to the report's authors, includes high-quality and unified learning in well-staffed classrooms; well-prepared teachers and aides (for 3 and 4 year olds) to educate children in the 3-8 age range; supportive school district policies; strong principal leadership that includes supporting professional development time for teachers to plan for effective coordination across and between grades; and includes families and communities that share accountability with PreK-3rd schools for children's educational success.  The report includes cost estimates for providing a high-quality PreK-3rd education program in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This framework suggests how child health services may contribute to children's school readiness through connecting with early care and education programs and family services and supports.  

This report, which features a Connecticut case study, focuses on how to help transition children from preschool into kindergarten.

From March 10-14, 44 parents from 31 states arrived in Washington, DC to share their personal child care stories with policymakers. And there are millions of stories just like these that are out there. NACCRRA estimates there are 11 million children under the age of 5 in some sort of child care arrangement as their parents go to work. On average, children of working mothers spend 36 hours a week in child care settings. Two of the stories profiled are from fathers. Three are from grandparents. Several are good-news stories about mothers who were able to get professional training, jobs or college degrees once they found stable, affordable childcare. Five profiles tell of children who died in unregulated or poorly supervised childcare settings. Connecticut is one state profiled, with a mother who found herself facing a new set of challenges after her husband abandoned her and their 18-month-old daughter. Through the Child Care Subsidy program in Manchester, she was able to secure licensed, affordable, high-quality child care.