Here are some of the best recent news and opinion pieces written about pre-k. We've identified a few "top picks" that we think you'll find most interesting and informative.
See coverage from 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 or 2002.
Top Picks
June 21, 2010
Merced Sun-Star: Op-Ed: Early care cuts hurt our kids.
California's budget deficit has put one of our most precious assets in peril -- child development programs that provide a steady footing for our children's education.
June 16, 2010
Orange County Register: State, county officials visit preschool to talk about crime.
State Assemblyman Jeff Miller along with Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas met at the Robert Lange Preschool in Mission Viejo with other county officials and educators last Friday to discuss how early education can help reduce crime.
June 12, 2010
RecordNet: Rating child care.
Efforts are under way to create a child-care rating system in California that would assess quality based on staff education, parent involvement, adult-child interaction and other factors that advocates say are important in supporting learning and development among very young children.
June 11, 2010
BusinessWeek: Preschoolers' skills get boost from confident teachers.
Highly confident teachers and emotional support in the classroom play important roles in helping preschoolers learn language and literacy skills, a new study has found.
June 9, 2010
Redding Record-Searchlight: County to cut preschool services.
The Shasta County Office of Education is closing down preschool and child care services to about 155 low-income children and their families, officials said Tuesday.
June 4, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle: Proposed law would make 4-year-old kids wait to start school.
A bill pending in the Legislature would force 4-year-olds to wait a year for kindergarten, a measure aimed at helping kids get ready for the rigors or reading, writing and 'rithmatic.
June 2, 2010
Los Angeles Times: Lawmakers vote to raise kindergarten age.
The earliest age at which California children could start kindergarten would go up three months under a measure passed by the state Senate on Wednesday.
June 2, 2010
NBC Los Angeles: Preschools get rated for kids' sake.
When it comes to ratings, people often judge a restaurant or hotel or movie by how high or low it ranks. And you could say parents might do the same thing if there were a rating system applied to preschools. In California a state advisory board hopes to have a rating system for preschools in place by mid 2011.
May 27, 2010
Contra Costa Times: First 5 catching families as they fall through state's safety net.
Amid uncertainty about state-funded support for needy families, a little-known program paid for by a tobacco tax and grants has become a steady beacon of hope for many.
May 24, 2010
Voice of San Diego: Ratings: Coming soon to a preschool near you.
Ingrum heads up a team of evaluators who are judging preschools on a dizzying list of criteria. It isn't just an exercise: Her ratings decide how much money each preschool in a small experiment run by the San Diego County Office of Education gets from a California tobacco tax. Proponents hope the cash can persuade less-than-stellar preschools to change their ways and help good ones get even better.
May 17, 2010
Los Angeles Times: Editorial: Bill to change kindergarten cutoff date can help brighten academic picture.
That's why most states have changed their laws, requiring children to have turned 5 close to the start of the school year in order to enter kindergarten. California is one of a dozen that haven't; here, the cutoff date is Dec. 2.
May 12, 2010
Early Ed Watch: California legislators aim for fewer 4-year-olds in kindergarten.
Today we feature a guest post from Linda Jacobson, veteran education reporter and author of our policy paper, "On the Cusp in California." Her last post, focused on Los Angeles, provided a glimpse of changes to come at Head Start.
May 2, 2010
Sacramento Bee: Viewpoints: If kindergarten is delayed, kids need quality preschool.
When is the best time for children to start kindergarten? It's a question asked by parents trying to decide if their 4-year-olds will be ready for kindergarten in the fall. And it is once again the topic of debate in Sacramento.
May 1, 2010
New America Media: In families squeezed by recession, kids show effects.
Ayala said children experiencing crises in their home environments find security in the consistency provided by the preschool settings. Preschool also provides a stable environment for interaction, quality playtime and language development, which helps children express their feelings.
April 26, 2010
San Diego News Network: Investing in the future with early childhood education.
It is common knowledge that students who start school behind tend to stay behind. And the research shows that far too many children are entering school unprepared, with a wide gap existing between lower- and higher-income children even before they enter kindergarten.
April 24, 2010
Merced Sun-Star: Why we should invest in early child care.
Investing in early care and education for children ages 0 to 5 is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the San Joaquin Valley's economy now, and in the future.
April 16, 2010
Educated Guess: New push for kindergarten cutoff.
A Senate bill to move up the cutoff date for enrolling in kindergarten and to fund preschool with half of the savings has sailed through its first committee.
April 15, 2010
La Opinión: Los programas bilingues.
Cuando los padres de Michael Delgado evaluaron a qué programa preescolar llevar a su hijo, eligieron el programa bilingüe del Centro de Educación Inicial Brooklyn en el Este de Los Ángeles pues les atraía que le brindara las aptitudes en idioma inglés que necesitaría para su futuro éxito académico, a la vez que le permitía desarrollar sus habilidades en español.
April 13, 2010
Fresno Bee: Larry Powell: Investing in early care, education benefits us all.
The Fresno County Office of Education joins hundreds of local organizations in recognizing April 11-17 as Week of the Young Child.
April 12, 2010
Education Week: Advocates weigh Obama's commitment to early ed.
A year ago, President Barack Obama’s budget pledge to make early-childhood education one of his top priorities created enormous excitement among advocates who had long pushed for greater federal investment.
April 11, 2010
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: State looking to rate California's preschools.
The state may implement a new preschool rating system that would boost accountability, encourage higher quality programs and help parents make more informed decisions.
April 4, 2010
The Washington Post: Obama's ed reform ignores high-quality pre-k.
The Obama administration’s “blueprint” to Congress for rewriting the law commonly known as No Child Left Behind aims to encourage proven reform strategies and policy-making based on data and research.
April 1, 2010
Valley Community Newspapers: Sacramento County preschool 'Call to Action' announced.
Sacramento County has made strides in expanding access to high quality preschool, but even more children could benefit from the opportunity.
April 1, 2010
Vacaville Reporter: Solano County officials told: Preschool education extremely important.
Speaking to some 150 Solano business leaders, educators and elected county and city officials on Wednesday, he said the issue of increasing opportunities for preschool education "is a business imperative."
March 19, 2010
The Bakersfield Californian: Investing in early care builds economy.
Investing in early care and education for children birth to 5 years is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the San Joaquin Valley's economy, now and in the future.
March 18, 2010
Education Week: Loan bill stripped of early ed., other priorities.
A proposed substantial new investment in early-childhood education has been jettisoned from a measure that would make major changes to the federal student-loan program, after Democrats in Congress found that the estimated savings from the planned overhaul would be too meager to fund several new education priorities.
March 13, 2010
Education Week: Administration unveils ESEA renewal blueprint
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has released broad principles for renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that seek to address perennial complaints that the law’s current version—the No Child Left Behind Act—is inflexible and doesn’t set a high enough bar for academic achievement.
March 8, 2010
California's Children: Preschool California mobilizes to bring early ed to the campaign forefront.
"Early Learning on the Campaign Trail", announced today by Preschool California, a wise and timely tool for mobilizing advocates for high-quality early ed in this election year, focuses on the candidates for governor (Poizner, Whitman and Brown) and for SPI --state superintendent of public instruction -- (Aceves, Romero and Torlakson).
February 22, 2010
San Jose Mercury News: Harlem-inspired Children's Zone envisioned for San Jose's troubled Santee neighborhood.
Beginning with $200,000 in planning grants -- half of that from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation -- representatives of the city, county and 10 agencies hope to begin creating what most Silicon Valley communities take for granted: a safe, fun environment where kids can learn and thrive.
February 16, 2010
San Jose Mercury News: Fisher: Head Start is a Good Investment
I stopped by SJB, off Story Road in East San Jose, to see our federal economic stimulus funds in action. The package passed by Congress last year included $12 million for California Head Start. Santa Clara County got just over $800,000, making it possible to add places for 118 children.
February 12, 2010
New America Media: School Matters; 7,000 Head Start spots at risk.
At a time when low-income families are being hardest hit by California’s budget woes, Head Start is a critical resource in our communities, serving the most disadvantaged – eligible families of four who have an income of $22,050 or less.
February 8, 2010
East Palo Alto Today: Head Start and Early Head Start
The budget President Obama sent to Congress on February 1 builds on the expansion to early learning programs made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including a proposed $8.2 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start.
February 2, 2010
KGO-TV: Peninsula Head Start program gets $1.9M stimulus boost
By Lyanne Melendez
Federal stimulus money is being put to use at an early Head Start program in San Mateo County. It is a very early education program that is targeting children well before school age.
February 1, 2010
Torrance Daily Breeze: Op-Ed: Preschool is indispensible for students, California
By Gary Mangiofico
If there's a small beacon of light in this otherwise gloomy picture, it might be related to California's commitment to expanding the opportunities for pre-kindergartners to attend affordable, accessible and quality preschools.
January 31, 2010
San Mateo County Times: Grant to help launch early-childhood program
By Neil Gonzales
Family Service Agency of San Mateo County has been awarded a federal grant of $1.9 million to boost support for the area's neediest young children.
January 31, 2010
Ventura County Star: ROTC helps youth prepare for military careers
By Marjorie Hernandez
A report recently released by Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit, bipartisan organization led by retired military leaders, calls on the nation to address the challenges that make young people unqualified for military service.
January 14, 2010
The Oakland Tribune: Oakland receives $6.8 million for child day care programs
By Sean Maher
Young parents struggling to balance raising their children and working to support them will get a boost this year as $6.8 million in federal awards come rolling in, officials said Thursday.
January 3, 2010
The Press-Enterprise: Early intervention with infants and toddlers pays off in school, study shows
By Michelle Klampe
Only a small number of children who need it are getting assessed as infants or toddlers for physical, social/emotional or other developmental problems, leaving them disadvantaged, a study says.
January 3, 2010
The Sacramento Bee: Daycare shutdowns in Sacramento regions leave parents scrambling
By Philip Reese
Parents across the region are facing similar tough choices, with some pulling their kids out of day care because they have lost jobs, others forced to move their children elsewhere, often at higher cost, as centers close.
January 2, 2010
San Diego Union-Tribune: Trustees to try for achievement gap funds
By Bruce Lieberman
School trustees in Encinitas on Tuesday will discuss applying for federal funds under President Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative, although state legislation that would make the state eligible and more competitive for the federal grant money is still unsettled.
January 2, 2010
The Record: A step closer to preschool
By Jennifer Torres
In coming years, First 5 officials have said, the agency will refocus its home-visitation efforts on rural areas on the county's fringes where structured learning opportunities for young children have tended to be limited.
2009
December 21, 2009
The New York Times: Studying young minds, and how to teach them
By Benedict Carey
The teaching of basic academic skills, until now largely the realm of tradition and guesswork, is giving way to approaches based on cognitive science.
December 10, 2009
The Oakland Tribune: Preschool efforts continue in San Mateo County Despite less funding
By Neil Gonzales
Early-childhood education advocates are pushing ahead with efforts to enhance preschool services in San Mateo County despite budget challenges.
December 8, 2009
Education Week, Curriculum Matters: Duncan: Preschool Will Hel Country 'Get Out of the Catch-Up Business'
By Mary Ann Zehr
In a speech to early-childhood education researchers meeting at Georgetown University today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan expressed his belief that high-quality preschool programs can create a level playing field for all children at the start of school.
December 7, 2009
Mountainview Voice: Pre-k program teaches kids how to learn
By Kelsey Mesher
Based on parent surveys, they reported, students made significant gains in following instructions, doing tasks like hand washing independently, playing well with other children, enjoying books and expressing their needs and wants to adults.
December 4, 2009
Prevention Action: Investment in preschool is still the safest bet
The report to the journal Child Development confirms findings established in other studies that higher quality child care promotes the maths and reading achievement of low-income children. But they provide some additional insights particularly relevant to policy makers.
November 20, 2009
Christian Science Monitor: Obama's new push for preschool for at-risk children
By Amanda Paulson
The $8 billion fund ($10 billion in the Senate version) represents the biggest federal investment in education in more than a decade.
Novemeber 13
The California Progress Report: A Key Step for California's Youngest Learners
By Catherine Atkin
Earlier this week, early learning advocates were excited to see Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger take a critical step forward for California’s youngest learners by signing an executive order to create the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.
November 12
The Sacramento Bee: Schwarzenegger creates preschool panel
By Diana Lambert
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order Monday that established the council to make the state eligible for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money.
November 10
Birth to Thrive Online: California Takes Big Step Toward Constructing Early Learning System
By Paul Nyhan
After a tough budget battle this year, California delivered good news this week, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order creating a council that will lead the development of a statewide early learning system.
November 6
The Californian: Funding for pre-kindergarten education is a wise investment
By Riane Eisler
Funding pre-kindergarten education is the best investment we can make, not only for the future of the children themselves but for our future as a nation. The sad truth is that our rich United States is way behind in our investment in children — and this must change.
November 3
Education Week: Prekindergarten Gains
Enrolling in prekindergarten programs can sharply reduce the special education enrollment rate among at-risk students, a new report finds.
October 26
San Francisco Examiner: At-Risk Children Who Attend Preschool Found Less Likely To Need Special Education Services
By Etta Brown
The Opening Bell, a review of the most important news in education, and distributed to members of the National Education Association as a weekly newsletter, excites us with verification of what we already know in San Francisco.
October 21
San Mateo County Times: My Word: San Mateo County school readiness report shows preschool is important
By Dr. Jean Holbrook
The School Readiness Assessment measured the school readiness skills of more than 700 children entering kindergarten and found that children with preschool experience were nearly 40 percent more likely to have the skills needed for kindergarten success than those who had not attended preschool.
October 21
The New York Times: Hispanic Immigrants' Children Fall behind Peers Early, Study Finds
By James C. McKinley Jr.
The children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, shows.
October 16
Earth Times: Parents, Educators Attend Universal Preschool Conference and Education Expo in Los Angeles
This public event offered valuable information related to preschool education to parents, teachers, policymakers and the business community through educational workshops, seminars and exhibits.
October 13
California Chronicle: Governor Signs Simitian's Education Data Bill, Ensuring Access to Federal Funds
Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 19, by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which ensures California´s eligibility to compete for $4.5 billion in federal school funding.
October 7
Forbes.com: Fund Early Childhood Education
By Susan K. Urahn
Investing public money in high-quality pre-kindergarten education is an opportunity our country cannot afford to pass up.
September 28
The US Daily: Preschool and Family Support Can Help Close Acievement Gap in Silicon Valley, New Study Says
Report on school readiness finds high-quality preschool an important tool to ensure kindergarteners are prepared to succeed.
September 27
San Mateo County Times: New studies highlight preschool needs on Peninsula
By Neil Gonzales
New studies on school readiness in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties show more work is needed to improve access to quality preschool for students of low-income families.
September 27
La Opinión Editorial: Education saves money
It is important to recognize that the difficulties that lead youth to drop out begin very early in life. One example: not attending preschool puts the student at a disadvantage and creates a gap that continues to widen and discourage young people as they fall further and further behind.
September 26
Merced Sun-Star: Merced County school forum highlights need for preschool
By Danielle Gaines
Of the public preschool programs in the county that could serve these children, 59 percent show a waiting list, according to a 2005 study. The lack of open spaces for the county's littlest learners remains pervasive, County Superintendent of Schools Lee Andersen said Friday.
September 20
Sacramento Bee: The time to act is before the dropout gets arrested
By Rick Braziel
Fortunately, a lot can be done to bring dropout rates down. First, kids who start school ready to learn are much less likely to fall behind and off track. Quality preschool has been shown to boost graduation rates by as much as 44 percent and cut crime significantly. It's a place where kids learn to interact with each other, respect authority and become responsible for their actions before entering an academic school environment.
September 20
Fresno Bee Letter to the Editor: Preschool benefits
By Michele Cantwell-Copher
High-quality preschools, which are abundant in Fresno County, allow children to develop creativity and independence through art projects, hands-on activities, games and interaction with other children. They also give them building blocks for future academic success.
September 19
New York Times: Initiative Focuses on Early Learning Programs
By Sam Dillon
The initiative, the Early Learning Challenge Fund, would channel $8 billion over eight years to states with plans to improve standards, training and oversight of programs serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
September 18
The Washington Post: House Votes to End Subsidies to Student Loan Firms
By Nick Anderson
Other spending provisions span a range of causes, from preschool to community college.
September 18
Education Week: Early Education issues return to spotlight
By Erik W. Robelen
Amid a recession that’s squeezing state budgets and pushing more families into poverty, teams of officials from 39 states gathered near Washington this week to explore ways to better meet the educational and health needs of young children.
September 14
Sacramento Bee: Schools must leap old walls
By Jerry Large
Much happens outside school that affects how well students learn. That's why I believe in the power of parent training and high-quality education before kindergarten.
September 10
La Opinion: Editorial: Putting students first
In addition to student loan reform, the bill also contains other important measures for education in general. For example, it provides $10 billion to communities, $8 billion for preschool education, and $4 billion to modernize public schools.
September 10
L.A. Watts Times: We Can't Afford Not to Invest in Early Childhood Education
By Gary Mangiofico
The lack of affordability and accessibility to quality preschools is today a major concern in L.A. County, where less than half of more than 150,000 4-year-olds are currently enrolled. That rate is even lower among children in the lower socio-economic strata. Unfortunately, the children who need preschool the most are left out and are ill prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
September 8
The Business Perspective Blog: Reshaping Education Starts at the Beginning
By Gary Toebben
The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (HR 3221) provides an unprecedented opportunity to invest in our economic future from the very beginning. This bill, which ultimately aims to make college accessible to more students, includes an Early Learning Challenge Fund to help increase the number of low-income children in high-quality early learning centers. While some might question why a bill focused on college access includes reforms in pre-school, starting early can make all the difference.
September 8
Fresno Bee Letter to the Editor: Preschool is So Important
By Vong Mouanoutoua
As an employee of a small law firm in Fresno, I appreciate the benefits that high-quality early education programs offer our business community. Students who attend quality preschools start out with a stronger footing and are more likely to have successful academic lives and careers.
September 4
California Progress Report: Early Education Key to Closing the Achievement Gap
By Catherine Atkin
This month, as millions of children across California begin their first days of school, some children will start the year more prepared than others. Although each child is born learning, too few have the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood education programs, which build a solid foundation in the social, early reading and math skills they need to succeed in school.
September 3
Riverside Press Enterprise: Thanks to Readiness Programs, Kindergarten is More about EducationBy Michelle L. Klampe
"Children, when they first come to school, if they haven't had any group experiences at all, they are totally lost," said Carol Jimenez, director of the child development program for the Perris Elementary School District, which holds "kindergarten transition classes" each summer.
August 31
Los Angeles Business Journal: L.A. Suffering By Degrees
By Gary Mangiofico
If Los Angeles and California are to become effective players in the global arena, then we must consider the dire need for high-quality preschool for our youngest learners.
August 20
La Opinión: We cannot wait 100 years!
Programs such as Head Start, Early Head Start, Migrant Head Start and Even Start Family Literacy are essential for leveling the playing field as children begin their schooling.
August 19
San Francisco Chronicle: Big lag in test scores for blacks, Hispanics
"These results do not suggest students can't learn," O'Connell said. "The reality is the starting line is not the same for all our students." O'Connell noted that many children don't start kindergarten with the advantage of a quality preschool program, and others don't have enough medical care to keep them healthy enough to learn.
August 19
San Jose Early Childhood Parenting: Subsidized preschools and childcare
Early childhood experts agree that early childhood is a time marked by unparalleled physical, emotional and mental growth. This critical time is a passage of growth that should not leave children disadvantaged by economic hardship.
August 18
The Providence Journal: Right to spend money on early education
President Obama has made it clear that education is the foundation for economic recovery. If we wait until children enter kinddergarten, we have started five years too late.
August 17
KPBS: Feds Tap into Latino Education Issues in San Diego
Community members who took part in San Diego's forum talked about giving Latino families more access to quality preschool programs, the need for more Latino teachers in the classroom, and lifting financial aid restrictions on immigrant students.
August 12
Contra Costa Times: Preschool pilot program helps kids prepare for school
The two-year $400,000 pilot program was instituted to ensure that low-income children enter kindergarten ready to do their best.
August 10
U.S. Department of Education: Secretary Duncan's Back-to-School Kickoff
Today’s visit to SEEC reinforces the Secretary’s commitment to high-quality early childhood programs in shaping the future academic success of children. The visit was the first of many as the Secretary plans to visit with students and stress to them the importance of doing their best in school, making every day count, aiming for higher standards of achievement and contributing to President Obama’s goal of ensuring America has the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020.
August 5
National Public Radio: Scholar: Early Education Makes All The Difference
University of Chicago professor James Heckman is one of the nation's leading proponents of early childhood education. Heckman bases his advocacy on the belief that investing in children from birth through five years of age is essential and pay enourmous dividends. The educator explains his theory and how he thinks schools can help children build a healthy foundation for life.
August 5
San Jose Mercury News: It's a preschool shuffle in Los Altos
At stake is a small program called Tiny Tots, which is operated by the Los Altos Recreation Department and currently serves 34 children. Faced with a tight budget, the city council voted June 23 to eliminate Tiny Tots because the program only recovers 57 percent of its costs, though tuition is comparable to or higher than that at similar local preschools.
August 1
Los Angeles Times: East Los Angeles celebrates opening of child-care center
East Los Angeles celebrated the opening of a nonprofit preschool and child-care center intended for low-income families.
July 20
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Guest View: From the sandbox to the laboratory
By John Bryson
In a competitive global economy, we must do a better job of educating children, and that starts in their earliest years.
July 19
Parade: The New Push For Quality Child Care
By Leslie Bennetts
For most families today, child care is a necessity. Two-thirds of all American women are working by the time their first child is a year old, compared with only 17% four decades ago. Single-parent households, most of them headed by women, constitute a quarter of all U.S. families. Fortunately, the evidence is growing that quality care can have far-reaching social and educational benefits for children. The problem many Americans have, however, is finding excellent care that is also affordable.
July 15
Education Week: Student loan savings bill would aid early learning
A shake-up of the federal student-loan program would be used to help finance a significant boost to early childhood education programs, under a bill introduced by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.
July 13
New York Times: Preparing Today’s Workers for Tomorrow’s Jobs
That is the theme of a new report, released today by the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, entitled Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow, which asserts that “the most important ‘post-high school’ education and training reform is a strong early childhood and elementary and secondary system.”
July 1
Children's Advocate: A statewide quality improvement system for California?
California is joining a growing number of states that are planning systems to improve the quality of early care and education programs.
June 8
Washington Post: The push for preschool
Preschool, which includes various programs for children ages 2 to 4, is less closely associated with public education, and its availability in public schools varies from state to state. In addition, some parents are reluctant to place very young children in a school setting. Over the past few decades, however, states have ramped up spending on preschool, particularly pre-K for 4-year-olds.
June 6
Washington Post: Op-Ed: A share in children’s success
By Daniel A. Epstein
A 17 percent compound annual growth rate is the potential return on investment of educational intervention on young children, according to the Nobel laureate economist James Heckman.
June 4
San Francisco Chronicle: Mommy Files Blog: SF's Preschool for All adds 10 new sites
The city of San Francisco first introduced Preschool for All in 2005. The program finances a part-day preschool at qualifying sites for 4-year-olds - regardless of income. Three and a half hours per day are covered for kids attending 9 months a year, five days a week; two and a half hours per day, five days a week, are funded for full-year students.
May 18
Education Week: Preschool and Early Reading
There is now strong evidence that high-quality preschool enables children from even the most disadvantaged families to do better in the grades that follow.
May 3
Marysvile Appeal Democrat: Op-ed: Investing in our children a safe bet
By Richard J. Doscher
Families are feeling the pain of California's economic recession and parents are being forced to make tough financial decisions. During times like these, early learning programs such as preschool and school readiness remain vital resources that help children gain solid skills so they can perform well in school. And as they grow up, their success benefits society and helps vitalize our economy.
May 2
The Fresno Bee: Op-ed: Sharon Williams: Don't take funding from First 5
By Sharon Williams
As a preschool director for 30 years, I am highly disturbed about Proposition 1D, which would take First 5 funding from critical local health and education programs for our youngest children and divert it to the state general fund.
April 28
Voice of San Diego: In One Pocket and Out the Other for Preschool Funding
By Emily Alpert
The push-and-pull on preschool money is putting many centers in the paradoxical position of juggling expected cuts with investments in better programs and training, benefiting some families and not others. The fates of different preschools and their different programs will vary dramatically depending on where they get their money, and whether they can find ways to tap the stimulus.
April 24
New America Media: Recession Impacts Preschool in California: Q&A with Catherine Atkin
By Carolyn Goossen
Catherine Atkin, President of Preschool California spoke to NAM editor Carolyn Goossen about how the budget cuts and economic recession are affecting California’s youngest children, and how the federal stimulus money may make a difference.
April 23
San Francisco Chronicle: Op-ed: Proposition 1D- the D stands for dumb
By Delaine Eastin
Passage of either Prop. 1D or 1E would represent a rare example of voters taking away programs and services they had previously deemed vital.
April 23
Los Angeles Times: Op-ed: California can't afford Propositions 1D and 1E
By Joe Mathews
Proposition 1D would permit the seizure of $1.6 billion over the next five years in tobacco taxes that voters imposed, via Proposition 10 in 1998, to fund new health and education programs for young children.
April 21
San Francisco Chronicle: Prop. 1D: trimming kids' programs to cut deficit
By Wyatt Buchanan
The measure asks voters to take more than $1.6 billion in taxes away from programs designed for children age 5 and younger and use the money to help lower the overall state deficit for the next five years.
April 20
Los Angeles Times: Propositions 1D, 1E ask voters to think again
By Eric Bailey
Proposition 1D would shift nearly $1.7 billion over the next five years -- about 70% of the cigarette tax's revenue during that period -- to help balance the state general fund.
April 20
San Diego Union-Tribune: Op-ed: Investing in early education
By Michael S. Chapin
As federal economic recovery funds become available, I hope California policy-makers will act quickly to secure them, and spend them wisely on a vital ingredient for ensuring our current and future prosperity: caring for and educating our young children.
April 6
Los Angeles Business Journal:Getting to School Early
Business leaders must help lead way in pushing high-quality education for kids from birth to age 5.
April 3
The Daily Journal: Making universal preschool a reality
Expanding educational access and offering quality learning programs for children 5 and younger will take collaboration, dedicated funds and a plan with benchmarks according to educational officials participating in a universal preschool panel discussion yesterday.
March 28
Mercury News: Some kindergartners too young, Palo Alto teachers say
[...] Educators statewide say that as kindergarten curriculum becomes more intense, younger students simply aren't ready.
March 27
Education Week: Stimulus Providing Big Funding Boost for Early Childhood
Advocates for early-childhood education are taking President Obama at his word that the billions of dollars for programs like Head Start included in the recent economic-stimulus package are merely a “down payment” on future expansion.
March 25
Redland Daily Facts: Adult Ed funding down 20 percent
District may have to charge fees for some programs to keep them alive.
March 25
Merced Sun-Star: Merced City School District to cut 7 preschool teachers
The Merced City School District will lay off seven preschool teachers and possibly dozens of noncredentialed employees, the district's governing board decided Tuesday night.
March 24
Wall Street Journal: Goal of Preschool for All Tests Education System
Funding shortfalls could Slow the Spread of Early Learning; some fear middle-class children will be left behind.
March 14
The Sun: Redlands preschool program could be cut
The Redlands Unified School District could axe a popular preschool program and a group of parents say they are heartbroken at the possibility.
March 14
Whittier Daily News: Stimulus money to help fund more spaces, jobs and quality in preschools
Local preschools will likely see more slots open up for young students, improved teacher training and instructional quality, and increased jobs for staffers through billions of federal dollars slated for early childhood education in the recently approved stimulus law.
March 12
Central Coast: Social service cuts remain sticking point with May ballot measures
Propositions 1D and 1E divert money away from voter-approved Proposition 10, which is intended to fund early childhood programs with cigarette taxes, and Proposition 63, which guarantees funding for mental health services.
March 11
La Opinion: Editorial: Time to be accountable
[...] The approved economic stimulus package contains $5 billion for early childhood education programs. That is a good start.
March 11
Los Angeles Times: Public education in U.S. falls short, Obama says
The president's broad education agenda also called for a longer school day and school year, better early childhood education, improved tracking of student progress, and consistent, high-aiming standards nationwide.
February 28
San Francisco Chronicle: $2 billion for child care, Pelosi says
The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, dropped by a San Francisco preschool Friday to say that the new federal stimulus package will pump $2 billion into a neglected part of the economy - child care - to help working parents.
February 19
Del mar Times: Guest view: Early education funding a big plus for youngsters
As President Obama places an emphasis on early childhood education and targets funding for after school programs as part of the economic recovery bill, parents and experts in San Diego will be pleased to see the added support for young children.
February 19
Los Angeles Times: California budget plan: Key elements
Voters willbe asked in May to approve restraints on government growt, borrowing against future state lottery revenues, cuts in mental health and early-childhood education programs.
February 10
San Francisco Chronicle: Head Start takes a back seat
Early childhood programs employ lots of people - more, in some states, than retail apparel or construction. Every added Head Start dollar means new jobs for teachers, aides and staff, many of them poor women who are the economic anchors of their communities.
February 9
NIEER Online Newsletter: Stimulus Should Leave No Preschoolers Behind
The proposed reductions in the economic recovery plans' investments in education—and early education, in particular—are not only shocking from a moral perspective, they are bad economic policy.
February 7
San Francisco Business Times: Stimulus can gird human infastructure
Early learning programs provide immediate economic gains by creating and maintaining jobs in the early care and education sector. They boost employees’ job performance and productivity by giving parents the ability to go to work confident that their children are in a safe and nurturing environment, and helping others who are out of a job get back to work.
February 3
The Sacramento Bee: State schools chief says it's a precarious time for education
In his annual State of Education address, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell Tuesday said California's schools are in a precarious position due to the economic downturn and ongoing budget crisis.
January 23
ABC News: More Parents Face a Child Care Crisis
Parents facing layoffs and reduced hours often can't afford child care costs, and child care centers are closing because of the lack of business.
January 23
Hispanic Business: Ayala Tapped by Governor to Improve California's Early Education
Education executive and preschool advocate Celia Ayala has been appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee.
January 13
Congressional Quarterly Politics: Duncan Vows Focus on Early Childhood Education, Innovation
Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama ’s pick for Education secretary, promised a new emphasis on early childhood education at his confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
January 12
Washington Post: Advice for Duncan: The Early Education Advocate
To help him set priorities, Post reporter Valerie Strauss asked folks in the education world to provide their best advice on key issues. Here is a response from Libby Doggett, deputy director, Pew Center on the States; executive director, Pre-K Now.
January 11
Pasadena Star-News: Former PUSD educator tapped by governor
Celia Ayala, chief operating officer of Los Angeles Universal Preschool, has been appointed by the governor to serve on a committee aimed at helping improve and fund quality early education programs.
January 9
The Weekend Pinnacle Online: Budget may pinch the littlest pockets
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released a proposed budget for 2009-2010 on New Year's Eve that his staff says will lower a $41.6 billion budget deficit in the state - and one part of that plan is to move a relatively small pot of money collected for First 5 California to other children's programs run by the Department of Social Services.
January 1
The Sacramento Bee: Schwarzenegger seeks education cuts
California schools could eliminate a week of instruction and increase class sizes next year under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new plan for solving the state's budget crisis.
|
RAND 4 Media Coverage
See media coverage from earlier RAND Studies
August 10
Los Angeles Business Journal: Investing in Early Education is Just Good Business
Greg Jones
The Rand Corp.’s California Preschool Study finds the achievement gap is evident as early as kindergarten entry, with many students coming to school without the basic social and early literacy skills they need to succeed. Rand also finds that the children who start out behind tend to stay behind.
July 20
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Guest view: From the sandbox to the laboratory
By John Bryson
In a competitive global economy, we must do a better job of educating children, and that starts in their earliest years.
June 28
The Examiner: RAND report suggests low-income families not utilizing free preschool
By Lynn Wise
Eighty percent of children whose parents earn more than $100,000 per year are enrolled in preschool while only half of low-income children including English language learners, are enrolled, according to a RAND corporation report.
June 25
San Jose Mercurcy News: Opinion: Preschool is a key to boosting graduation rates
By Charles Weis
The good news is that we know how to put our kids -- and with them, our families, communities and economy -- on the path to success. A new report by the RAND Corp. underscores what I have seen in almost four decades of working in education: We must start early.
June 12
San Diego Union Tribune: Preschool: An investment that pays huge dividends
By Catherine Atkin
At a time when we are all looking for ways to fuel our economy's recovery, we must not ignore one of the state's greatest resources, our children. With new research quantifying just how much the achievement gap costs our economy and demonstrating how we can narrow that gap, it is clear that investing in education and child development for our state's youngest learners is not a choice but an economic imperative.
June 9
North County Times: Op-ed: Achievement Gap a Major Civil Rights Issue
By Randolph Ward
Research shows one of the most effective strategies for improving high school graduation rates is high-quality early childhood education. A new report by the RAND Corporation underscores what I saw at the beginning of my career as a preschool and kindergarten teacher: the achievement gap is evident as early as kindergarten.
June 4
San Mateo County Times: Op-Ed: My Word: Early childhood education must be part of equation to make community a better place
By Susan E. Manheimer
Kids who drop out of school often drop into a life of crime, causing a public safety risk to the community and further damaging the state's economy. As a police chief with 25 years of experience in law enforcement, I am deeply concerned about the dropout crisis and its impact on our city. I also know there are effective ways to prevent kids from dropping out, if we are willing to make the necessary investments.
June 3
New America Media: Pre-school Helps Close the Learning Gap
By Vivian Po
Providing high-quality pre-school education to more Latino and African-American children is key in closing the achievement gaps in California’s K-12 public education system, according to a recent study.
Also Ran in: The L.A. Watts Times
June 2
California School Boards Association E-Newsletter: RAND report suggests ways to provide quality preschool to more children
California could improve the quality of and access to its preschool programs if existing resources were used more efficiently, concluded researchers from the RAND Corp. in the fourth and last in a series of reports requested by state policymakers.
June 1
Voice of San Diego: Bright and Early
By Emily Alpert
A new study finds that California preschool programs are not accessible or widespread enough to serve most disadvantaged children, leaving half of the eligible kids in the lurch.
May 30
The Merced Sun Star: Op-ed: Closing the gap on early childhood education
By Steve Kang and Sheilon King-Brock
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.
May 29
California Progress Report: Op-ed: High Quality Preschool Must Remain A Priority in California
By Catherine Atkin
This week the RAND Corporation released its fourth and final study in a series of comprehensive reports on California’s preschool system. In this moment of unprecedented fiscal hardship, the RAND research provides guidance on how California can most effectively and efficiently spend its early education dollars, and shows how early childhood education is critical in our efforts to close the achievement gap.
May 28
Contra Costa Times: Public preschools miss the mark
By Shauntel Lowe
Higher quality preschool education could help narrow the achievement gap between African-American and Latino students and their white counterparts, the study found.
Also ran in: The Times-Herald
Imperial Valley News: California Must Increase Access, Improve Quality, Build Stronger Preschool System
New RAND Corporation policy recommendations provide strategies for investing in high-quality early childhood education system, confirm California is on right track
May 27
Pasadena Star-News: Study urges state to invest more in early childhood education programs
By Canan Tasci
The study released today by the nonprofit research organization also shows how California can invest in a high-quality early learning system to help close the state's achievement gap.
Also ran in: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
The San Bernardino Sun
The Oakland Tribune: State's preschool standards too low, study says
By Katy Murphy
In the final report of a series examinging the state of California preschools, researchers recommend that the state improve the efficiency of its education systems, broaden access, raise standards and strengthen the regulations of state-subsidized programs.
Also ran in: The Tri Valley Herald
Blogs
Families In Schools Education Advocacy Blog: RAND: New Study - Preschool
Sacramento City Unified School District Newsletter: Education News and Comment
The Early Ed Watch: RAND California Preschools Study Urges Focus on Quality in Tight Budget Times
Literacyspace: Closing the Gap on Early Childhood Education
Education Vault: High-Quality Preschool Much Remain a Priority in California
ChildUp: New Research on Preschool in California
SoCal Minds: Even in Tough Times, a Push for Preschool Plans
Mammas Way: Study urges state to invest more in early childhood education programs
Think Together: Rand study support need for early childhood education in California
The Tulsa Initiative Blog: Closing the School Readiness Gap
|
December 24
LA Daily News: Op-ed: Investing in kids a smart bet
The right choice to stregthen our economy is to invest in children. It is imperative that high-quality, affordable, and accessible early childhood education becomes a priority in state and national investments and policy-making.
December 22
San Jose Mercury News: Opinion: Education should be part of the economic stimulus
When a proven curriculum is used, investing in child care and early education creates enduring benefits.
December 16
New York Times: Obama Pledge Stirs Hope in Early Education
The $10 billion Mr. Obama has pledged for early childhood education would amount to the largest new federal initiative for young children since Head Start began in 1965. Now, head Start is a $7 billion federal program serving about 900,000 preschoolers.
December 15
New York Times: Schools Chief From Chicago Is Cabinet Pick
Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools superintendent known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice as secretary of education, Democratic officials said Monday.
November 29
Merced Sun-Star: Tim O'Neill, Bruce Logue, Paul Feltz: Better economy starts in preschool
Substantial long-term research demonstrates that access to stimulating experiences and relationships in the first five years, at a time when children's brains are rapidly developing, play a crucial part in children's learning and later success.
November 26
Forbes: Column: Prime The Pump With Education Spending
In my last column, I argued that all infrastructure investment is not the same. If we are to embark on massive investments to stimulate the economy, we should do so with an eye toward producing benefits in the long term. And I argued that education is one such investment.
November 20
The Fresno Bee: Advocates release a plan for preschool program in Fresno County
Preschool advocates announced ambitious plans Thursday to boost the education of Fresno County's 4-year-olds, saying that access to a quality preschool program is key to success in school and on the job.
November 20
Roll Call: To Restore Economic Health, Congress Must Put Children First
We don’t hear much about America’s children in our national economic debate. But they are intricately connected to the dire economic consequences we face as a nation — and their well-being must be a critical part of the solution.
November 12
Associated Press: Thousands of families shut out of pre-k programs
State prekindergarten programs reserved for low-income students are squeezing out thousands of middle class families unable to afford early education, according to a national study released Wednesday.
November 3
Los Angeles Business Journal: Prekindergarten's Positive Lessons
We cannot afford to wait to begin providing quality preschool in California, beginning with those who need it most. Two smart pieces of legislation the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed in September are a good start.
October 28
LA Daily News: Universal Preschool: a Debate We Cannot Afford to Lose
The debate on whether universal preschool education is a sound investment will likely continue. But one thing is certain - we are running out of time, and we are in desperate need of bold leadership from the next president of the United States to steer us in the right direction.
October 19
San Mateo Daily Journal: Learning for all ages
In late September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills aimed to streamline funding for preschools and develop framework for improving the quality of preschool education. In San Mateo County, more than 3,220 children ages 0 to 12 are affected by state-subsidized programs. A majority of those students are preschool age, according to the San Mateo County Office of Education.
October 17
San Mateo County Times: Redwood City visit highlights preschool efforts
Thursday's visit by state Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and others to the preschool classroom at the Community Education Center highlighted a program that could be replicated statewide given available funding.
September 26
San Jose Mercury News: Preschool bills improve access to early education
"This legislation will help to ensure early education programs are available to the children who need them most and that the state continues to achieve higher quality child-development programs," Schwarzenegger said Friday.
Similar articles also ran in:
The California Progress Report
KPBS San Diego
Contra Costa Times
KCRA Sacramento
Vallejo Times Herald
Imperial Valley News
Sacramento Bee Capitol Alert
Santa Clarita Valley Signal
Lake County News
September 18
La Opinión: Educación preescolar
Su reciente editorial "La educación preescolar espera" aborda uno de los asuntos más trascendentales que enfrentan los niños pequeños hoy en día, hacer de la educación preescolar una prioridad.
September 16
La Opinión: Educación preescolar (english version)
Las investigaciones muestran que los niños que asisten a un centro preescolar eficaz tienen más probabilidades de graduarse de la escuela preparatoria y es mucho menos probable que cuando crezcan se conviertan en criminales violentos. Sin embargo, como usted señaló ("La educación preescolar espera" 5/sept/08), no es suficiente la cantidad de niños que tienen acceso a un centro preescolar.
September 10
San Francisco Chronicle: Half S.F. kindergartners not ready for school
Every year, San Francisco teacher Ann Marin watches wide-eyed kindergartners stream into classrooms on the first day of school. Only about half are ready for the academic and social rigors they'll face that first year.
Similar articles also ran in: The San Francisco Examiner, KCBS, CBS5, California Chronicle, Ming Pao Daily News
September 7
Santa Cruz Sentinel: CAP lays groundwork for solutions
By Michael Watkins
[...] We now know that an investment in preschools not only gives students a foundation for future academic success, but is also an investment in the future economic growth of a community. We also know that if children have a quality preschool experience in the years before kindergarten, they are more likely to have success throughout their school years.
San Jose Mercury News: State budget standoff harms California's most vulnerable residents
[...] But at state-funded child care centers serving a half-million children in working poor families, the crisis is acute. Center directors are taking out emergency loans and lines of credit - in some cases putting personal finances on the line.
September 2
San Francisco Chronicle: The war against preschool
By David L. Kirp and W. Stephen Barnett
There's nothing controversial-sounding about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign pledge to make a $10 billion federal investment in high-quality early education. After all, 38 states and the District of Columbia now underwrite pre-kindergarten.
September 5
La Opinion: Editorial: Preschool education awaits [La educación preescolar espera]
Preschool education is crucial for children’s development and their preparation for school and adult life. Scientific findings increasingly stress the importance of brain development at an early age.
[La educación preescolar es clave para la formación del niño y su preparación para la vida escolar y adulta. Los hallazgos científicos enfatizan cada vez más la importancia del desarrollo del cerebro a temprana edad.]
September 3
Elk Grove Citizen: Preschool: Part of California’s Education Blueprint for Success
By David W. Gordon
[...] Unfortunately, too many children don’t have access to high-quality preschool that gives them an equal opportunity to start kindergarten ready to learn. A recent report by the RAND Corporation found that just one in four preschool-age children in California is in a high-quality preschool center that promotes school readiness.
August 29
Wall Street Journal: Long Division: The Debate Over the Value of Preschool
[...] In the study, researchers in England found that the benefits of attending a good preschool, including improved mathematic and reading ability and social skills, can last for several years and give children a leg up when they enter elementary school.
August 28
Fresno Bee: Op ed: Invest more in students under age 5
By Julia B. Isaacs
The back-to-school ritual leaves our youngest children behind. Federal investment in children does not start until age 5 or 6 when - ready or not - they enter kindergarten. Attitudes toward the pivotal early childhood years are shifting, and both presidential candidates should consider effective preschool programs in their domestic policy platforms.
August 26
San Luis Obispo Tribune: Viewpoint: Preschools offer an early start for success
By Julian Crocker
A recent RAND Corp. report shows California preschools are engaging and emotionally supportive for children, but fall short on key features that prepare children for school success. In our county, we face the same challenges identified by RAND. The good news locally is that an Early Childhood Education Task Force has completed a visionary plan for the approximately 4,500 3-and 4-year-olds in the county to attend high-quality preschools.
August 1
Inland Empire Family: Preschool: why it’s the most important grade
Kids who go to preschool start their schooling years far ahead of children who don't. Ask any kindergarten teacher to point out which of their students attended preschool and which did not, and most will know right off the bat.
July 30
San Jose Mercury News: Solutions to our shameful dropout rate within reach
By Barbara Hansen
We need an "early warning system" to identify and support students who struggle in early grades and even preschool. First 5 invests in early screening, assessment and services for children under 5 knowing it will provide lifelong benefits. This is not a frill, it is a must.
July 30
Ventura County Star: The future of our children depends on funding preshools now
By John Crombach
It may sound odd to hear a police chief extol the virtues of preschool, but the research is clear: Kids who receive an effective preschool experience are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely ever to be arrested. Those who don't, sadly, are more likely to fall behind academically, drop out of school and ultimately get into trouble with the law.
July 29
New York Times: The Biggest Issue
By David Brooks
Heckman points out that big gaps in educational attainment are present at age 5. Some children are bathed in an atmosphere that promotes human capital development and, increasingly, more are not. By 5, it is possible to predict, with depressing accuracy, who will complete high school and college and who won’t.
July 27
Pasadena Star News: Preschool shapes our future leaders
By Assemblymember Mike Eng
Earlier this summer, I spoke to some recent graduates, adorned in their bright blue caps and gowns, clutching diplomas tied with blue ribbons. But these pint-sized graduates weren't going onto college or to new careers - they were headed to kindergarten.
August 4: Letter to the Editor: Invest in preschool
By Gary Mangiofico
In a recent Guest View column, Assemblyman Mike Eng espouses the benefits a high-quality preschool education provides children in preparation for kindergarten and beyond. I couldn't agree more!
July 25
The Press-Enterprise: State lawmakers target First 5 program, its reserves; Riverside County supervisors object
The state's looming budget cuts have some legislators eyeing a multibillion-dollar pot of money that for years has built playgrounds, fixed tiny teeth, provided preschool for poor kids, funded craft workshops and doled out books and other freebies in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
July 17
San Mateo County Times: San Mateo County preschool program shows the way
Dr. Jean Holbrook
At a recent commencement ceremony in Redwood City, I looked out at the eager young graduates in bright blue caps and gowns and knew they were ready for the next big step this fall — kindergarten... Unfortunately, new research from the RAND Corp. shows that not all children are as fortunate.
July 17
Los Angeles Daily News: Dropout Crisis
According to the latest calculations, some 24.2 percent of California students drop out of high school.
July 30: Letter to the Editor: Preschool Solution
By Melissa Peterson
I agree that now is the time to stop children from dropping out of school in the first place. Here's one way: Ensure they have access to high-quality preschool.
July 16
Tri-City Voice: We need high quality preschool
By Sheila Jordan
As a parent, teacher and school administrator, I've seen how important it is to put children on the path to academic achievement by developing their love of learning at an early age. High-quality preschool does just that... But a new report by the RAND Corporation shows we could be doing more to ensure our young children succeed in school.
July 12
Merced Sun-Star: High-quality preschool makes sense
By Ed Rocha
As a banker, I read a lot of statistics. But when a group of 3- and 4-year-old preschools visited a recent business meeting and told us what they wanted to be when they grow up... some of those statistics came to life for me.
July 10
Fresno Bee: Op-ed: Our children must have preschool access
By Larry Powell
Our kids can't wait to learn. Education reform begins with preschool. These are the poignant messages being delivered by a dedicated group of Fresnans who have spent this past school year meeting to design, if you will, the future.
July 18: Letter to the Editor: Investing in our future
By Sharon Williams
I am the director of one of the three preschool demonstration sites in Fresno County. I thank the Fresno County Office of Education for following through on such an important endeavor
July 14: Letter to the Editor: Value of preschool
By Francine M. Farber
It was gratifying to read the commentary about preschool by Fresno County Schools Superintendent Larry Powell. The League of Women Voters Fresno and the Preschool Leadership Coalition of Fresno County have championed this cause for the children of Fresno County for several years now.
July 6
North County Times: Another View: State needs quality preschool programs
By Dede Alpert
As the school year draws to a close and students across North County receive their final report cards, it's clear our state's education system is not making the grade -- too many of our children are not reaching their potential.
July 2
San Jose Mercury News: Universal preschool would give all kids a chance to succeed
By Ned Barnholt
Summer vacation is a perfect time to reflect on the achievements of the students who just graduated from high school and to imagine what they will accomplish. It's also a good time to think of the students who didn't make it to the ceremony because they fell behind and dropped out.
June 29
Santa Cruz Sentinel: As We See It: Keep kids in school
A series of worthwhile bills are pending in the Legislature that, if passed, would also need funding. Among them: SB 1629, authored by state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, which would work toward improving the quality of early-learning programs.
June 23
Vallejo Times-Herald: Editorial: State must give pre-schoolers a real chance
The education system in California has taken its share of criticism in many areas, with the number of under-achieving students and dropouts increasing each year. However, a recent report may have uncovered a root to a problem for many children that tends to begin even before they enter kindergarten.
Also ran in: Contra Costa Times
July 3: Letter to the Editor: A winning solution
By Christina Arrostuto
I applaud the Times-Herald for its editorial ("State must give pre-schoolers a real chance," June 23). I am glad to see high-quality preschool recognized as one of the most promising investments we can make in our children, our schools and the state of California.
June 18
Sacramento Bee: Kids who need preschool the most aren't enrolled
(AP) Low income and minority children could benefit most from quality preschool, but a new report finds that they're least likely to be enrolled in good early development programs. In a report released Wednesday by the RAND California Preschool Study, researchers estimate that only 15 percent of those who could benefit most are in high-quality programs that prepare them for success in K-12.
June 16
La Opinión: Educación temprana que hace diferencia
En un preescolar, los niños se exponen al aprendizaje de forma novedosa y divertida
June 13
New York Times: Obama, Liberalism and the Challenge of Reform
Is Barack Obama really a force for change, or is he just a traditional Democrat with a patina of postpartisan rhetoric?
June 11
Education Week: Long-Term Payoff Seen From Early-Childhood Education
The latest analysis of a long-running early-childhood-education program for children of low-income families in Chicago suggests economic payoffs from such services that continue well into adulthood.
June 11
Los Angeles Times: Students likely to fail high school exit exam can be identified as early as 4th grade, study says
As early as fourth grade, students who will be at risk of failing the high school exit exam -- a state requirement to earn a diploma -- can be identified based on grades, classroom behavior and test scores, according to a new study released Tuesday... [State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell] said the study underscored the need for universal preschool, as well as expanding the state's class-size reduction efforts.
June 10
Ventura County Star: Oxnard Assistant Chief of Police Scott Whitney Speaks at Local Preschool Graduation
The proud graduates marched down the aisle wearing their graduation caps and cowboy and cowgirl hats and heard from speakers about the next big step in their lives kindergarten.
June 6
Sacramento Bee: West Sacramento's universal preschool program gives kids a boost
Five years ago, the city of West Sacramento embraced a noble mission: providing free, quality preschool to every 4-year-old in town. Step by step, the city is moving closer to that goal.
June 6
USA Today: On education, McCain & Obama may not be far apart
Jeanne Century, director of Science Education, Research and Evaluation at the University of Chicago's Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE), is an adviser to Obama. Lisa Graham Keegan, the former superintendent of public instruction in Arizona and a two-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives, has McCain's ear on educational issues. To anyone casually observing the two in an effort to divine differences between the candidates, the disagreements seemed small.
May 22
San Mateo Daily Journal: Preschool bill aims to streamline funding
Many parents San Bruno Park Elementary School District Director Pauahi McGinn serves have multiple jobs. A full-day program would benefit the child but also help the parent succeed, she explained. When McGinn requested applications to fund a full-day program, she learned it would require a different kind of contract, with a different way of reporting, in addition to other increased paperwork. Those problems are aimed to be streamlined through Assembly Bill 2759 known as the California State Preschool Program Act of 2008, backed by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento.
May 15
Imperial Valley News: Lawmakers Acknowledged for Understanding the Importance of Preschool
As a Police Chief and an Imperial County Children and Family First Commissioner, I am pleased to see lawmakers acknowledging the importance of preschool. Not only is preschool the best way to prepare kids for K-12 academics, it is also a proven crime-prevention tool. According to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, children who attend a quality preschool are more likely to succeed in school, more likely to graduate from high school and far less likely to commit crime later in life.
May 12
USA Today: State funding helps fuel preschool boom
The past 20 years have seen a quiet but steady rise in the number of children in preschool. Proponents of publicly financed pre-K say the push will pay off in better achievement, higher graduation rates and lower chances that a child will need expensive special-ed services. But they also say the quality of programs is uneven. A study released today by the RAND Corp. finds a growing body of research that shows funding pre-K pays off in the long run, saving money by reducing social services later in life and by increasing tax revenue from higher earnings when students grow up.
May 9
ABC News San Francisco: Preschool expectations higher than ever
Kindergarten isn't just for lightweights anymore. The expectations are higher than ever, and that means preschool children are having to step it up a notch, too. It's challenging for the kids and the teachers.
May 8
California Progress Report: Preschool Reform Package is Alive and Well in the California Legislature
Before practicing their ABCs with children at a Sacramento preschool, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Senator Darrell Steinberg and Assemblymember Dave Jones highlighted a preschool reform package that included some of their favorite letters and numbers: SB 1629 and AB 2759. The fact that this legislation requires no general fund expenditures gives us something we can do even during these challenging budget times to lay the foundation for future investments in high-quality preschool once new funds become available.
May 6
San Mateo County Times: Preschool bills getting high grades from county official
Proposed state legislation to consolidate preschool programs would certainly come in handy for San Mateo County, according to a local education official. On Tuesday in Sacramento, state leaders highlighted a new legislative package — Assembly Bill 2759 and Senate Bill 1629 — designed to streamline and expand quality preschool across California to help narrow the academic disparity among different ethnic groups of students.
May 2
Oakland Tribune: Preschool cuts would be wrong
The faces are so young, so expressive, so eager. There is so much of life to learn when you're 3 and 4, thus there is a great deal to teach them. And preschool is their starting point, an educational launching pad.
April 27
Chicago Tribune: Science, Politics and Preschool
A tide of recent research on early childhood development is inspiring prominent scientists and politicians to argue for an unprecedented investment in schooling that begins virtually at birth. But as decades of academic studies on brain development start to land in the real world, experts are divided on whether to focus new funding on infants and toddlers, or conventional preschool. Many now think some policies popular with politicians and the public, such as universal prekindergarten, may fail to reach at-risk kids at a young enough age.
April 23
The Press Enterprise: First 5 commissioner urges bonds to build preschools too
Molly Munger, a First 5 California state commissioner and founder of the Advancement Project Los Angeles, said the Inland region is not accessing all the funding it could be for early-childhood programs because there is a shortage of places to house them. Munger said the Advancement Project is proposing Sacramento lawmakers plan for $1.247 billion in the next school bond to create preschool classrooms in low-performing districts or districts where 78 percent of the children are in free or reduced lunch programs.
April 15
Sacramento Bee: Editorial: Time for Gov. Schwarzenegger to get serious about school data
In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Schwarzenegger said the first priority of his 2008 Year of Education to would be to "fund, link and determine additional data elements" for an ambitious education data system. At the Senate Education Committee hearing on Wednesday, Schwarzenegger should support SB 1298.
April 14
San Jose Mercury News's Educated Guess Blog: Bringing quality to Pre-K
Two modest recommendations of Superintendent of Instruction Jack O’Connell’s P-16 Council are in bill form. Both pertain to the pre-kindergarten, the “P” in P-16. AB 2579, sponsored by Assemblyman David Jones, D-Sacramento, would consolidate money for state-funded preschool programs. SB 1629, sponsored by Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, would create a preschool quality commission that would set standards for programs educating three and four year olds. Both are supported by children’s advocates, including Preschool California and Children Now.
April 4
San Jose Mercury News: Funding preschool is vital to state's future
By Charles Reed
As chancellor of the California State University system, the nation's largest and most diverse public university system, my job is to help students first succeed in college, and then move successfully into the workforce. The California State University system serves students toward the end of the education pipeline, but I know how important a strong, early start is to get youth ready to learn at every level. The better prepared children are, the better they will succeed in college.
March 28
Voice of San Diego: Tangle of Funds Perplexes Preschool Providers
Unlike kindergarten or elementary school, preschool isn't guaranteed free to parents, despite solid evidence of its importance. Funding is scattershot, split between a handful of state and federal programs, each saddled with their own restrictions and requirements
March 10
Whittier Daily News: Expand support for Head Start
By Senator Dianne Feinstein
One of the best ways to give a low-income child a jump start in life is through the federal Head Start program. Head Start provides some of the nation's most impoverished children with essential skills to get them ready for kindergarten, such as being able to count to 10, recite the alphabet, and recognize shapes and colors.
January 25
Orange County Register: Are they ready for kindergarten?
Preschool programs have grown in leaps and bounds in the past four decades. In 1965, only about 4 percent of U.S. children were enrolled in preschool. Today in Orange County, nearly half of 4-year-olds are enrolled, and educators are increasingly calling on preschool to be available to everyone.
January 23
Forbes: Commentary on Education Solutions
By U.S. Rep. George Miller
The achievement gaps we see in elementary school and beyond begin before children enter kindergarten--the quality of child care and educational settings in the years preceding matter. Research on early childhood and brain development concludes that the first years of life have a much greater and more lasting impact on children's future growth and learning than we previously understood.
January 9
San Jose Mercury News: Op-ed: Even in hard times, governor seeks new ways to improve public schools
By Dave Long, California's secretary of education
The governor's bipartisan Committee on Education Excellence has dedicated the past two years to creating a comprehensive report that details new strategies to promote student achievement through the preschool and K-12 public school system.
January 6
San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: A vision for California schools
Although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not yet released the report of his advisory Committee on Education Excellence, copies have been making subterranean rounds in Sacramento... Many of its recommendations, such as creating a system of independent school inspections and universal access to preschool, are spot-on.
|
RAND 2007 Media Coverage
December 11
La Opinión: Ocasión para mejorar el éxito escolar [Opportunity to Address School-readiness Gap]
By Antonia Hernández
Cuando Jesús Orozco primero asistió al programa preescolar a los 3 años, las probabilidades de salir adelante eran limitadas... Hoy día, Jesús no sólo terminó el kinder, la primaria, y la preparatoria, sino que también sobresalió académicamente. Jesús Orozco, ahora de 25 años, representa una excepción a la regla de un segmento de la población que estudios indican que siguen atrasados en las capacidades escolares. Estas investigaciones revelan que niños que no participan en programas preescolares son más probables de entrar al kinder sin la preparación adecuada.
[When Jesus Orozco first attended preschool at the age of three, the odds were stacked against him... Mr. Orozco not only went on to kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school, but he also excelled academically. The 25-year-old Mr. Orozco represents an exception to the rule among a segment of the population that studies have shown lag behind in school-readiness skills necessary for kindergarten.]
November 25
Ventura County Star: Pre-K will help close achievement gap
By Charles Weis, Ventura County superintendent of schools
The California Preschool Study recently released by the RAND Corp. shows that the achievement gap starts before children ever arrive at the kindergarten door. This report reflects growing recognition that the vast differences in achievement actually start with a readiness gap that is evident in the earliest days of kindergarten.
November 24
Merced Sun-Star: Kids should learn early and often
By Lee Andersen and Catherine Atkin
Quality preschool programs for children from groups at highest risk for academic failure are a key to the continued improvement of student achievement and indeed, the economy of Merced County. Recent development of preschool programs by our school districts and the Merced County Office of Education, plus results from studies just released by the RAND Corporation, support this conclusion.
November 20
Whittier Daily News: Building for Future
Kindergartners who aren't ready for school often still lag behind the pack in later years - and even though a quality preschool program could fix this, California's early education system isn't yet set up to do it.
November 13
San Mateo County Times: State education summit to tackle achievement gap
A two-day conference starting today in Sacramento will bring together education leaders, academic experts, policymakers and others across the country in a concerted campaign to identify strategies to ultimately close that gap. On Wednesday, San Mateo County Superintendent Jean Holbrook will serve as a moderator on a panel of speakers exploring how preschool programs can help tackle the problem portrayed by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell as a major crisis. The workshop moderated by Holbrook will go over the findings released last week by the RAND Corp.
New America Media: California Needs Quality Preschool, Says RAND Study
“When I see a child come into my classroom I can tell almost immediately if they’ve had a quality pre-school experience,” says kindergarten teacher Ernest Boyd. Boyd’s experiences align with the findings of two RAND studies released on Nov. 8.
November 12
Merced Sun-Star: Study shows California kindergartners falling behind
Kindergarten is no blank slate. A study released this week reports that many California students -- even on that very first day of class -- are already well behind their peers academically.
November 11
Univision (Sacramento): Video Clip (wmv)
En Espanol.
California Progress Report: New Research: California’s School Readiness Gap and the Promise of Effective Pre-Kindergarten Programs
By Catherine Atkin, president of Preschool California
New research released by the RAND Corporation this week makes the case for effective pre-kindergarten even stronger.
Oakland Tribune: Preschool helps kids who need nurturing
Many of the toddlers and young children who are dropped off every day at St. Vincent's Day Home come from backgrounds that, statistically, don't bode well for their future. RAND Corp. studies released last week found that the academic disparities between poor, black and Latino children and their more affluent, white and Asian peers exist the moment they start school.
November 9
Sacramento Bee: Starting early to fix achievement gap
By Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction
Recently released RAND research shows that the achievement gap begins at the starting gate, when kids who have not attended preschool first enter their kindergarten classrooms without knowing their letters, sounds, shapes, colors or numbers.
November 8
KFBK (Sacramento): Radio Clip (mp3)
Monterey Herald: Behind from the Start
A study of preschool education in California indicates that early learning difficulties can be precursors to struggles in the primary grades, and suggests that effective preschool programs can shrink the achievement gap.
Stockton Record: Study: Some S.J. preschoolers behind on academic, social skills
Roughly 10,000 children began kindergarten at public schools across San Joaquin County this year, and research being released today suggests that many of them - black and Latino children, especially - might have started school missing some of the early academic and social skills their peers already had mastered. Furthermore, they might not have had access to programs that could better prepare them.
New America Media: The Preschool Investment Really Pays Off Says Study
A RAND Corporation study released today confirms what David Kirp, professor of public policy at the Univ. of California, Berkeley already knows. Children who attend preschool do better than those who don’t, when they enter school, and the study notes, the effect is long lasting.
|
2008
March 13
The Bakersfield Californian: Tough economy: Some child care spots open as parents lose jobs
With fewer people working, there isn’t as much need for child care.
March 13
The Boston Globe: Finally getting smart about investing in learning
Plans to invest in early childhood are now part of the Democratic and Republican platforms. More important, needed funding is coming through the stimulus package. In his recent address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama explained that "we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life." He's right.
March 5
Black Voice News: Budget Deal Would Slash First 5 Funding
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget deal calls for the slashing of First 5 California and what amounts to a permanent 60 percent reduction in funding to the state’s 58 First 5 commissions, including San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
March 4
KGO-TV San Francisco: Out-of-work parents pull kids from preschool
The nation's economic turmoil has hit major banks, investment firms, retailers and homeowners. Now it is about to target toddlers as its next victims.
January 21
The San Francisco Chronicle: Schwarzenegger appoints new education secretary
Schwarzenegger named Glen Thomas, a consultant to philanthropic and education groups who also served as director of a county superintendents association from 1998 to 2006.
January 20
The Riverside Press Enterprise: Banning studies universal preschool option
Administrators at the Banning Unified School District are researching the possibility of providing universal preschool.
January 10
The Sacramento Bee: California teachers prepare a tax-hike initiative
The California Teachers Association has put together an initiative that would raise the state sales tax by a penny and dedicate all of the resulting revenue to education.
January 10
Contra Costa Times: Child-care funds go unused in county
Figuring out the bureaucratic rules for state funding could be a full-time job in itself, say child-care workers who serve low-income families.
January 8
Politico: Strong military needs early education focus
The United States military must be ready to protect the American people and our allies from the emerging threats of the 21st century. We must commit to high-quality early childhood education at home to protect our national security and continue the tradition of American military strength.
January 5
Los Angeles Daily News: Kid's futures imperiled, report says
A combination of deficient policies and a lack of investment in improving the health and education of children is undermining the economic prosperity of California, according to a report set to be released today by Children Now.
November 22
San Francisco Chronicle: Standford professor leads Obama transition team
Darling-Hammond, a teacher-friendly educator, has been tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to head his transition team on education policy.
November 22
The Fresno Bee: Preschool plans sound great, if there's a way to fund them
We have long been strong advocates of preschool, believing that high-quality programs would help the thousands of disadvantaged children in our region perform better in school, and ultimately be successful in life. That's an investment that would pay dividends across our community.
November 17
Los Angeles Times: California is cutting education funding at its own peril
The costs to the state in the long run will be much greater than the expense of supporting our schools now.
November 17
The Record Net: Don't worry, it's just math
Your preschooler is doing more than playing with blocks.
October 22
San mateo Daily Journal: County gets C+ for kids
San Mateo County earned a C+ grade by the Oakland-based nonprofit Children Now in its 2008 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being: Creating Healthier Communities for Our Future, a report released yesterday.
October 21
Marin Independent Journal: Marin scores high on children's health scorecard
"If we're in the top percentile, that's the good news," said Supervisor Susan Adams, a former nurse practitioner. "But a B-minus means there's a little more work to do."
October 17
San Francisco Chronicle:Universal preschool hasn't delivered results
There is a strong and growing body of literature showing that preschool produces virtually no lasting benefits for the majority of kids.
October 23
San Francisco Chronicle: Letter to the Editor: They deliver
Editor - In their op-ed, Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell of the anti-government Reason Foundation falsely claim that "Universal hasn't delivered results" (Oct. 17).
October 17
MarketWatch: Federal Reserve Bank Official, California Legislative Leader Urge Los Angeles Are Business Leaders to Support Investment in Early Childhood Education
Citing the proven benefits of preschool education, an official from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee Chairman urged Los Angeles area business leaders today to support efforts to expand access to Early Childhood Education throughout Los Angeles County.
October 15
Stockton Record: Planting the learning seed
Last year, First 5 spent $18 million on projects that involved 22,000 children, 21,000 parents and 2,500 other adults who work with kids in the county. Most of that money - $15 million - went to early education programs designed to help prepare children for kindergarten.
September 21
Nuestros Niños: Nuestros Niños Progresan en Programas Preescolares de Alta Calidad
Nuestros niños merecen un comienzo educativo rico en oportunidades de aprendizaje. Discutiremos los elementos esenciales de la educación preescolar que prepara a los pequeños a desempeñarse feliz y exitosamente.
September 12
San Francisco Chronicle: State budget impasse tough on public schools
Nanette Asimov
During the budget impasse, schools have been receiving only about 70 percent of what is owed them.
August 28
Sacramento Bee: JULIA B. ISAACS: Invest more in students under age 5
Julia B. Isaacs
Attitudes toward the pivotal early childhood years are shifting, and both presidential candidates should consider effective preschool programs in their domestic policy platforms.
September 17
Letter to the editor: The reality faced by early children's education
Marlene Gilman
I couldn't agree more with Brookings Institution fellow Julia B. Isaacs
July 30
Merced Sun-Star: Budget standoff squeezes early childhood education
By Abby Souza
Some of the youngest, most vulnerable Californians could be the first ones to know how it feels to live in a state without a budget. California's almost 800 child care agencies won't see any state dollars until legislators pass a budget, State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell announced Tuesday.
July 24
Sacramento Bee: Do the math: Algebra mandate's a formula for failure
By Jack Stewart and Bob Balgenorth
An investment of this magnitude should be based on data, not blind hope. After all, this money could be used to fund proven programs – such as career technical education – or look to fund promising concepts like preschool for all.
July 21
San Francisco Chronicle: A need to look beyond the school day
By Peter Fortenbaugh
The story is a familiar one. On one side of the gap, college-educated parents engage with the schools. Kids go to preschool before kindergarten, and they have coaches to prepare them for college, which is a given. They get tutoring if their grades falter. For children on the other side of the gap, kindergarten is often their first exposure to school. Parents struggle to understand the complexities of the educational system. Many children do not see college as a real possibility because no one expects it of them.
July 3
Register Pajaronian: First 5 SCC receives $1.8 million grant
First 5 Santa Cruz County was recently awarded a $1.8 million matching grant to bolster its School Readiness Program, which is expected to help it expand services to the county’s children, the organization announced.
June 30
Marin Independent Journal: Underserved children gain skills for school
Naidelyn Lopez grips a brown crayon tightly between her tiny fingers. She colors a picture of a bear with quick, vigorous strokes and then looks up with a proud smile. The 4-year-old is one of 250 preschool-age children participating in the free Summer Bridge program that has just begun throughout the county, designed to get kids ready for kindergarten.
July 2
Diverse Hispanic: Preschool Helps Close Achievement Gap
Attending a high-quality preschool gives minority students an academic edge as they prepare to enter kindergarten, according to a new study released in June by the independent nonprofit research organization RAND Corp. The authors say the study represents the first comprehensive look at the quality and use of early-childhood care and education programs in California.
July 1
Merced Sun-Star: Preschool out of neediest kids' reach
Minority and children from low-income families would get the most out of a high-quality preschool program, but they are the least likely to be going to one, according to the recently released RAND California Preschool study.
July 2: Letter to the Editor: Parents' responsibility
By Samantha Rocci
As a parent I have had firsthand experience with the program that MCSD is running and it is above and beyond what I would call a "high quality" program.
June 28
El Observador: Los niños de California que más podrían beneficiarse de un programa preescolar de alta calidad son los que menos probabilidades tienen de asistir a uno
Una nueva investigación llevada a cabo por la RAND Corporation señala que, en el mejor de los casos, sólo el 15% de niños están en programas de calidad que los preparan adecuadamente para el ingreso al kinder
June 28
AsianWeek: APAs Most Likely To Enroll in Calif. Pre-K Ed
New data from a comprehensive statewide look at preschool use and quality in California has found that Asian American children are more likely than their African American and Latino American counterparts to participate in early care and education programs, according to a New America Media ethnic media briefing
June 26
Stockton Record: Raising the bar for early education
Many of the teachers who educate San Joaquin County's youngest students are working to earn specialized degrees that policymakers hope will help improve the quality of publicly funded early-childhood education... According to RAND's research, 42 percent of those children have a lead teacher whose highest level of education is a bachelor's degree. But only 27 percent are in classrooms where the lead teacher's B.A. is in the early-childhood education field.
June 24
KCRA-3 (Sacramento): Do preschooled children have an advantage?
A new study indicates that some preschools may not be giving your child as much of a head start as you think. [Video clip featuring an interview with Kris Perry, executive director of First 5]
June 20
La Prensa San Diego: Latino children are behind in preschool enrollment
Children who attend preschool are better prepared to enter kindergarten... A new study on preschool education in California released this week by a nonprofit research organization confirms Ohnersorgen’s assertitions but the study also found that California children who could benefit most are least likely to be in quality preschool, especially Latino children.
June 20
Daily Pilot: District ahead of preschool curve
District reports that 85% of kindergartners have had early childhood education, topping the state average by a wide margin. California preschool enrollment isn’t reaching the kids who need it most, a new study says, but the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s children are flying above the curve.
June 20
United Press International: Study: Preschools fall short
About 15 percent of California preschoolers are enrolled in programs that meet benchmarks promoting higher-order language skills, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at the Rand Corp. find not only are children of poorer, less-educated mothers less likely to be enrolled in preschools, but few preschools promote the thinking and language skills that prepare children for kindergarten.
June 20
Riverside Press-Enterprise: San Bernardino district preschool cares for employees' children, trains teens
At Rex's Academy Preschool, children fill their days with story time, arts and crafts and outdoor group games. Teen interns chase after the active youngsters, helping them with their projects and doling out snacks.
June 19
Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert: Pre-school education varies widely
California children from poor and/or minority families who need quality pre-school experience the most are the least likely to get it, according to a new study by Rand Corp., a Santa Monica-based think tank... Rand says that while using public and private ECE centers "is the norm for California families," it's evident that "sociologically disadvantaged children participate at lower rates." Josue Juarez reached a milestone Tuesday in his young life. He graduated from preschool. Compared with many children his age, the 5-year-old from Redwood City has an academic edge going into kindergarten this fall. "I learned the numbers, the ABC and sounds of letters," said Josue, who spent two years in the San Mateo County Office of Education's Preschool for All project.
Also ran in: San Mateo County Times, Alameda Times Star, The Daily Review, Fremont Argus, Tri-Valley Herald
June 18
La Opinion: California reprueba desde la preescolar
La mayoría de kínderes no imparten una instrucción de calidad, según estudio.
June 18
Oakland Tribune: Study: Some preschoolers need higher quality care
June 18
California Progress Report: Groundbreaking RAND Study: California Children Who Could Benefit Most from High-Quality Preschool Least Likely to be Enrolled
By Catherine Atkin
A new study by the RAND Corporation released this week adds to the growing body of research that makes the case for investing in high-quality preschool in California. The study finds that the children who could benefit most from high-quality preschool are least likely to be in it. At best, 15 percent of those children are in high-quality preschool programs that prepare them for success in K-12.
June 18
Vallejo Times-Herald: Study finds preschool quality varies
Some have lower standards for class-size, teacher/child ratios. A new report finds while most California children attend preschool, the overall quality of the programs fall short. The study, released today, found that 59 percent of California youngsters attend preschool programs, with participation most strongly linked to a family's socioeconomic standing.
June 18
San Mateo Daily Journal: Early learning equals later success
Donning small blue caps and gowns, children in Redwood City participated in their first graduation yesterday — one from preschool. The children were all given little diplomas tied with a ribbon marking the completion of preschool. This achievement may seem like a cute moment for the family. However, a RAND Corporation study released today shows of those who would most benefit from preschool, only 15 percent are in high-quality programs which prepare them for kindergarten.
June 18
Imperial Valley Press: Study shows California kids fill preschools
A recent study by a national think tank shows that the majority of California’s preschool-aged children are in center-based early childhood education programs. The study by the RAND Corp. examined the issues of access to and quality of preschool programs. It and other studies verify what preschool educators already know, said Mike Castillo, director of Imperial County Developmental Services.
June 18
San Francisco Examiner: Preschools receive glowing marks
A new study gives high marks to San Francisco preschools. The study by the RAND Corporation found that preschools in The City outshined national scores by an average of 25 percent.
June 18
Los Angeles Daily News: Preschool Study
A new report from Rand Corp. finds that the overall quality of California preschools falls short and that most are engaging and emotionally supportive, but don't adequately prepare children for kindergarten. The study surveyed 2,000 parents at 250 child-care and preschool centers.
Also ran in: Long Beach Press Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze
June 18
KPBS-San Diego: Preschoolers Not Ready for Kindergarten, Report Finds
A new RAND report finds state-run preschool centers fall short in preparing toddlers for kindergarten. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more. The report is the first comprehensive look at the quality of preschool education in California. It finds most state-run preschool centers offer an emotionally nurturing and stimulating environment. However only 15-percent of them actually prepare kids for kindergarten.
June 18
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Preschool says 'bye' to grads
Five-year-old Cassandra Huerta may still have a long road to college, but she and 37 other Para Los Ninos Preschool graduates already have a taste of what it feels like to be a Trojan or a Bruin.
June 10
San Mateo County Times: Parents: Menlo Park special needs preschool 'a success"
Joshua could fit into any preschool setting and later kindergarten because his disability is not obvious at first glance and likely will improve with proper care. At the same time, said his mother, Elaine Glynn, his special needs with verbal skills and a slight limp probably would go unnoticed. That's why she is so satisfied with the extra attention her son has been getting at Menlo Park City School District's new preschool for special needs, which just marked the completion of its first four-month session.
June 8
Long Beach Press-Telegram: Should the state shift age to start school?
It's a debate that rages every few years in education, with proponents saying it might help raise test scores and student achievement while others claim it wouldn't do much good. So the question remains: What is the best age for California children to enter kindergarten? That's the question that researchers Jill S. Cannon and Stephen Lipscomb at the Public Policy Institute of California explored in their recent report, "Changing the Kindergarten Cutoff Date: Effects on California Students and Schools."
June 4
Marin Independent Journal: San Rafael literacy program's funding slashed
If you listen to her children, you might say Laura Sierra is living every parent's dream. "Every morning, my kids wake up early and they ask to go to school, even on Saturdays and Sundays," said Sierra, a Canal neighborhood mother of three and part-time student in San Pedro Elementary School's Even Start family literacy program.
May 15
Education Week: Pupil-Teacher Relationship Crucial in Preschool Learning, Study Says
The quality of the relationship between preschool teachers and their pupils might be more important to children’s learning than such factors as class size and teacher credentials, a new study suggests. That finding could raise questions about traditional measures of preschool quality favored by early-childhood experts and state policymakers.
May 12
Sierra Mountain Times: Head Start has Preschoolers Jumping for Joy-- and Better Health
Underlying Head Start’s new anti-obesity program are the mechanics of how children’s bodies and brains develop. Large-muscle development is a stepping-stone to hand-eye coordination and dexterity, which are the keys to writing – and thus to school success.
April 28
The Bakersfield Californian: New preschool boasts 192 licensed spots
Bakersfield needs preschools. To be specific, Kern County has 24,600 licensed child care spaces but needs to create another 23,000 of them to meet anticipated demand over the next seven years, according to the Kern Local Investment in Child Care Constructing Connections Project, which was created in 1997 to help close the gap between child care supply and demand. So the grand opening of Kreative Kidz Preschool Academy in southwest Bakersfield Monday was greeted with much fanfare.
April 28
Early Ed Watch Blog: Early Education at Risk?
Last week's Nation at Risk anniversary spawned a boatload of commentary on the seminal report's impacts, as well as the continued shortcomings in American public education 25 years later. Thinking about Nation's impacts on early childhood and elementary education can be perplexing. Yet it's undeniable that the standards-based education movement that emerged out of Nation has led to significant reforms in early education--and that early education reforms have actually be more aggressive, and have produced greater results, than have reforms at the high school level Nation's authors originally sought to affect.
April 28
San Mateo Daily Journal: More students learn English as second language
Results of the annual California English Language Development Test showed a growing number of students in California who do not speak English as their first language, according to the California Department of Education. Statewide, the percentage of students scoring at advanced or early advanced increased. In San Mateo County, the number of students tested also increased. A number of programs are offered in the county to help prepare students. The Early Childhood Language Development Institute was established in 2003 as a response to preschool teachers and parents looking for best practices in supporting the language and literacy skills of bilingual preschool children.
April 27
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: Slice budget to feed state's neediest first
Gov. Schwarzenegger's idea of fairness is to take the pie and slice it equally, regardless of who needs the slices the most. But is that really fair? Failing to protect education funding in favor of other priorities in the proposed budget is a mistake by the governor. Investment of $1 in primary education yields about $10 in revenue to the state when the student later becomes an employed taxpayer. Focusing on funding the education of our children (who need to learn for their sake and ours), especially during the primary years (pre-kindergarten and kindergarten), is simply good policy.
March 23
Stockton Record: Bill would mine preschool data from wards and inmates
Inmates entering prison and wards entering juvenile halls complete intake questionnaires that survey their medical history, mental health status, family heritage, education and other facets of their background. A bill introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani of Livingston would add two questions to that list: "Did you attend preschool?" and "If yes, for how long?"
March 22
Desert Sun: State needs to bolster its pre-k education
By Catherine Atkin
When an education committee comissioned by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released its education reform report last week, the governor talked about how we must "give our kids the future they deserve."
March 19
Education Week: Creating the Best Prekindergartens
By Lawrence J. Schweinhart
State-funded prekindergarten for 4-year-olds has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, with the number of such programs up by 40 percent over the last five years alone. One factor contributing to the growth is strong evidence that early-childhood experience influences the development of the brain’s architecture.
March 15
Sacramento Bee: Governor backs report on education changes
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promoted an education report Friday that recommends $10.5 billion in new programs, including teacher incentive pay and universal preschool for low-income children, even as he said the state faces a "financial disaster."
February 22
Weekend Pinnacle: The Power of Preschool
There is more to the average preschool than meets the eye. Finger painting, building with blocks, acting out stories, singing songs, dancing, laughter - even the occasional fighting - are just a few of the activities seen in any good preschool program. Even if that preschool program is taking place in the child's own home.
February 7
Riverside Press-Enterprise: Group hopes to alleviate Inland preschool shortage with new facility
Rapidly growing Riverside County has the fewest licensed care facilities for children of working parents, according to the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, a nonprofit organization that advocates quality child care.
January 30
USA Today: Our view on Early education: Pre-K programs pay off
Oklahoma enjoys a popular image as a state of wildcatters, hardscrabble farmers and rodeo riders. So it might come as something of a surprise to learn that national organizations rate the state as tops in the USA in — preschool.
January 23
San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: Schools need bolder leadership
[...] The state must not only consolidate funding for pre-school, as O'Connell urges, but substantially increase it, so that every child heads to kindergarten prepared to learn.
January 19
Merced Sun-Star: Galgiani finds preschoolers can ask tough questions, too
The Q&A session highlighted Galgiani's Friday visit to the southeast Merced preschool, which was the district's attempt to make sure this state official keeps pre-kindergarten programs in mind during upcoming budget wrangling.
January 18
Fresno Bee: Fresno County schools chief backs preschool
"Kids need preschool," Ellison said Friday, "or otherwise they will be lost." That message set the stage for Fresno County schools chief Larry Powell, who wants to give every 4-year-old an opportunity to be in preschool within the next seven years.
January 14
San Jose Mercury News: Op-ed: Schwarzenegger should take real steps toward real education reform in '08
By Ted Lempert
There is one change where immediate action is possible and essential. The linchpin for successful reform is enabling better information and analysis to guide the decisions made by policy-makers and educators. Without it, little meaningful progress can be made. And the work to create such an information system can and must move forward in 2008, even with the budget deficit. It's the requisite first step.
January 11
Los Angeles Times: Study links preschool teachers' stress to student expulsions
Preschool teachers who are highly stressed because of classroom conditions, depression or other factors are far more likely than their colleagues to recommend expulsion for children with behavioral problems, according to a study released Thursday.
January 8
San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: California's kids deserve better
Yet California is failing its children to a frightening degree in almost every important area of their development. The state must find ways to send more kids to preschool, help them become more physically fit and graduate at a substantially higher rate from high school.
January 7
Sacramento Bee: Editorial: Time to make the 'Year of Education' a reality
With school funds poised for big growth, Schwarzenegger has a rare opportunity... Other areas with broad support include expanding preschool and career-technical options (Schwarzenegger's real passion and an area where he could make a difference), addressing teacher quality, reducing dropout rates, dealing with schools and districts that haven't met performance targets for five years in a row.
January 6
San Jose Mercury News: Op-ed: Removing barriers to student success need not break the bank
By Ted Mitchell and Dede Alpert
Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger designated 2008 as the "Year of Education," in which leaders of both parties would work together on a comprehensive plan that would improve California's public schools. As discouraging news about the state's economic and budget crises continues to emerge, it would be tempting to postpone these discussions until our fiscal situation improves... We couldn't disagree more strongly.
January 3
Newsweek: An Argument for Preschool
The states are spending more and more money to educate children before they start kindergarten. But one expert warns that not all programs are created equal. [...] Author David Kirp, a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, explains the importance of keeping educational quality high for our littlest learners. Kirp spoke with Newsweek's Peg Tyre.
January 3
Napa Valley Register: Op-ed: Invest in the future, invest in pre-school
Statistics on the benefits of early child care are overwhelmingly positive with regard to return on investment. According to numerous extensive studies, children who participate in high quality Early Childhood Education programs tend to have higher language and math skills, less need for special or remedial education and higher high school graduation rates.
back to the top
Also ran in: San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union Tribune, Education Week, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Fresno Bee, Santa Rosa Press Democrat , Oakland Tribune, Monterey County Herald, Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Examiner, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune, Chico Enterprise Record, Eureka Times-Standard, KPIX-TV CBS (San Francisco), KGO-TV ABC (San Francisco), KFTY-TV (Santa Rosa), KION-TV CBS (Salinas/Monterey), KGET-TV NBC (Bakersfield), KCOY-TV CBS (Santa Maria), KCBA-TV Fox (Salinas/Monterey), KGPE-TV CBS (Fresno), XETV-TV Fox (San Diego), KPSP-TV CBS (Palm Springs), KESQ-TV ABC (Palms Springs), KSBY-TV NBC (San Luis Obispo), KMPH-TV Fox (San Joaquin)
