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 [...]
Wait, does study mean kindergarten teachers should be paid more?
It’s well established that children who skip kindergarten typically fall behind their classmates, and much research points to the value of a high-quality pre-kindergarten experience coming first. There has been less discussion about the impact of a kindergarten teacher on the future earnings of little learners. A new study that made its way to the [...]
Why first graders in Indiana — and elsewhere — are left behind
EarlyStories has spent a lot of time looking at South Dakota, a state that has consistently shunned providing any state money for pre-kindergarten. That’s because the voices against pre-school in the state — one of just 10 that doesn’t provide any pre-kindergarten — are extremely vocal. For example, a push to start a pilot program [...]
Will future be dim for Bright Beginnings in North Carolina?
A well known program that helps prepare disadvantaged four-year-olds for kindergarten may be hitting a roadblock, as educators in North Carolina debate continuing it. Known as Bright Beginnings, the Charlotte, North Carolina program has aimed to create an approach that is “child-centered, literacy-focused,” for young children, and it’s been used in five pre-k centers and [...]
What does a good early start look like?
It’s not easy to figure out what is really going on in a pre-school classroom. It might look like children are simply sitting on the floor, playing, cooking or running around in circles, the way toddlers will sometimes do. This may be one reason why so few journalists bother to venture into early childhood classrooms. [...]
Just not giving up on public pre-kindergarten in South Dakota
EarlyStories has long been fascinated by the resistance to starting publicly funded pre-kindergarten in South Dakota, so it was heartening to read that supporters are still pushing hard for a pilot program in the prairie state, one of just 10 that have no state funded programs. Sioux Falls has had some success in starting a [...]
Tough times ahead for incoming kindergartners?
For the last few years, it looked as if children entering the Cincinnati public schools were coming to kindergarten more prepared then ever, in part due to expanded access to pre-school programs and more coordination between what they learned beforehand and the city’s K-12 curriculum. The recession and budget cuts, however, may be taking a [...]
Should cities help families save for college — starting in kindergarten?
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has presented an interesting idea at a tough time for states and cities — he wants to create college savings for all of the city’s kindergartners and make small deposits to get them started. Problem is, the city is facing a $483 million deficit in its $2.9 billion general fund [...]
A mixed picture for pre-k expansion in tough times
Pre-kindergarten may still be at the top of political agendas, but financing it is proving more challenging in tough economic times. The Pew Center on the States found evidence that many U.S. governors are trying to protect their investment in pre-kindergarten, despite a difficulty economy and steep budget cuts in other areas. “In spite of [...]
