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Education Policy Program Links
Spotlight
Head Start, the largest federally funded program for children under 5, has been around for nearly 45 years. Given the Obama Administration's interest in using federal funding to support young children, one might think that Head Start was poised to enter one of its most expansive periods ever. But there are several huge unanswered questions about Head Start's future -- from how it should be coordinated with state-funded pre-K programs to whether it should put even more of its energies toward serving children younger than 3.
Our seven-part blog series explains how Head Start has changed over the years and considers where it may be headed. It is also available as a downloadable PDF, which includes the transcript from a public web chat on this topic hosted by Politico.com.
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So what exactly Is PreK-3rd? Learn more in this short video (7 min) that makes the case for comprehensive reforms that begin with high-quality early childhood education programs and build on the benefits of those programs through the elementary school years and beyond.
Early Ed Writers
Topics
Blogroll
Featured Reading
The Case for Investing in PreK-3rd Education: Challenging Myths about School Reform, by Rima Shore
PreK-3rd: What Is The Price Tag? by Rima Shore
Promoting a Pre-K to Three Vision for Early Learning, The State Education Standard
Building Blocks, by Gene I. Maeroff
Resources
Policy and Research
- Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning
- Chicago Longitudinal Study
- U.S. Department of Education
- Foundation for Child Development
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
- HighScope Educational Research Foundation
- Institute for Education Sciences
- National Association for the Education of YoungChildren
- National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force
- National Head Start Association
- National Institute for Early Education Research
- Office of Head Start
- Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation at ACF in HHS
- Research Connections
- Society for Research in Child Development
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Out of the Wilderness: Alaska to Start a Pilot Pre-K Program
Here's some good news for pre-k even in difficult economic times: This month the state legislature in Alaska, one of twelve states that does not have a state pre-k program, passed Gov. Sarah Palin's proposed $2 million pilot pre-k program. The program will distribute funds to school districts -- and in some cases, community-based organizations -- to provide voluntary, half-day pre-kindergarten for up to 500 Alaska 4-year-olds. The state Department of Education and Early Development will develop guidelines for local implementation, as well as a framework for program expansion.
This program is less than half the size of the $5 million program the Governor originally proposed, but a good step nonetheless in a state that is anticipating a budget deficit due to falling oil revenues. Alaska's fiscal year 2010 budget also includes an additional $600,000 in state funding for Head Start, which would create new spaces for about 60 new children. (Approximately 2,674 Alaskan children are in Head Start programs.)
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Education for Early Childhood
A thumbs up with Gov. Sarah Palin to her advocacy to children's needs for a Pre-K Program. Let us consider that children needs education and education is the best for them.