Early Education Initiative: Recent and Upcoming Events

CA EVENT: The Future of Early Education Systems in California (Pre K-3rd)

Elizabeth Wu — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/29/2009 - 11:30am

As California struggles to close persistent achievement gaps, it is increasingly apparent that these gaps exist at school entry and that efforts to improve the early education systems (PreK-3rd) are warranted. Please join us in the release of "On the Cusp in California: How PreK-3rd Strategies Could Improve Education in the Golden State," a policy paper from New America's Early Education Initiative that highlights key strategies for creating a more seamless system for early learning in California.

Putting the “Quality” into Quality Pre-K

Cecille Isidro — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:45:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/07/2009 - 9:30am

Early education is the subject of unprecedented bipartisan interest from both Capitol Hill and the Obama administration. Advocates herald the lifetime savings of effective pre-k interventions, which have been calculated between $7 and $10 for every dollar invested. But what does “quality” mean in terms of closing the achievement gap? And what are the implications for policy?

Changing the Odds for Children at Risk

Communications — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:45:00 -0500

A New America Event
12/01/2008 - 12:15pm

Data show that children who are born in poverty to young, poorly educated parents have much lower chances of succeeding in school, college, and the workforce than their less-disadvantaged peers. They are also at greater risk for a host of negative outcomes, including poor academic performance, being held back a grade, dropping out of high school, being unemployed, and participating in criminal activity.

An Ounce of Prevention

Communications — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
09/09/2008 - 1:30pm

After peaking in 2002, child well-being in the United States has been stagnant for five years. Meanwhile, recent data from the Child Well-Being Index shows some disturbing upward trends in child obesity and youth violence, as well as a persistent academic achievement gap. To date, public policy has not sufficiently mobilized to combat these issues before they start to affect the nation’s children. The New America Foundation brought together key policy makers and experts involved in improving child well-being to… more

No Child Left Behind and Early Education: Prospects for 2008

Communications — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:15:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/29/2007 - 12:15pm

Congressional leaders recently announced that they will not finish reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act -- the major federal law authorizing elementary and secondary education programs -- this year, but will continue working on reauthorization in 2008. This gives Congress a chance to revisit an issue that was largely ignored in this year’s debate over NCLB reauthorization: early education for pre-school and early elementary aged youngsters.

Evidence shows that the foundations of children’s future academic success… more

The Next No Child Left Behind Act

Communications — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/21/2007 - 12:00pm

The upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) presents an opportunity for the federal government to expand access to high-quality, early education programs. At present, quality standards vary widely among federal, state, local, and private early care and education programs, and relatively few programs align their curricular and teacher standards with early elementary school grades. There is a role for the federal government to play in both expanding access and harmonizing decentralized early education programs horizontally across… more

Ready to Teach? PK-3 and NCLB

Communications — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 06:54:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/19/2006 - 3:00pm

As Congress prepares for reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, policymakers will be forced to answer difficult questions about the relationship between teacher quality and student outcomes at all levels of education. What should teachers of young children know and what skills do they need? How can colleges of education improve the PK-3 workforce? How can the federal government improve the quality of PK-3 teachers through NCLB?

This event, hosted jointly by the New America Foundation and the… more

Closing the Achievement Gap

Communications — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
07/25/2006 - 11:00am

Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia presented a half-hour speech to over a hundred guests at the New America Foundation on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. Kaine described his views on the importance of early childhood education, which studies show can reduce the number of unprepared students entering kindergarten each year and reduce the number of elementary school children who fail to advance to the next grade at the end of the school year. Kaine noted that, in Virginia, 10,000 children… more

Fighting Fade-Out in Education

Communications — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 11:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
01/19/2006 - 12:00pm

The New America Foundation's second event under the Early Education Initiative gathered a distinguished panel of speakers from academia and both sides of the political aisle to discuss the newly released issue brief, "Ladders of Learning: Fighting Fade-Out by Advancing PK-3 Alignment." Michael Dannenberg, the Director of New America's Education Program, set the stage with his remark that the education system was progressing on a continuum with regards to standards-based reform, a concept that is here to stay.

Kristie… more

Building a 21st Century Economy

Communications — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
12/13/2005 - 12:12pm

The New America Foundation launched its Early Education Expansion and Reform Initiative and released its new report "Building a 21st Century Economy: The Case for Investing in Early Education Reform," by Shelley Waters Boots.

As Congress begins to consider reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and the education and training demands of the global economy, maximizing the effectiveness of our early childhood education system takes on greater significance. Compelling research confirms that by the third grade,… more