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On our May 2007 call, we discussed the key ingredients of high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and how they can be achieved and maintained. Bob Pianta and Barbara Bowman each spoke on research into the quality factors proven to impact and improve outcomes for children in pre-k. Kim Means of the National Association for the Education of Young Children moderated the call and outlined her organization's accreditation system and advocacy for high-quality programs.

On our April 2007 call, we discussed findings and analysis from Pre-K Now's annual report on governors' pre-k budget and policy proposals, "Leadership Matters." Top aides to Gov. Mike Beebe (Ark.) and Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (La.) spoke about gubernatorial leadership and what it has meant to pre-k programs in their states. The call was moderated by Elliot Regenstein, co-chair of the Illinois Early Learning Council and a former policy aide to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

On our March 2007 call, we discussed recent studies of the benefits of high-quality pre-k with experts who are conducting research in this area. Arthur Reynolds of the University of Minnesota presented an overview of his research, including the ongoing work of the highly-respected Chicago Longitudinal Study. Linda Espinosa of the University of Missouri-Columbia explained findings from her research, particularly as it relates to dual language children and her role on the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.

On our February 2007 call, we discussed how high-quality pre-k fits within and strengthens broader efforts to improve the U.S. education system. Two members of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, Marc Tucker and Sharon Lynn Kagan, presented ideas and recommendations, including pre-k for all, from the Commission's "Tough Choices or Tough Times" report. The call was moderated by Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster.

My friend and mentor Bill Ferriter tagged me a while ago before I came to Inside Pre-K to participate in a blog MEME. He asked me to write a post based on the National Public Radio series “This I Believe” where individuals share essays they have written that enumerates their philosophies.

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.