Many Happy Returns:Why school boards should care

about Pre-KLaurie Hart, NSBA Development Manager-Central

RegionJim Edwards, Kansas Association of School Boards

Patte Barth, NSBA, Center for Public Education

Wisconsin State Education ConventionJanuary 23, 2008

The Center for Public Education

Agenda

• Why pre-K?

• The school board role

• State trends – access AND quality

• A federal role

questions

7 8 9

4 5 6

1 2 3

1

Pre-kindergarten education means putting little children in desks.

1

FalseHome

2

Gains made in preschool fade out in elementary school.

2

FalseHome

3

Each dollar invested in high-quality pre-k can save the community up to $16 dollars later on.

3

TrueHome

4

Kids with high-quality pre-k are less likely to drop out of high school.

4

TrueHome

5

Pre-k is only important for low-SES children or children with special needs.

5

FalseHome

6

School boards have no voice in pre-kindergarten education.

6

FalseHome

Why should school boards care about pre-K?

What school board members say about pre-k

• Greatest benefit: accelerates children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development to become school ready (77%)

• Reduces the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers (71%)

• Reduces district expenses by decreasing remediation and special education costs (46%)

Source: NSBA survey of school board members, 2006

Challenges

• Making pre-K a public priority

• Implementing a sound system – one that accommodates diverse providers

Findings from Survey: Challenges79%

26%

17% 16%

Lack ofresources

Hiring qualifiedteachers/staff

Coordinating/collaborating

with eligible providers

Lack of clear expectations/standards

for school readinessSource: NSBA Survey, 2006

Pew-CPE initiative

• Making the case for pre-kindergarten

• Intensifying efforts in Kansas, Ohio and Texas

• Reaching out broadly to other states and nationally

What the research says about pre-K

Poor children start school behind their more affluent peers academically …

Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

8 7 6

27 27 27

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reading math gneralknowledge

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ile

… and socially

Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

67 69

43

75 78

53

0

80

accept peerideas

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comfortothers

welfare

no welfare

Per

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s w

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age

in p

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ehav

ior

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y of

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The benefits of pre-k convey to all children

Source: Cannon & Karoly, Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? RAND, 2007. Data from Gormley et al, 2005.

0.99

0.38

0.6

0.76

1.5

0.74

0.89

0.72

0.98

0.52

0.72

0

2

White Hispanic Black NativeAmerican

Appliedproblems

Letter-Word ID

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Effects of Tulsa Preschool Program on School Readiness by Race & Ethnicity

Eff

ect

Siz

e (g

ain

s)

The benefits of pre-k convey to all children

Source: Cannon & Karoly, Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? RAND, 2007. Data from Gormley et al, 2005.

0.45

0.29

0.81

1.04

0.630.65

0.97

0.54

0

2

free lunch reduced lunch non eligible

Appliedproblems

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Effects of Tulsa Preschool Program on School Readiness by Family Income

Eff

ect

Siz

e (g

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Short-term benefits

• More likely to score higher on math and

reading state tests in elementary school

• Less likely to be retained in grade

• Less likely to require special education

services

Sources: High Scopes/Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, Chicago Child-Parent Centers

Long-term benefits

• More likely to earn high school diploma

• More likely to be employed

• More likely to earn high wages

• More likely to be home owners

• Less likely to be a teen parent

• Less likely to be involved in criminal justice

system

Sources: High Scopes/Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, Chicago Child-Parent Centers

Pre-K is a gift that keeps on giving

40

5

45

15

28

60

27

65

49

67

0 100

earned over$20K at 40

owned home at27

graduated highschool

achieved basicor better at 14

IQ was over 90at age 5

with pre-k

without pre-k

Percent of individuals

SOURCE: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40, Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions, November 2004

And it adds up:Gains per $1 invested

2.363.78

7.14

16.14

0

18

Meta-analysis Abecedarian Chicago Centers High/Scope

SOURCE: CED, 2006

Savings to K-12 in Wisconsin

• 68 cents per dollar invested in pre-K for 4-yr-olds statewide

• 76 cents per dollar invested in Milwaukee alone

SOURCE: An economic analysis of four-year-old kindergarten in Wisconsin: Returns to the education system, PreK Now, Washington, DC, September 2005.

Savings in special ed placements, less grade retention, higher teacher retention, fewer substitutes, school safety.

Access to pre-k varies by race & ethnicity

Per

cen

t of

4

year

-old

s

Source: NCES, Pre:school: First findings, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort Follow up, 2007

53

37 31

55

29

725

19

6

31

0

100

White Black Hispanic Asian NativeAmerican

center-based Head Start

60 62

50

61 60

Access to pre-k also varies by family income

Per

cen

t of

4

year

-old

s

Source: NCES, Pre:school: First findings, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort Follow up, 2007

22

44

7125

13

1

0

100

lowest 20% middle 60% highest 20%

center-based Head Start

47

57

72

High-quality pre-k is NOT

High pressure

Mandatory

Low-quality/concerned

only with access

Academic only

One size fits all

Only in schools

Closed to parents

A silver bullet

High-quality pre-k IS

Fun – “can I go to pre-K?”

Concerned with children’s social/emotional/academic development

For all plus more for high-needs children

Often in diverse settings

Welcoming to parents too

Absolutely voluntary

Essential but not sufficient

Adapted from Pew Charitable Trusts, 2006

State trends -- pre-k access

Access

• 38 states fund pre-k programs

• 20% of all 4-yr-olds enrolled in state pre-k – up from 14% in 2002

• 2/3 of children served are in public school settings

Source: NIEER, 2006

More state dollars for pre-k

FY 2005 FY 2008

# of states increasing pre-k funding

15 36

Total state pre-k dollars $2.9 billion $4.8 billion

Source: Pre-K Now, Votes Count 2007

Pre-k funding by state, FY08

Orange: increase Black: decrease Tan: Flat

Blue: Inc, expected White: no state pre-k Gray: no budget

Map: Pre-K Now, Votes Count 2007

Access to state pre-kFour-year-olds

Top States No program OK 70%

GA 52%

VT 47%

FL 47%

TX 44%

WV 40%

WI 32%

SC 31%

MD 31%

KY 29%

AK NH

HI ND

ID RI

IN SD

MS UT

MT WY

4-yr-olds in state pre-k

Map: NIEER State Preschool Yearbook, 2006

Wisconsin access

Wisconsin Nat’l average

Top state

4-yr-olds in state pre-k

32% 20% 70%

OK

4-yr-olds in Head Start

9% 11% 36%

MS

Per child spending

$3,108 $3,482 $9,854

NJ

Source: NIEER, 2006

State trends -- pre-k quality

NIEER’s 10 quality indicators• Early learning standards• Lead teachers with B.A.• Lead teachers with early ed training• Ass’t teachers with CDA• Min. 15 hrs PD• Max. class size of 20• Min. staff-child ratio 1:10• Health support• Min. 1 meal• Site visits

Source: National Institute for Early Education Research

States meeting standards

• 2 states – AL and NC -- meet all 10 indicators

• 30 require a 1:10 staff-child ratio

• 28 have a max class size of 20

• 28 require early ed training

• 18 require BAs

Source: NIEER, 2006

Wisconsin state requirements4K programs

• Early learning standards

• Lead teacher with BA

• Early ed training

• 15 hrs professional development

• Site visits

Source: NIEER, 2006

Wisconsin state requirementsHead Start

• Early learning standards

• Early ed training

• Max. class size of 20

• Staff-child ratio 1:10

• Health screening

• Min. one meal

Source: NIEER, 2006

A federal role

NSBA’s Pre-K Legislative Committee

• Advocates for federal pre-k agenda to include more investment in high-quality pre-k

• Includes over 300 NA, FRN and CUBE representatives at present

NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations

• New federal grant program to fund portion of costs to develop and expand voluntary quality preschool programs in local school districts.

• Key caveats:

– School district participation discretionary– Parent/student participation discretionary– Not at expense of K-12 funding– Doesn’t foster vouchers

NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations (cont.)

• Programs adopt developmentally appropriate early ed standards aligned with state’s K-12 standards.

• Require outside pre-k providers to collaborate with local districts.

• Encourage states to upgrade teacher certification / licensure systems to include BA & early ed training

NSBA’s Federal Policy Recommendations (cont.)

• Devote resources to districts to develop / implement joint training and professional development programs for early ed instructors.

• Tools / incentives to replicate effective models and improve program quality.

questions?

For more information …

• Center for Public Education www.centerforpubliceducation.org

• Pre-K Legislative Committee www.nsba.org

• Pew Charitable Trusts www.pewtrusts.org

• Pre-K Now www.preknow.org

• National Affiliate Program www.nsba.org