Using Pre-K to Advance Education Reform

HIGHLIGHT: Increasingly, pre-kindergarten—which provides a publicly funded, standards-based education for three and four year olds—is recognized as an entry point for public education because of its proven effectiveness in closing achievement gaps and improving school performance



Many states are only now beginning to create strong connections among pre-k, Councils, and education reform. Cultivating such connections makes sense. Within the birth-to-five continuum, pre-k—as an organized, educational program tied to explicit learning standards and teacher qualifications—has a distinct connection to schools and public education systems. Therefore, even though Councils are multi-stakeholder groups with representatives from across the early childhood spectrum, they are well positioned to influence their states’ school improvement activities by strengthening linkages between pre-k programs and education reform agendas.


This idea of pre-k as an educational entry point is proven over and over again by creating highly academic Kindergarten standards.  As kindergarten moves away from early childhood developmental approaches there becomes a new and necessary entry point.  An entry point with play at the center and discovery a necessary.

http://www.pewstates.org/uploadedFiles/PCS_Assets/2011/ECAC_brief_FINAL.pdf



Opportunities for Using Pre-K to Strengthen and Advance State Education Reform Efforts

On a broad policy level, Councils can provide a forum for informing state public education leaders about the array of early learning programs that can undergird reform efforts.

Councils should connect early learning with elementary schools, taking into account children’s learning experiences prior to pre-k, as well as in kindergarten and the primary grades
Connections between early learning and public education can vary from one community to another, and Councils can help communities find the linkages that work best for them.

POLICY REFORM IS KEY:
The ability to position pre-k as a starting point for public education depends on the maturity and effectiveness of a state’s program. States with a well established and successful pre-k should think about how changes in education policy connect to early learning, with pre-k serving not only as an important element of reform but also as a key connection point between kindergarten and programs serving younger children. States with less mature programs may want to focus on how expanding and evaluating the long-term impact of pre-k could support reform efforts.