Open the Preschool Door, Close the Preparation Gap. PPI Policy Report

Download or read book Open the Preschool Door, Close the Preparation Gap. PPI Policy Report written by Sara Mead and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is widespread recognition of the importance of early childhood learning, and a strong public appetite for increased public support to ensure that young children enter school ready to learn. National surveys find that 87 percent of voters think state governments should provide funding so that all children can enroll in preschool. Unfortunately, state budget constraints and disagreement about specifics have for too long meant that policy debates produce only incremental tinkering with existing programs or a default reliance on the status quo that leaves too many children unprepared. Research shows that quality preschool improves children's life chances and benefits society by improving long-term education outcomes and earnings; reducing crime, teen pregnancy and welfare rates; and reducing the costs of special and remedial education. Through these benefits, high-quality preschool can actually save the public as much as $7 for every $1 spent. Further, in the global, knowledge-based, modern economy, it is increasingly critical that schools equip all children with a higher level of skill than was required in the past. Americans are demanding more from public schools through NCLB. Making sure children enter school with the preparation and skill to learn is an important step toward meeting this challenge. More fundamentally, the national commitment to equal opportunity and merit-based advancement is undermined when large educational achievement gaps exist even before children enter school. Government cannot fully level the playing field, but universal access to prekindergarten is a way to provide starting blocks to the most disadvantaged children so they can compete on an equal footing. (Contains 49 endnotes and 2 tables.).