On May 19, California voters will determine whether nearly $608 million from the state’s First 5 fund will be diverted to other children’s programs next year, followed by $268 million of diverted tobacco revenues each year for the subsequent four years. First 5 began in 1998 as a result of a voter initiative and has since supported early childhood programs such as pre-k, early literacy, and health care for more than 300,000 children in 200 districts. Some legislators believe the program’s currently unused reserve should be redirected to assist other health and human services programs for young children. However, pre-k advocates insist that the legislature is ultimately punishing the program for being responsible with its finances, and putting school readiness at risk in the process.

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North Carolina offers one of the highest quality state pre-k programs in the country, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). However, the future of the program, More at Four, is now in great jeopardy. The Senate just passed a budget that threatens a cut of $40 million in state funding for More at Four and moves the program out of the Department of Public Instruction, shifting its focus from pre-kindergarten education to work support. Under this bill, children could be forced to leave the program in the middle of a school year due to changes in eligibility regulations. Advocates in North Carolina also object to questionable uses of Child Care and Development Block Grant funds from the federal economic recovery package in this budget. It is now up to the House and Governor Beverly Perdue to save More at Four before the children and economy of North Carolina lose out on a promising future.

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The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) just released its annual report, "The State of Preschool Yearbook 2008." This comprehensive resource provides a state-by-state analysis of pre-k programs across the country. Using its checklist of ten quality "benchmarks," NIEER found that only two states -- Alabama and North Carolina -- had pre-k programs that met all ten of the standards. Meanwhile, some of the largest states -- California, Texas, and Florida -- met fewer than five. The good news is that the 2007-2008 school year saw an increase in state pre-k investments and enrollment. In fact, since the first Yearbook was published in 2003, enrollment has grown from 700,000 to 1.1 million. However, NIEER cautions that current economic conditions could halt these improvements. "We had been making remarkable progress, things were going great guns, but as the recession hit state governments, things started to change," said co-author and co-director, Steve Barnett.

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Members of Congress came together across party lines to introduce legislation that would improve access to high-quality early childhood education in rural communities. Under the Rural Early Education Access Act, states would receive incentive grants to establish pre-k programs and to improve the quality of existing programs in rural areas. "Every study shows that children who attend preschool programs are more likely to achieve success in school," said the bill's author, Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL). "This leads to additional college graduates and a more competitive workforce. In other words, it is not only good education policy, it makes economic sense." A fellow member of the House Rural Education Caucus and original co-sponsor of the bill, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) added, "Education provides the foundation for the economic and civic future of our nation, and we can't afford to leave millions of children who don't live in urban or suburban population centers behind."

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Maryland Delegate Tom Hucker has introduced a new bill to establish a plan for pre-k expansion in his state. The no-cost legislation would set a clear outline for increasing access and accountability for pre-k in Maryland, and is an important step in moving Maryland toward voluntary pre-k for all. Advocates, families, and business leaders testified before committees in both the House and Senate on behalf of the bill, which requires collaboration between the state Department of Education and superintendents to ensure that future pre-k expansion involves programs in a variety of settings. "Pre-k really is the next frontier," said Hucker. His efforts were underscored by a recent Baltimore Sun editorial on the importance of the program for the thousands of children currently left out of it.

Arizona’s state budget woes motivated some of the state’s legislators to plunder funds intended for early education and care. In 2006, Arizona voters approved Proposition 203, which levied an 80 cent tobacco tax that would earn interest for First Things First, the newly created Early Childhood Development & Health Board. Last week, lawmakers took $7 million from the interest fund to fill holes in the state budget. Columnist Billie Stanton points out that the $7 million could have paid for a local pre-k program for ten years, or the child care for 25,000 children, in addition to generating more interest. Stanton writes, “When Arizona voters decided in 2006 to tax tobacco to benefit young children, they never said legislators could pilfer that money." The First Things First monies were also vulnerable to plundering in 2008, when the House attempted to lower the voting threshold needed to reach into the funds.

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In 2008, Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Hirono’s Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act (H.R. 3289) passed through the House Education and Labor Committee (one of only 25 bills of 905 to make it that far), but was never scheduled for a vote on the House floor. With characteristic determination, Rep. Hirono just reintroduced the bill on Capitol Hill; the newest iteration calls for $1 billion in federal investment grants over five years to help states improve their early education programs. “The fact that President Obama has made early education a cornerstone of his platform and the growing support from groups and organizations across the spectrum is very encouraging,” said Rep. Hirono. Fifty-six original cosponsors have already signed on, including early education subcommittee ranking member Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE). “This bill, which is the product of hours of hearings, discussions, and debate, is in line with the President’s strong commitment to early education.”

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In the 2009 “State of American Business” address, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has included a call for increased investments in early education. Signed by President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, the statement mentions early education as one of several “broad and deep reforms ... to ensure that all Americans have an opportunity to compete and succeed in the 21st century.” Meanwhile, the business community continues to express widespread support for pre-k. The statewide group America’s Edge has been urging industry leaders to join the growing group of supporters. Thomas Cooley, a dean of the New York University Stern School of Business, recently wrote for Forbes.com, “calling for a highly educated work force implies, almost by definition, that individuals receive both early childhood development and a solid education from kindergarten on up.”

The California Teachers Association’s (CTA) non-profit Institute for Teaching recently announced the creation of a new campaign. The Early Childhood Education Alliance (ECEA) works to improve the success of young children by invigorating the communication between parents, teachers, and lawmakers. According to the CTA, “A brief historical review of public education shows that our schools have been held together by a social contract or bond between teachers and parents. Absent this connection, it is unlikely that the current achievement gap will be closed or dropouts reduced.” A critical piece of their advocacy is a virtual forum for teachers and parents to share their views on issues in early education and identify solutions.

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The nation’s largest industrial trade association has announced its support for early education, further indicating the business community’s recognition of pre-k as an investment in the nation’s workforce. In the newest version of its Public Policy Position on Education and the Workforce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) stated, “Access to high quality early education and learning opportunities is integral to helping today’s children prepare for the highly competitive, fast-paced global economy.” The growing trend of business groups endorsing pre-k does not stop there. Last month, business leaders gathered in Colorado for a three-day conference on early education investments, sponsored by the Telluride Foundation and Partnership for America’s Success. In addition, an official from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee Chairman met recently in Los Angeles to urge California business leaders to back early education.

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Shad White, Pre-K Now State Policy Fellow and recently named Rhodes Scholar, published an op-ed in The Clarion-Ledger on strengthening early education in his home state Mississippi. He asserts, “Given the multitude of facts and the overwhelming support for pre-kindergarten in states similar to Mississippi, state leaders should acknowledge that it is again, boat-rockin' time in our state.” A Truman Scholar and graduate of Ole Miss, Shad plans to study comparative social policy with a focus on early education next year at Oxford University. His op-ed also highlights the Mississippi Economic Council's Marathon Tour, which has rigorously promoted the importance of education, including pre-k, in securing a strong future economy for the state. The tour kicked off in September and will visit 26 cities by the end of the year.

After struggling to finalize California's FY09 budget—and making severe cuts to address a massive budget shortfall—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger worked with the state legislature to maintain level funding for the state’s investment in pre-k. In addition, the governor signed two early education bills into law last week. The first bill, SB 1629, establishes an Advisory Committee charged to develop an Early Learning Quality Improvement System. This will increase providers' capacity to reach higher program quality and help parents make more informed decisions about programs. The second bill, AB 2759, is designed to allow for more effective use of state funds by consolidating all the early childhood education programs in the state. "Pre-Kindergarten education is the first formal step a child takes toward academic success and California's children deserve the highest-quality programs that put them on track to a successful future," says Governor Schwarzenegger.

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On Aug 22, the Wall Street Journal printed a large anti-preschool op-ed by the Reason Foundation, which misreported solid early education research and deemed preschool “damaging” to children. The early education community—including Pre-K Now and the Pew Center on the States—responded with letters to the Journal editorial board to set the record straight. A week later, the Journal printed a response signed by Libby Doggett and Susan Urahn, as well as a letter defending James Heckman’s support of pre-k penned by Illinois Action for Children. Lawrence Schweinhart and Heckman, himself, were among other supportive respondents calling attention to the Reason Foundation’s misquoted statistics.

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Mississippi is the only state in the South and one of twelve in the nation without a state-funded pre-k program, but at least one of the state’s U.S. senators aims to remove that distinction. Last week, speaking with the Daily Journal, Republican Sen. Thad Cochran expressed his hopes for federal incentive funding to support the creation of state pre-k education in Mississippi. He announced his desire to work with Sen. Edward Kennedy, chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on a federal initiative that could help bring Mississippi and other states out of the Pre-K Wilderness. The Daily Journal enthusiastically backed his vision, noting that Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee have taken steps to expand their thriving state-funded pre-k programs and pointing out that Cochran’s “commitment opens a door for Mississippi to gather its political willpower and resources.”

Michigan is confirming the trend that even in times of economic difficulty, pre-k deserves to stand as a priority. Despite its fifth year with revenue shortfall, the state has granted pre-k a 5 percent funding increase, according its new FY09 budget. This expansion is in addition to a $4.7 million supplemental increase the program received in the middle of FY08, bringing total funding to $103.5 million. The investment in pre-k is central to Michigan’s efforts to rebuild its economy,which needs generations of higher skilled workers to attract and keep businesses in the health care, information technology, and alternative energy fields. After signing legislation this Wednesday to fund schools, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm insisted, “As the 21st century economy changes, our education system must change with it.”

Georgia is marking significant milestones in 2008: the earliest participants in its state pre-k program are starting college and the Georgia Lottery Corporation’s lifetime contributions to the program have topped $3 billion. The success of the lottery – uniquely, the sole source of state pre-k funding – has helped enrollment grow to 53 percent of four year olds. But a Southern Education Foundation report warns that, by other measures, Georgia is not a national pre-k leader. Progress toward its pre-k-for-all goal has stalled, and waiting lists have swelled, in part because of limited classroom space. Also, Georgia’s standards for pre-k teachers are lower than many other states’ requirements. Policymakers should heed the report’s message that consistent and strong leadership is just as essential to keeping the pre-k promise as healthy lottery revenues.

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For the large percentage of Louisiana's children not eligible for the voluntary LA4 pre-k program, change is on the way. State legislators passed a bill this session to open LA4 to all four year olds by 2013. Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the bill into law this week. Supported by thePre-K for All Louisiana campaign, Blueprint Louisiana, and many others, the bill would gradually expand eligibility to families who earn more than 185 percent of the poverty line (the current income cap). This is a great model for other states with targeted pre-k programs to follow. "With... Senate Bill 286, we should begin to close the widening educational gaps that have kept too many of our children from experiencing success in school and in life," wrote Nadra Harrison of Every Child Matters in a letter to theTimes-Picayune. "They will finally have a fair start."

Rhode Island's 2008 legislative session had steps forward and backward for pre-k but, most notably, saw the passage of the Pre-Kindergarten Education Act. The act charges the Department of Education with planning a pilot program to serve three and four year olds in communities with low-performing schools. Creating a pre-k pilot is an important milestone for the state, which has been among the dozen states without a state pre-k program. The Department must also meet the challenge of funding; no state dollars have been appropriated for the pilot. Complicating matters, legislators and advocates like Rhode Island Kids Count had to simultaneously fight a proposal by Gov. Don Carcieri to eliminate the state's supplemental funding for Head Start. In a partial reversal of fortune, the General Assembly saved funds for 130 children. But 270 other children lost out in the budget crunch, making the success of the pre-k pilot all the more important.

Richmond, Virginia's most recent graduates have something big to smile about: a rousing performance of "Mr. Sun," a pre-k diploma, and all the skills needed to succeed in kindergarten. Cheered on by their parents, teachers, school principal, and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the 32 alumnae make up the nation's youngest members of the class of 2008. In his 6-minute speech delivered to the accomplished graduates, Gov. Kaine told Mrs. Brown's pre-k class, "We're so excited about your future. We expect a lot from you." The General Assembly has approved an additional $25 million dollars for the Virginia Preschool Initiative in FY09. This money will finance over 200 new pre-k classrooms across the state. After expressing to the audience of educators and children, "This will be the funnest thing I’ll do all day," Kaine said, adding on a more serious note: "There was once a debate about whether pre-k was a worthwhile investment – that debate is over."
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Historic legislation granting pre-k access for all three and four year olds in Washington was approved in May by the District of Columbia Council. Budgeted at $9.8 million dollars, the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2008 will increase the number of D.C. children served while improving the quality of education that each child receives. A variety of pre-k programs including public school, public charter school, and community-based organizations are eligible for financial support through the act. While low-income children will receive priority to attend pre-k in the fall, the legislation sets a five-year timetable for making pre-k available to all families who want to enroll their children. The act paves for the way for greater academic achievement and graduation rates throughout the District and is an important first step in K-12 school reform.
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In an unexpected move, North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley is proposing a substantial increase in funding for his state's More at Four pre-k program mid-way through the FY08-09 biennium. If passed, the additional 41.8 million dollars allocated to the program will fund 6,345 new spaces for children, increase per child funding by $550, and set aside $9 million for child care subsidies. "We must build on our strengths to face the challenges of the global economy and the best way we can do this is to expand education at all levels," explained the governor in a recent press conference. The budget adjustment—feasible despite growing fiscal constraints—would be paid for through a 20-cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax. Easley's recommendation ranks fifth among all pre-k budget proposals by governors in 2008 and is subject to the approval of North Carolina's General Assembly.

A comprehensive pre-k-for-all bill passed unanimously in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in May and appears to be headed into law. The bill lays the foundation for a high-quality, voluntary pre-k program, open to all children and delivered in a range of settings. In 2006, then-Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a similar bill. Sponsored by Education Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Patricia Haddad and Sen. Robert Antonioni, the legislation also directs the Department of Early Education and Care to develop a state advisory council on early education and a common policy regarding kindergarten transition—two wise steps aimed at aligning pre-k with other programs supporting young children's healthy development.

Ever wonder about the relationship between the price and quality of pre-k programs or the most cost effective ways to increase our country's graduation rate? So did economists Henry Levin and Clive Belfield, founders of Columbia University's Teachers College Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education (CBCSE). Launched last year to determine which alternative educational policies and interventions produce the greatest overall returns, CBCSE's studies have managed to effectively quantify the dollars states and the nation as a whole are losing by not investing in our children's education.

Rhode Island, one of two Northeastern states without a state-funded pre-k program, is not getting the gubernatorial leadership it needs to escape the pre-k wilderness. This session, Gov. Don Carcieri proposed to eliminate state funding for Head Start and almost 15 percent of available slots with it. Teachers and children protested at the capitol last week, only to hear the governor call the program "a waste of money," dismissing the program's effectiveness. What blindsided Head Start supporters is that the governor could not back up his assertions. Rep. Eileen S. Naughton told the Providence Journal, "I'm outraged. With just a simple Google search and a couple of clicks, there is tremendous data about [Head Start’s successes]." Gov. Carcieri and you can read more about the benefits of Head Start here.

Maryland and Virginia are dealing with tight budgets. While each is taking a different approach to pre-k expansion, success in both states hinges on gubernatorial leadership. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine made his pre-k proposal a budget priority, discussing the issue at every critical turn. The divided Virginia legislature compromised with the governor last week, providing the Virginia Preschool Initiative with an additional $22 million to serve more children and to increase per-child funding. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley made no pre-k proposals this session. Legislators are moving a bill to make children in military families eligible for the state pre-k program. The bill's fate is uncertain, but Gov. O'Malley would improve the odds for military families by emulating the vocal pre-k call voiced across the Potomac.

"How do you say to a middle-class family that yes, you pay taxes for schools but you can't send your kids" to pre-k, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen asked. While Bredesen proposes pre-k for more middle-class families, The Tennessean reports that opponents are lining up to ensure the program is limited to at-risk children. Those opponents need a refresher in Pre-K 101: one in three middle-income kindergarteners do not know their ABCs. Middle-class parents often struggle to find and pay for quality pre-k, earning too much to be eligible for Head Start and not enough for private pre-k. Hopefully, legislators will reexamine the research prior to the education budget hearing in mid-March.

“I don’t hear anything about education, and that really scares me,” teacher Julie Crudele tells The Plain Dealer. And she is not alone. Ahead of Ohio's March 4 presidential primary, Buckeye State voters are wondering what the candidates' education plans entail and how each might help Ohio's struggling economy become more competitive. Cleveland station WKYC-TV reports on the Democratic candidates' education proposals, both of which include pre-kindergarten. If the candidates were waiting for a cue from the voters to discuss pre-k and other education reforms, they need to wait no more. It looks like voters in the heartland of America know education is a winning issue.

A growing movement is promising to raise up Mississippi's low-performing education system through much-needed reforms like pre-k. The Parents' Campaign is focusing its tens of thousands of supporters on passing the Quality Education Act of 2008, a package of nine reforms proposed by the State Board of Education that includes pilot pre-k programs. Media coverage is building as well. A Clarion-Ledger editorial this week challenged lawmakers to make the Act their top priority, writing: "What part of creating a starter program to allow Mississippi to no longer be the... only Southern state without early childhood education is a frill?" We applaud Mississippians for helping their elected leaders understand that education reform is the first step to economic prosperity and that pre-k is the first step to education reform.

Changes to New Jersey's school funding formula, passed last week by lawmakers and subject to approval by the state's Supreme Court, will expand high-quality pre-k and increase overall education spending in 2009 by $533 million, reports The New York Times. Under the new formula, state-funded pre-k will be available to an additional 20,000 three and four year olds by the 2013-14 school year. “This formula puts the needs of all children on an equal footing, and will give them the educational resources they need for success,” said Gov. Jon Corzine. Yet, New Jersey leaders need to ensure that the path to greater pre-k access doesn’t cause a reversal of course in the state's poorest school districts, where high-quality pre-k for all is a hard-won reality. A true formula for the future must keep the focus on children, not ZIP codes.

An evaluation of the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) by Edvance Research confirms what many pre-k advocates and policymakers know: the path to quality pre-k is often marked by implementation challenges. The evaluation found TEEM to be a groundbreaking program worthy of continuation while also in need of improvement. Among other results, TEEM produced clear and measurable student gains in the three skill areas linked to school readiness. As the Edvance evaluators point out in a spirited letter to the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, a recent Dallas Morning News article misrepresented the Edvance evaluation in a broadside against TEEM. This may be partly due to the fact that, although the program is now in its fourth year, the evaluation analyzed only the first two years of implementation, frequently the most challenging time for any new program.