This session of Congress provides a unique opportunity for national policymakers to make a commitment to high-quality pre-k. Forty states across the nation have embraced the need for state-funded pre-k. In the last three years, governors and legislatures have increased funding for pre-k by 66 percent, for a total of nearly $2 billion in new funds for pre-k programs. In spite of these increases, the vast majority of four year old students—78 percent—are not currently served in a state-funded program. Enrollment levels among three year olds remain even lower. A strong federal commitment can help states expand program access and strengthen program quality to ensure that all children enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.

• Access: While the amount of state support for pre-k has increased overall, discrepancies persist between state programs and among individual programs within states. Leading states, such as Oklahoma, have enrolled more than 70 percent of the state's four year olds in state-funded programs, while others serve fewer than five percent. Still others have not yet established any state pre-k programs.
• Quality: Of the 40 states that sponsor some form of pre-k, only two meet all ten benchmarks of quality established by the National Institute for Early Education Research. As the popularity of state-funded programs has increased nationwide, the per-child investment in pre-k has actually decreased in almost every year since 2002, leaving many programs without sufficient resources to meet the needs of the youngest learners. A stronger federal investment can address the funding and quality gaps in the states.

Legislators in the halls of Congress and candidates on the campaign trail can use 2008 to set priorities and achieve two overarching goals for federal policy. First, the federal government can amend major education laws to include pre-k for three and four year olds as an integral part of federal support for public education. To do this, policymakers, administrators, and advocates alike must begin thinking of the nation's commitment to education as an integrated “pre-k through 20” system that addresses the needs of students at every level – pre-k through college.

Second, the federal government should establish and fully support a pre-k incentive grant to encourage state efforts to expand the capacity and improve the quality of publicly funded pre-k programs. Without a federal commitment tied to quality programs, children in underserved areas will continue to fall behind those who are able to benefit from early education opportunities.

The 110th Congress has the opportunity to move toward high-quality pre-k for all our children. Pre-K Now recommends the following agenda to address the goal of every child entering kindergarten prepared to learn and thrive.

The reauthorization of ESEA/No Child Left Behind should include pre-k in sections that provide federal funding for schools and teacher training. We recommend that Congress:

• Create a federal incentive grant program to support and improve the quality of state pre-k programs;
• Include high-quality pre-k programs as an allowable instructional intervention available to states and local education agencies identified for improvement in Title I; and
• Modify Title II provisions to encompass pre-k teachers in academic training and professional development.
• Help states include pre-k in their longitudinal data systems designed to measure students’ progress from pre-k through college.

The Higher Education Act provides important support for teacher training and recruitment, but pre-k teachers have not been covered by many of the Act's important provisions. Pre-K Now recommends that:

• Title II teacher recruitment and partnership grants be available to programs that provide post-secondary and professional training for pre-k teachers; and
• Pre-k teachers be eligible for student loan relief provisions under Title IV that account for the disparity in pay scales between pre-k and elementary school teachers.

The 2007 reauthorization of Head Start adapted this landmark education program to serve the present needs of low-income children. As the Department of Health and Human Services prepares to implement the refurbished Head Start law, Pre-K Now recommends that:

• The departments of Education and Health and Human Service share in the responsibility to oversee coordination between federal and state programs that support pre-k and child care;
• Congress provide $1 billion in new funds for Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant to compensate for years of under-funding; and
• Policymakers continue to look for opportunities to recruit and retain teachers with bachelor's degrees in all Head Start programs, including by requiring that at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers in each state hold a bachelor's degree and certification in early childhood education.

Congress can play a role in helping states to provide pre-k for children living in hard-to-serve areas and whose parents serve in the military. To ensure that every child in America has access to a consistent, high-quality pre-k experience, Pre-K Now recommends that Congress:

• Provide funding to support the growth of quality pre-k in rural America; and
• Help states monitor military-connected children’s access to pre-k and pay the cost of serving military children in high-quality programs