Susan Muenchow, Principal Research Scientist American Institutes for Research March 19, 2006

Preschool Movement Nationally PERCENT OF 4-YEAR-OLDS SERVED IN STATE PRE-K * >50% 20-50% 10-19% 1-9% 0% * note: As of Sept all 4-year-olds in the Florida were to have access to preschool, however, there is no data on the actual number of 4-year-olds served in quality programs currently available. *

Starting Out … California ranks below national average in preschool enrollment 47% of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in California, as compared to 52% nationwide** 54-64% of 4-year-olds are enrolled in California, as compared with 66% nationwide** *National Institute for Early Education and Research **Lopez & de Cos, 2004 offer the lower estimate based on April CPS data; Rand Corporation tabulated the higher estimate based on October 2001 data

Many Children Don’t Have Access to Preschool * Low statewide enrollment in preschool California ranks 37 th out of 50 states in preschool/child care enrollment. Low- and middle-income children enroll at low rates Families who earn less than $30k/yr enroll children at a rate of 39%. Middle-income families ($30k-$49.9k) enroll at a rate of 41%. Higher-income families (>$75k) enroll at a rate of 63%. Enrollment rates vary significantly by ethnicity Latino children account for nearly half of all preschool-age children in California. But 37% of Latino children attend preschool or formal early care or education, as compared to 58% of white children and an overall statewide enrollment rate of 47%. Children in “linguistically-isolated homes” (none of the residents aged 14 and older speak English “very well”) are least likely to enroll – 35% enrolled in preschool programs. *Source: Lopez and de Cos; Preschool and Child Care Enrollment in California, p. 26.

Most Children Don’t Have Access to Quality Preschool* Of 398 centers reviewed in 1995 (including California sample), only 15% were rated as good or excellent* More recently, only 34% of observed classes in centers met quality standards (including teacher-child ratio, group size & formal training & education)** California’s existing State Pre-K Program meets only 4 of 10 quality standards recommended by the National Institute for Early Education Research. Only one in 4 preschool teachers in California currently has a bachelor’s degree*** * Helburn, S. & Cost, Quality and Child Outcomes Team, Cost, quality & child outcomes I child care centers (Public Report, 2 nd ed.). Denver: University of Colorado Economics Department, ** NICHD Early Child & Research Network (1999). Child outcomes when child care center classes meet recommended standards for quality. American Journal of Public Health, 89, *** Economic Policy Institute (2005). Losing Ground in Early Education.

Short-Term Benefits for Disadvantaged Children Children in the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program*: Scored significantly higher on cognitive & language tests in elementary school than children who didn’t participate in the program. Were half as likely to spend time in special education programs compared to children who didn’t attend preschool. Children who participated in the Chicago Child-Parent Centers (CPC)**: Received higher average scores on reading and math tests during elementary school than children who didn’t participate in the program. Were nearly half as likely to be placed in special education as non-CPC participants. *Source: Schweinhart, L.J., Barnes, H.V., & Weikert, D.P. (1993). Significant Benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 27. Yspilanti,MI: High/Scope Press. **Source: Reynolds, A.J., Temple, J. Robertston, D.L., & Mann, E. (2000). Long-Term Benefits of Participation in the Title I Chicago Child-Parent Centers. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence. Chicago, IL: March 30, 2000.

By age 40, High/Scope Perry Preschool graduates fare better*: High school graduation (65% vs. 45%) Employed (76% vs. 62%) Own a home (37% vs. 28%) Savings account (76% vs. 36%) Far fewer arrests Economic return: $17 for every $1 invested Source: Schweinhart, L.J. (2004). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40: Summary, Conclusions and Frequently Asked Questions. Long-Term Benefits for Disadvantaged Children

Long Term Benefits for Disadvantaged Children in Chicago Parent-Child Centers

Long-term Savings Chicago study* found that every $1 spent on high quality early education saved $7 in future expenditures for: Special education Delinquency Crime control Welfare Lost Taxes *Source: Reynolds, A., Temple, J.A., Robertson, D.L., & Mann, E.A. (2001). Long-term effects of an early intervention on educational achievement and juvenile arrest: A 15-year follow-up of low-income children in a public school.

Return on Investment

Which Children Benefit? Findings from The Oklahoma Study* All socio-economic groups in Oklahoma Pre-K Program experienced gains Free-lunch students on all 3 tests Reduced-price lunch & full-pay lunch students on 2 tests All racial & economic groups experienced gains Latino & African-American students on all 3 tests White & Native American students on 2 tests Latino students made the greatest gains *Source: Gormley, Jr., W., Gayer, T., Phillips, D. & Dawson, B. (2004). The Effects of Oklahoma’s Universal Pre-K Program on School Readiness. Georgetown University Center for Research on Children in the U.S.

Oklahoma Pre-k Program (Tulsa)

Key Quality Components Teacher/child ratios of not more than 10 preschoolers per teacher or assistant teacher Teachers with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree as well as specialized training in early childhood education Assistant teachers with a minimum of an associate’s degree Ongoing professional development through coursework & in-service training Teacher, paraprofessional, & administrator compensation at a rate that is competitive with elementary school staff with the same level of training, experience, & work hours Classrooms, playgrounds, & materials that are safe & developmentally appropriate for children *Source: Edward Zigler, Walter S. Gilliam, & Stephanie Jones: A Vision for Universal Preschool, Cambridge University Press, April 2006.

Costs and Benefits of Universal Preschool in California Based on RAND Corporation study*, a one-year, voluntary, universally available, high-quality preschool program in California would generate: $2.62 for every dollar expended, under the baseline assumptions of the research. $4 in benefits for every $1 expended, under a range of different assumptions. Other potential benefits for the California labor force, the competitiveness of the state’s economy, and economic and social equality. *Source: Karoly, Lynn A. & Bigelow, James H. (April 2005). The Costs and Benefits of Universal Preschool in California. Rand Technical Report.

High-Quality, Universally Available Preschool Would Benefit All Regions of California* Potential gains from universal preschool would be substantial for all regions studied. Benefits would be higher than the statewide average in regions with larger percentages of poor & disadvantaged children. Statewide estimates for each annual cohort of 4-year-olds served: 9,100 fewer children ever using special education programs; 63,000 fewer years of special education use; 10,000 fewer high school dropouts; 4,700 fewer children with a substantial case of abuse or neglect; and 7,300 fewer children involved in the juvenile court system. Overall, these statewide numbers amount to a 5 to 19 percent drop over current levels. *Source: Karoly, Lynn A. (December 2005). County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California. Rand Technical Report.