State-funded preschoolis
finally moving to the top of state policy agendas. In fact, state
preschool funding more than tripled between 2002 and 2017, to $7.6
billion, according to the most recent installment of the State Preschool Yearbook.
(The Yearbook is co-authored by National Education Policy Center Fellow
W. Steven Barnett and is published by the National Institute for Early
Education Research at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, which
Barnett founded.)
Aaliyah Samuel of the National Governors Association noted in
November 2018 that 18 governor-elects talked about aspects of early
education on the campaign trail. In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis has proposed adding
8,000 new state preschool spots while also expanding free, full-day
kindergarten. With strong support from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham,
New Mexico created a
new Department of Early Childhood Education and Care while adding $35.6
million in funding for early childhood programs. Perhaps most ambitious
is California Governor Gavin Newsom’s three-year plan to
implement full-day preschool in that state for four-year-olds from
low-income families, with the eventual goal of universal access.
As a reform, state-funded preschool has great potential. In a recent article in the peer-refereed journal AERA Open,
Barnett and his co-authors report that, on average, state-funded
preschool programs in the eight states they studied had positive effects
on language, math, and emergent literacy upon kindergarten entry. In an
earlier NEPC policy brief,
Barnett outlined longer-term effects of preschool education programs,
including higher rates of educational attainment, lower rates of
retention in grade, reduced odds of special education identification,
and less juvenile and adult crime. But he strongly cautions that only
high-quality programs can be expected to deliver such results.
“Policymakers should not depart from preschool education models that
have proven highly effective,” he recommends.
What does that mean?
National Institute for Early Education Research yearbooks
use research-based guidelines to rate state programs. These standards
are a good baseline indicator of the minimal standards states should
consider as they turn their attention to preschool education:
- Standards alignment, cultural sensitivity, state support, and broad approach.
Comprehensive early learning and development standards should be
horizontally and vertically aligned with standards for older and younger
children. They should also be culturally sensitive. States need to
provide support (such as professional development) that helps schools
implement the standards. The standards themselves should address
physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional
development, language development, cognition, and general knowledge.
- Curricular assistance. Schools also need assistance
with curriculum implementation. Support may include professional
development and guidance on program selection.
- Professional preparation. Lead teachers should have
bachelor’s degrees and specialized training in early childhood
learning, pedagogy, and development. Assistant teachers should have a
Child Development Associate or comparable degree.
- Professional development. Staff should receive at least 15 hours per year of professional development.
- Manageable class size. Class sizes should be limited to 20 or lower. Student-teacher ratios should be 1:10 or lower.
- Health. Students should receive vision, hearing and other health screenings and referrals.
- Evaluative feedback loop. Programs should engage in
a continuous quality improvement system that includes collecting data
and using it to improve policy or practice.
Just three states
(Alabama, Michigan, and Rhode Island) met all these standards in 2017.
Given that the guidelines represent minimum baselines, not ideal
conditions, state programs are almost certainly missing opportunities to
maximize the benefits that preschool has the potential to offer. As
policymakers turn their attention to this important area of education in
the months to come, quality should be a core focus of their efforts to
improve early education.
|
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário