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Universal Pre-Kindergarten Plan Raises Questions
posted by: Ruthie | February 19, 2013, 05:36 PM   

After President Obama's State of the Union Address, many questions have been raised about the practicality of a federally funded pre-kindergarten plan. While some maintain that the initiative will give young children a leg-up and prepare them for success in school, others have questioned the cost and results of such a potentially large program.

Supporters of the plan encourage the idea of equalizing education from the very beginning. The idea of expanding Head Start, the federal program which expands quality pre-school and childcare for infants and toddlers from low-income families, is appealing to many legislators and school districts.

In Alabama, many of President Obama's pre-school initiatives are already in place. Schools cannot receive state money unless they employ teachers with bachelor's degrees in early childhood education or development, keep class size under 20 children, and follow state-approved curriculum.

Currently, Alabama is one of only five states with pre-school programs receiving top marks based on an assessment of its quality standards by the National Institute for Early Education Research. However, only 6% of Alabama's 4-year olds are enrolled in a state-financed pre-school. The President's new plan would change that, making preschool available to "all."

Unfortunately, "all" might not mean every child, since the plan is actually targeted at low-income children. "The Obama administration has billed this plan as 'universal pre-Kindergarten,' using the language of legions of advocates who argue that 'pre-K for all' is the best long-term economic investment America can make," said Russ Whitehurst, a former federal education official. "But in reality, the White House plan is much more targeted to poor kids."

Experts agree that by labeling the plan as "universal," President Obama makes it to more appealing to taxpayers who are skeptical of any new federal initiatives. However, many skeptics see through the title, criticizing the plan for its lack of clarity, the high cost, and the absence of research to support the effectiveness of early childhood education.

"It just doesn't make any sense," said Andrew J. Coulson, the director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute. "Why would you want to very expensively expand the programs like this if the evidence of effectiveness is not really sound?"

According to a study from the Brown Center on Education Policy, universal pre-K and target pre-K programs have varied results. Comparing data in Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma, authors argues that pre-K programs may not be worth their cost. While targeted programs for Hispanic, low-income, or African American students may be useful in making up deficiencies, an investment in universal pre-K may prove to be an unwise use of resources that aren't readily available.

Details about the program's affect on the budget will not be released until the White House unveils the 2014 budget. White House Aide Cecilia Muñoz insisted that the proposal would not add to the deficit.

What do you think about universal pre-K initiatives?

Comment below.






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