Kids Need an Early Start: Kiddie Academy of Stafford may be the best investment Americans can make in our children’s education – and our nation’s future.
The key to academic success for disadvantaged children may not be smaller classes. a better teacher more stringent standards more responsibility or more choices—commendable for these goals. Instead, they may depend on one factor: preschool.
due to family environment Too many children come to school unprepared to learn. They lack language skills Social skills and motivation. For example, in Oxford, Mississippi, director John Jordan reports that 5-year-olds sometimes arrive at kindergarten without knowing their names. There is only a nickname
Almost all experts agree that the preschool experience or the cousin which is caring for children with an emphasis on high quality education It is one of the most effective strategies for improving late school performance.
Consider the emphasis on reducing class sizes. Evidence suggests that the primary benefit comes from the additional socialization that teachers can provide to children in the early stages. Preschool and Kindergarten near Me, A more cost-effective solution is to provide these same groups of children with an appropriate experience before they go to school.
Surprisingly, schools in Gurgaon are trying to shrink class sizes to compete with staff over childcare and preschool programs—to the detriment of the latter.
What evidence is there to show that increased support for preschoolers will be hopeful for its impact on school readiness? The best studies clearly indicate that children benefit greatly from early learning experiences. High-quality programs have enhanced short-term cognitive and academic achievement and long-term social adaptation.
A recent literature review by the Rand Corporation, by Steven Barnett of Rutgers University and by a team of researchers from the University of
Wisconsin concluded that early intervention especially with disadvantaged children. has produced a wide range of positive results. These outcomes include higher academic achievement. less grade retention The need for special education declines later in life. and less crime
The study estimates that the most effective programs would save the government $13,000 to $19,000 per child. which is higher than the cost of the preschool program itself. The best results come from programs that start early and include children from the most disadvantaged homes. and provides intensive education and other services. for a long time
Critics of this literature emphasize that pure cognitive gains gradually decline with age. The study was flawed. And model programs are difficult to scale.
These critics tend to focus on improving IQ and ignore the school performance improvements found in most studies. They also expect research to achieve unachievable levels of certainty about efficacy.
after welfare reform Congress has set aside large sums for child care. Realizing that if we want low-income mothers to work We also need to provide them with a safe place to leave their children. This highlights a world where both high-quality childcare and primary education are available to low-income families.
If done right, this is a double winner: enabling moms to work and keeping children from high-risk families ready for school.
The importance of early childhood education is increasingly recognized at the state level. which public funding of preschool programs is keeping an eye on Despite the uneven pace, other countries have also recognized the need to educate children at an early age. For example, in France and Italy, almost all 3 to 5 year olds attend funded kindergartens. government support.
Toward New Federal Commitment to Early Childhood Education
Without a doubt, individual families and some states will continue to invest in young children. Pre Kindergarten School near Me, Some will argue that the role of the federal government is unnecessary or even counterproductive.
There is a lot of thought in this country to maintain education. including preschool As state and local responsibility And this tradition is deeply ingrained. But only the federal government will ensure that all children have equal access to a good education. regardless of the state or community in which they live.
Although providing medical care and retirement benefits to the elderly Or even welfare and food stamps to the poor have always been an honored federal obligation. But these projects should be considered as a collection of parts after the education system fails. Any state or community that neglects the education of their children. As a result, the rest of us cost a lot of money.
There are three ways the federal government can intervene:
1. Provide federal funding while allowing states and local communities the flexibility to use their funds in different ways. Provided that they will enroll more children in accredited establishments. Target low-income families and use federal dollars to supplement It is not a substitute for government spending. Standards for accreditation can be established by state or by the federal government with the guidance of professional groups and compared over time with school readiness scores.
Block funding for states It will allow these states to provide the different types of innovative programs that states have adopted in recent years. For example, Georgia and New York have implemented universal pre-kindergarten programs. California spends $750 million a year on tobacco taxation to provide early childhood programs in every community.
Some states, such as Indiana and Iowa Transferring funds from welfare grants to fund early childhood programs Federal funding will accelerate state-led movements and even build playgrounds for children across the country.
2. Provide tax credits or vouchers to low-income families. More (and refundable) for use in certified pre-school nurseries only. The tax credit will include federal support for liberal-sponsored education with parental choice and competition between conservative providers.
However, unlike the first option This option does not allow much scope for investment in operator training and infrastructure that many experts believe is necessary. and in the absence of a school to choose from This will make it harder to use CBSE schools as service providers.
3. Build on existing systems. For example, the federally funded Head Start program could be extended to serve all poor and near-poor children for at least two years. The schedule outside of Head Start days and years should be extended to meet the needs of working parents. The program currently serves less than half of the eligible poor children. Most were in off-day programs for a year. Usually by the age of 4. Additionally, according to education historian Diane Ravitch, Head Start lacks a strong educational component.
in the past few years Middle-class and wealthy families have enrolled their children in preschool programs in record numbers. Children 3 to 5 years old are enrolled in families earning more than $75,000, twice as many in families with incomes. under $10,000, although the original purpose of the project was to provide “Advance start” for children from poor families But they didn’t receive any more.
All of these options, if done right, can be expensive. For example, a high-quality, two-year, fully subsidized project for families earning up to $30,000 could cost up to $30 billion per year. That’s about $18 billion more than we spend at the federal level today.
Politics often argue about serving more children at a lower cost per child. but in the end This politically satisfying strategy tends to self-defeat. This is because inexpensive programs often don’t work either.
The lesson from decades of research is that with limited resources, It is better to provide quality programs to fewer children that promise to improve their academic performance and later success than to spread the money more broadly.
Recent budget discussions have highlighted the importance of spending $2.6 trillion in projected federal budget surpluses to “save” Social Security. especially in young children Returns as much or more as an investment in tangible capital.
Return to school rates have risen sharply since the late 1970s, and early childhood program assessments suggest that it really is. And then they can save taxpayers money in the long run.
making children It is now more productive and better able to use emerging technologies. It can create a stronger economy by investing all our resources in financial capital.
Rather, it is a small use of federal resources on children under five, a commitment that is likely to diminish even further when the budget is limited to discretionary spending.
If we want to prepare for the retirement of the baby boom era. We must not just collect more money personally and collectively – we must invest more for the only people to be around. to pay the cost of that retirement, that is, the children of today.