The PEW: Pre-K First Step to Education Reform

sources:

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=58769

http://www.pre-know.org/

http://nieer.org/

"The immediate future of pre-K seems much more perilous than past trends might suggest."

W. Steven Barnett, Co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University

"If we want to improve our schools, Congress should add funds and incentives into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to build on state investments and strengthen pre-K's proven ability to prepare children for success in school and in life."

Marci Young, project director with Pre-K Now, and Julia B. Isaacs, The Child and Family Policy Fellow at the Brookings Institution

"As pure economic stimulus it is hard to beat pre-K programs," Barnett said. "Pre-K is a high-return investment in our children's future that will help pay for the deficits we run now. In the meantime it generates jobs in local communities, with virtually none of the money spent on imported goods or services...it is bad policy, doing little to improve child development or the quality of our future workforce."

The Case for Pre-K

• Pre-k benefits all children academically, socially and emotionally.
• High-quality pre-k for all nets a high return on investment in children and the community.
• The most important brain development occurs by age six.
  
• Pre-k is the first step to education reform.

The PEW Center on the States views investment in Pre-K programs as a beneficial tool which yields a high return for state investment but perhaps more importantly for children within the community. Numerous PEW funded studies assessing the efficacy of early educational programs cite beneficial gains achieved for children enrolled in early education programs notably: increased academic and social preparedness to enter elementary school, an overall decrease in the need for special education services, and an increased positive attitude towards learning and education. Additionally, longitudinal studies have cited that children enrolled in early Pre-K programs tend to be more successful at reaching high school completion and contributing to their community as adults.