Early Childhood Education - Preschool

Closing the Gap on Early Childhood Education
Merced Sun-Star: May 30, 2009 by Steve Kang and Sheilon King-Brock

Just a few weeks ago, UC Merced's graduating class of 2009 cheered as first lady Michelle Obama congratulated them and encouraged them to "be the realization of our dreams and the hope for the next generation."

It was a proud moment for Merced County and the San Joaquin Valley, and a time to reflect on what we can do to ensure more students reach graduation day.

A new report by the RAND Corp., a nonprofit institution whose mission is to help improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis, confirms that we must start early to ensure that children have the opportunity to graduate from college and go on to successful careers.

RAND's California Preschool Study has important implications for corporations and higher education, particularly as people search for ways to turn around the economic crisis.

RAND's study finds that too many children are entering school without the basic early reading and social skills that prepare them to learn and succeed.

By third grade, almost two-thirds of children are not proficient in English language arts and 42 percent are not proficient in math.

That gap is even larger for low-income, Latino and black children, and English learners, and this "readiness gap" is evident by the first day children enter kindergarten, RAND finds.

UC Merced and AT&T, two of Merced County's largest employers, would benefit from a pool of employees who have had access to the foundation for learning that high-quality early childhood education provides.

The good news is that high-quality preschools can help bridge the readiness gap and prepare children for school and work place success.

In fact, high-quality preschools build those very skills -- early literacy and higher-order thinking -- that are critical to education and preparing an effective work force.

Longitudinal research shows that high-quality early learning programs can increase high school graduation rates by 20 percentage points and also boost college graduation rates.

Quality early learning programs provide a $7 to $17 return on investment in the form of reduced spending on remedial education, public assistance and crime, and increased tax revenues.

The bad news is that California's early childhood education system is complex, fragmented, underfunded and unable to serve the kids who need it most. Only about half of low-income children are in preschool, compared to 80 percent of children whose families make more than $100,000, according to RAND. READ MORE !