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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Pre-K Squeeze
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s going to be an interesting summer to see if there are enough Pre-K spaces to go around.
A recent study of Pre-K in the South predicts that there won’t be enough to meet the demand. Cobb is getting out of the Pre-K business this year, following Douglas and Paulding counties, shifting 3- and 4-year-olds to private providers. The question is will there be enough spaces. Will there be enough childcare centers and other private providers willing to take part in the state program or have space to do so. And if there are enough openings, will they be geographically convenient to the students they serve, especially low-income with transportation challenges.
One interesting finding of the study was that Pre-K students academically outperformed students enrolled in Head Start or private programs upon entering school. The reason, they say, is that public Pre-K programs require fully certified teachers, not always the case in other early learning programs.
Pre-k is one thing the South has gotten right in education and its benefits are lasting and measurable, the study’s author says. However, some studies suggest the early learning gains in preparation to begin school begin to level off by second or third grade. The is claim not disputed. While the rate of gains level off, Pre-K students still maintain a lasting advantage, according to the author of the recent study.
Have you heard of parents having difficulty in finding a Pre-K program ? What are your thoughts on the study’s findings ? Is the state’s lottery-funded Pre-K program worth it?
