As Indiana pushes ed reform, pre-k lags
There may be a lot of talk about education reform in Indiana right now, but it’s become increasingly clear that Tony Bennett, the new superintendent of instruction, won’t be emphasizing early childhood. And he’s citing the usual issue: lack of money. Indiana has long trailed other states when it comes to public support of pre-kindergarten; it’s [...]
Tennessee pre-k and the third-grade fade: truth or politics?
It’s been interesting to watch reaction in the state of Tennessee to research showing that students who participate in pre-kindergarten programs do better than their peers for their first two years of school, but have no advantage at all by the time they get to third-grade. Stories in The Tennessean ‘s office on the effectiveness [...]
New rules, role for Head Start lauded with release of new research
EarlyStories examined some suggested new rules for Head Start recently, and now a leading expert on early childhood is lauding the Obama administration in a Washington Post op-ed for proposing a new system he says could force much-needed improvements to the $8 billion program for 3- and 4-year-olds. The op-ed makes it clear that what [...]
In California, no more four-year-olds in kindergarten
For years, parents and educators have debated the starting age for kindergarten, and it still varies widely — sometimes from state to state, and sometimes within different districts in the same state. Parents with children close to the cut-off date for turning five (as late as Dec. 31st) in some states have long agonized about [...]
In Minnesota, big push for kindergarten readiness
Lots of states in financial stress are struggling with ways to maintain pre-kindergarten programs — or any publicly funded programs at all that help parents and children get the skills they need to start school. Minnesota is one of those states with a budget deficit and big ambitions. A group known as Ready 4 K [...]
Would bonuses for pre-k teachers improve quality?
To create an educated workforce, you have to start with high-quality educators. In the field of early childhood, the issue has long been debated. High quality programs tend to be taught by teachers with four-year degrees and specific training in early childhood education. Yet teachers may be poorly trained, or not trained at all. Only [...]
Lessons in early learning from Montgomery County
At a time when budget cuts are derailing public pre-kindergarten programs and other districts are trying to figure out how to integrate early learning, the Montgomery County school system in Maryland is touting a model for success they believe can be replicated to help narrow the achievement gap. The report is available on the website [...]
A look at early learning for special needs children
Finding high quality child care and early education programs is a huge challenge for most Americans, but those with special needs children find it so impossibly complex that they often don’t even send their children to any organized child care programs, the excellent “Birth to Thrive,” blog notes. “The availability of high quality child care [...]
Will ‘Pre-School for All’ survive Illinois Budget Crisis?
When legislators in Illinois passed the Preschool for All initiative in 2006, the state was hailed as a national leader in free early childhood education. In the economic crisis bearing down particularly hard in this midwestern state, though, the initiative — and other gains in early education — are all in serious danger, a story [...]
Why Finland gets early childhood education right
It’s always fascinating to hear how other countries handle the education of their littlest learners, and even better to participate in a discussion with top educators on the subject. EarlyStories had a chance to converse on BAm! Radio with Linda Darling-Hammond, the Stanford University researcher and professor, and John R. Burbank, the executive director of [...]
