Another View: Keeping pre-k’s mix of income levels will ensure quality

As commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, I believe that Georgia’s pre-k program is one of the most effective state programs established in the past 20 years. The program has become an educational institution and demonstrates how education programs can skillfully form public-private partnerships and effectively prepare children for both school and life. Georgia is also a nationally recognized pre-k leader.

Georgia’s pre-k is a voluntary, universal program — meaning that it is available to children regardless of income level and based on parental choice. In the current 2008-09 school year, we will serve mroe than 79,000 children. Georgia’s pre-k classes can be found in local elementary schools, private child care centers, technical colleges, career/vocational high schools and on military bases. The program is funded through lottery revenues; no general state funds are used to implement, maintain or expand the program.

Despite the national prominence of Georgia’s

pre-k program, there are questions about whether the program should serve children from all income levels. Questions have been raised that the dollars would be better spent focusing on low-income children or those children who may be at risk of later school failure. There is research that shows the biggest impact of a preschool program is with those populations most at risk for later school failure. But such research belies the fact that quality preschool programs have impacts for all children, regardless of social class.

Furthermore, research confirms that the impacts of a quality pre-k program are larger for disadvantaged children when such programs are serving a heterogeneous, economically diverse population.

A recent study of a similar state program found that program participation was a better predictor of kindergarten reading and math skills than characteristics related to a family’s socio-economic status.

Economic circumstances are fluid for many families — they may be above an income cutoff at the beginning of the school year and find themselves below an income cutoff at the end. Furthermore, repeating grades and dropping out of high school, two long-term impacts that quality preschool helps mitigate, are problems that impact all social classes. In fact, one in 10 middle-income children repeat a grade; and in sheer numbers, middle-class children account for most problems related to school failure.

It is not in the best interest of Georgia’s families for the state to set an income cutoff that prevents children from participating in Georgia pre-k. However, being sensitive to the unique needs of families who find themselves in tough economic circumstances, Bright from the Start offers a resource coordinator program with many of our pre-k programs for families who need additional services to support school readiness.

Since Georgia’s pre-k program inception, Georgians have strongly supported the program. Each year the governor and the Legislature have increased the number of available classrooms, and our capacity remains constant around 99 percent. In the upcoming school year, Georgia

pre-k will reach a significant milestone when the program serves its millionth child!

A pre-k program is only as good as its quality, and I’m happy to report that Georgia meets all of the top quality standards such as teacher education, annual monitoring and use of a curriculum appropriate for 4- and 5-year-olds. We have updated our content standards, aligned them with the k-12 system, improved our teacher training and expanded services to children with special needs.

Georgia’s pre-k program, established in 1993, provides Georgia’s 4-year-old children with high-quality preschool learning experiences. This unique, nationally recognized education program is a prominent point of pride for Georgia.

• Holly A. Robinson is commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.