Pre-K Now Newswire

Early education should be "an integral component of America's economic recovery," according to a letter delivered today to the Joint Economic Committee. Written by Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now, and delivered as members convened for a hearing on "Economic Recovery: Need for Growth and Stimulus," the letter challenged Congressional leaders to consider the impact of their decisions as they evaluate what constitutes pro-economic growth spending and what doesn't.

In response to the growing movement to develop and expand voluntary, state-funded pre-kindergarten programs, Pre-K Now today introduced Engaged Families, Effective Pre-K - a new initiative to research best practices for engaging families in pre-k programs and to advance state policies that support those practices.

A congressional briefing cosponsored by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) and Pre-K Now today highlighted the importance of federal and state partnerships to support states' voluntary pre-kindergarten efforts.

In spite of worsening economic conditions across the country, the majority of states stood firm in their commitment to investing in pre-kindergarten programs, according to "Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009," a state-by-state analysis of pre-k funding released today by Pre-K Now with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. This year's "Votes Count" also unveils a new list of the places families would have the best and worst chances of enrolling their children in a high-quality, state-funded pre-k program; ten states make the notable lists.

Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell misrepresent decades of research on the lasting benefits of quality pre-K research that has been accepted by academics and policymakers across the political spectrum. The authors cherry-pick data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Contrary to their claim, fourth-grade NAEP scores rose in Georgia from 1992 to 2007. A national study by RAND in 2000 found that preschool was one of a number of factors that contributed to higher NAEP scores across the country.

Mississippi is the only state in the South and one of twelve in the nation without a state-funded pre-k program, but at least one of the state's U.S. senators aims to remove that distinction. Last week, speaking with the Daily Journal, Republican Sen. Thad Cochran expressed his hopes for federal incentive funding to support the creation of state pre-k education in Mississippi. He announced his desire to work with Sen.

We are grateful to Chairman Miller, Congressman Castle and other leaders on the House Education and Labor Committee for their strong endorsement today of high-quality state pre-k programs, and we heartily congratulate Congresswoman Hirono for her leadership on this issue! The committee's bipartisan approval of her bill, Providing Resources Early for Kids Act (the PRE-K Act) is a huge win for America's children and families.

Pre-K Now today released results of a national poll on voters' views of state and federal support for high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. The findings reveal broad support for making voluntary pre-k for all children a larger fiscal priority, and suggest that candidates' positions on the issue could influence many Americans' votes this fall. Notably, seven in 10 voters - and 7 in 10 "swing voters" - support a proposeal for new federal grants to help states increase the quality and availability of their pre-k programs.

In light of the growing demand for high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and concerns about poor quality programs in some of the country's largest states, a report released today helps decision makers estimate the costs of quality improvements to teacher education and class size.

In spite of significant fiscal and political challenges, 16 governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., proposed a total of $261 million in increases for pre-kindergarten programs, according to Pre-K Now, a Washington, D.C.-based education advocacy group, in its annual state-by-state analysis of leadership on early childhood education released today.