Decades of research point to the need for a universal preschool education program in the U.S. to help give our nation's children a sound cognitive and social foundation on which to build future educational and life successes. In addition to enhanced school readiness and improved academic performance, participation in high quality preschool programs has been linked with reductions in grade retentions and school drop out rates, and cost savings associated with a diminished need for remedial educational services and justice services. This book brings together nationally renowned experts from the fields of psychology, education, economics and political science to present a compelling case for expanded access to preschool services. They describe the social, educational, and economic benefits for the nation as a whole that may result from the implementation of a universal preschool program in America, and provide guiding principles upon which such a system can best be founded.
Author(s): Edward Zigler, Walter S. Gilliam, Stephanie M. Jones
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 302
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
Introduction......Page 15
Contents of the book......Page 18
Logistics of preparation......Page 22
1 The Universal Preschool Movement......Page 25
Steps toward public education for preschoolers......Page 26
Building the Case for Preschool......Page 28
Policy Makers Respond......Page 30
State initiatives......Page 31
Friends in the right places......Page 34
Foundations Adopt the Mission......Page 35
The Business Community Signs On......Page 36
The Opposition......Page 38
Where to go from here......Page 39
References......Page 40
2 School Readiness: Defining the Goal for Universal Preschool......Page 43
Preschool objectives......Page 44
Why Is School Readiness a Pillar of Education Reform?......Page 45
How Have Schools Accommodated "Unready" Students?......Page 47
The Broad Ecological View......Page 49
The Academic Skills View......Page 50
Teacher and Parent Views of School Readiness......Page 52
The whole child perspective......Page 53
Conclusion......Page 57
References......Page 58
3 Economic Returns of Investments in Preschool Education......Page 61
Limitations of previous research on early education......Page 62
Cost-benefit analysis......Page 65
Overview of three programs investigating economic costs and benefits......Page 68
Preschool Participation Enhances Children's Well-Being into Adulthood......Page 71
Summary of Results of Cost-Benefit Analyses......Page 72
Economic returns of other programs for children and youth......Page 76
Class Size Reductions in the Early Elementary Grades......Page 77
Youth Job Training......Page 79
Evidence from Child Care and State-Run Preschools......Page 80
Paths of influence that promote long-term outcomes......Page 82
Policy implications......Page 84
Guiding principles for preschool investments......Page 85
References......Page 88
4 The Need for Universal Prekindergarten for Children in Poverty......Page 93
Effect of Early Education on Poor Children's School Readiness and Long-Term Outcomes......Page 95
Findings from Model Programs for Poor Children......Page 96
Findings from Large-Scale Programs for Poor Children......Page 98
Preschool and the development of literacy skills......Page 101
The problem of access for poor and near-poor children......Page 103
The Promise of Universal Prekindergarten for Low-Income Preschoolers......Page 104
References......Page 105
5 The Need for Universal Preschool Access for Children Not Living in Poverty......Page 113
Who goes to preschool?......Page 115
A Portrait of Preschool Attendance in the United States......Page 117
Preschool versus Child Care......Page 118
Universal need for school readiness......Page 120
The Benefits of Preschool for Middle-Income Children......Page 122
Integration of All Children......Page 123
Conclusion......Page 125
References......Page 127
6 Program Quality, Intensity, and Duration in Preschool Education......Page 131
Program quality......Page 132
Teacher Credentials......Page 134
Compensation......Page 136
Group Size and Child-Teacher Ratios......Page 139
Intensity and duration......Page 140
Quality in Model Programs......Page 143
Quality in State-Funded Preschool Systems......Page 144
Achieving adequate levels of quality......Page 147
References......Page 149
7 A Whole Child Approach: The Importance of Social and Emotional Development......Page 154
The history of the debate......Page 156
Accountability......Page 158
Emotional Competence......Page 161
Social Competence......Page 163
The Contexts of Emotional and Social Competence......Page 164
The connection between social-emotional and academic functioning......Page 166
The impact of intervention on social-emotional skills......Page 167
Conclusion......Page 168
References......Page 169
8 Parent Involvement in Preschool......Page 173
Review of the research......Page 174
Parent involvement: a model of multiple pathways......Page 179
Overcoming barriers to involvement......Page 180
Policy and research implications......Page 181
Do the Effects of Parent Involvement in Preschool Vary Across Groups?......Page 182
Are There Thresholds for the Effectiveness of Parent Involvement in Preschool?......Page 184
Is a Minimum Amount of Parental Outreach Needed to Involve Parents?......Page 185
Do Levels of Parental Outreach Vary as a Function of State Policies?......Page 186
References......Page 188
9 Professional Development Issues in Universal Prekindergarten......Page 193
Defining highly qualified prekindergarten teachers......Page 195
The need for highly qualified prekindergarten teachers......Page 197
System Principles......Page 199
One State's Approach......Page 201
Barriers to Meeting the Need......Page 204
Compensation......Page 205
Diversity......Page 206
Teachers Are Not the Complete Work Force......Page 207
Scholarships to Support Continued Education......Page 208
Recruitment......Page 209
Community College–University Partnerships......Page 210
Faculty Training......Page 211
Quantity and Quality......Page 212
Systematic Thinking......Page 213
References......Page 214
10 What the School of the 21st Century Can Teach Us about Universal Preschool......Page 218
What Is the School of the 21st Century?......Page 219
Impact of Societal Changes on Children’s Development......Page 220
The Need for Child Care......Page 221
Schools of the 21st Century: A Response to the Child Care Crisis......Page 222
The Role of Public Schools......Page 224
Within the Context of Preschool Education, Other Services May Be Provided......Page 226
Financial Considerations......Page 227
Schools Can Provide Good-Quality Preschool......Page 228
Peer Training......Page 229
National Network......Page 230
Knowledge of Factors That Influence Implementation Is Important......Page 231
Commitment......Page 232
Phase-in Approach......Page 233
Appendix a: preschool can become an integral part of the school......Page 234
Appendix b7: the space issue......Page 235
References......Page 236
11 A Place for Head Start in a World of Universal Preschool......Page 240
Head start's past and present......Page 243
Current Structure......Page 244
Changing Trends......Page 247
An earlier head start......Page 249
Head start as a family support program......Page 253
A therapeutic preschool......Page 256
Continuity and change......Page 259
References......Page 260
12 A Model Universal Prekindergarten Program......Page 265
Cognitive versus Whole Child Approaches......Page 266
Targeted versus Universal Access......Page 269
Program basics......Page 272
Infants and Toddlers......Page 273
Duration......Page 274
Location......Page 275
Teacher Qualifications......Page 276
Program Content......Page 277
Assessment......Page 278
From vision to practice......Page 279
References......Page 282
Summary and Recommendations......Page 286
The rationale for universal preschool education......Page 288
A vision for universal preschool education......Page 289
Recommendation 1: Defining School Readiness......Page 290
Recommendation 6: Settings and Collaboration......Page 291
Recommendation 8: Program Accountability and Monitoring......Page 292
Recommendation 10: Funding......Page 293
Index......Page 295
