Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Early Learning/Pre-K

State-by-State Head Start Program Information Report

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:53:14 -0500

Released in 2008, this interactive chart and report from the Center for Law and Social Policy includes updated information on programs, participants, families, and staff for all Head Start programs in

The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:17:44 -0500

CFK Reports From: The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool: Using Early Education to Improve Economic Growth and the Fiscal Sustainability of States and the Nation
Event: Forum
Organized By: Committee for Economic Development
Where/When: Willard Inter-Continental Hotel; July 25, 2006

Believing that early childhood education does more than prepare kids for kindergarten, an organization of business leaders, the Committee for Economic Development (CED), made the economic case for publicly funded high-quality universal preschool for all kids through their report, The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool.

California Voters Take Up Universal Preschool

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:15:55 -0500

On June 6, Californians will have a chance to vote on Proposition 82, which would provide voluntary, free preschool for all California four-year-olds by 2010. It's the latest, and largest, effort at the state level to increase the supply of early education. Here are the main points and the key arguments, pro and con. This article comes from the May-June 2006 issue of Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Building Better Preschools

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:14:36 -0500

Great teachers, plenty of books, toys and other materials, strong connections with parents and families—these are aspects of quality preschool that we hear a lot about. But early learning requires something else: safe and appealing space, in the right place. Gin Phillips looks at one model for bringing such spaces on-line: Atlanta's Early Learning Property Management.

Preschool Search Even Tougher for Immigrants

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:28:01 -0500

Even putting aside the difficult issue of legal status, immigrant families face some particular barriers to finding good early-education opportunities for their youngsters. This report looks at the situation in California. This article originally appeared in the March-April 2006 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Even Start Under Fire

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:10:28 -0500

Even Start is a federally funded effort to improve literacy in very low income families, so that kids will do better in school, and parents can participate in their children's educations and improve their own life prospects. Now, a 56 percent cut in fiscal 2006 and a proposal from President Bush to eliminate all funding in fiscal 2007 has Even Start on the ropes. Cecilia Garcia takes a look at the program, and at the Bush administration's claim that it doesn't work.

Funding the Future: States' Approaches to Pre-K Finance

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:07:04 -0500

Quality pre-K pays off for kids, families, and businesses, according growing body of research. But how can states fund sustainable programs? This report looks at the diversity of states' approaches—for example, some target only 4-year-olds; some fund only programs in public schools; some focus on education, others include services like health care and parenting classes—and the strategies states are using to tap into stable funding sources. The report includes a list of "pros and cons" of specific funding streams.

National Smart Start Conference

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:26:55 -0600

Start: Mar 7 2006 - 5:00pm

End: Mar 9 2006 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT+5

The 2006 National Smart Start Conference will be held March 7-9 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Effects of State Pre-Kindergarten on Young Children's School Readiness in Five States

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:37:54 -0600

Do state preschool programs make a difference for kids? In a word: yes, according to a rigorous assessment from the National Institute for Early Education Research. In a study of 5,071 kindergarten-age children in five states -- Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia -- those who attended state-funded preschool programs scored higher on early language, literacy, and math tests. The differences were statistically significant, and applied to children of all economic backgrounds.

Spending Smarter: A Funding Guide for Policymakers and Advocates to Promote Social and Emotional Health and School Readiness

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 14:13:47 -0600

The National Center for Children in Poverty published a guide that will help state and community policymakers, agency officials, families, and other advocates to more effectively address the social and emotional challenges that prevent early school success. It includes a companion report that targets vulnerable young children, and a checklist to strengthen early childhood mental health and early intervention capacity.

Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2006

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:38:58 -0600

More than a million three and four-year-olds now attend state funded pre-kindergarten programs, as state pre-K spending has shown the largest increase in five years, according to this Pre-K Now national report. Nationwide total pre-K funding nearly doubled over last year, as 30 states moved to increase funding for pre-K access, twice the number of states over FY05.

Preschool Gets Record Boost in '05

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:25:18 -0600

More children than ever now have access to state-funded preschool thanks to the largest single-year spending increases in five years by state legislatures in 2005. That's the key finding of a new report, which estimates that pre-K spending exceeded $3.5 billion this year. Stateline.org reports.

Early Head Start for 3-Year-Olds and their Parents: Lessons for Policy and Programs

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:17:36 -0600

Early Head Start targets low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers birth to age 3. In a randomized trial of 3,001 families in 17 programs, kids in the program performed better than the control group in cognitive and language development, displayed higher emotional engagement of the parent and sustained attention with play objects, and were lower in aggressive behavior. Compared with controls, Early Head Start parents were more emotionally supportive, provided more language and learning stimulation, read to their children more, and spanked less. The strongest and most numerous impacts were for programs that offered a mix of home-visiting and center-based services and fully implemented the performance standards early.

Still Going Strong: Head Start Children, Families, Staff, and Programs in 2004

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:38:24 -0500

As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the federal Head Start program, this policy brief examines the latest data from the Program Information Reports that all Head Start grantees must submit to the U.S. Department of Health. In 2004, Head Start continued to provide early education services and medical, dental, and mental health screenings for poor children, as well as comprehensive supports for families. The number of teachers with degrees grew substantially in 2004—65 percent of teachers had an Associate's Degree or higher. Less than half of eligible children, however, receive Head Start services.

Repeating a Grade, Individualized Education Plans, and Head Start

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 18:45:04 -0600

One in ten non-Hispanic black children in first through third grade has repeated a grade, compared with 1 percent of Asian or Pacific Islander children, 4 percent of non-Hispanic white children, and 6 percent of Hispanic children of the same age.