WIKINDX Resources
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(2006). The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool. Washington : Committee for Economic Development.
Added by: Marie Gaussel (21 Jul 2008 11:14:53 Europe/Paris) |
| Resource type: Report/Documentation BibTeX citation key: anon2006.4111  |
Categories: General Publisher: Committee for Economic Development (Washington) |
Views: 1562/3478
Views index: 21% Popularity index: 5.25% |
| Abstract |
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"CED recommends that communities, states, and the nation make access to publicly funded, highquality preschool programs an economic and educational priority. The economic benefits from preschool will be greatest when all children are provided with access to high-quality, publicly funded preschool programs. States with existing preschool programs should expand access by eliminating enrollment restrictions based on family income, and maximize program efficiency by coordinating state prekindergarten, federal Head Start, and child-care programs. To achieve the potential economic benefits, preschool programs should provide adequate contact hours to improve student learning and provide options for integrating high-quality child care to meet the needs of working parents. Furthermore, states should welcome a diverse set of providers that meet quality standards and the needs of the parents and communities they serve. Business leaders should advocate preschool and other complementary childhood programs and services, emphasizing the strong returns on investment, and the leveraging of current expenditures. CED recommends that publicly funded preschool programs meet the quality standards necessary to deliver the promised economic benefits. Existing state prekindergarten programs and the federal Head Start program must be brought up to acknowledged standards. Preschools should adopt research-based, age-appropriate curricula that include cognitive, socioemotional, and physical development, and align with state kindergarten and elementary education standards. In addition, all publicly funded preschool programs should employ qualified teachers with bachelor’s degrees and specialized training in early education. An independent, national board should review and report on the quality and comprehensiveness of state preschool standards which most states have only recently developed. Finally, CED recommends that federal, state, and local governments consider the broad economic benefits of preschool when deciding how to allocate resources in the face of competing uses and demands. As governments decide where to invest their public dollars, they should consider the different economic and social returns from those investments. Investments in preschool programs should reflect the cost of providing a high-quality education to all threeand four-year-old children. Current state prekindergarten and federal Head Start budget allocations should be revised to support the critical elements of high-quality programs, ensuring the budget structure reflects an efficient and effective use of funds. Preschool programs should also be funded through a dedicated funding source, and teacher compensation should be commensurate with that of public elementary school teachers. " Added by: Marie Gaussel |