Engaging school board members in Pre-K for all

NSBA Annual ConferenceSan Francisco, April 16, 2007

Thinking P-12

Agenda

• Why you should care about pre-k – Patte Barth

• The national view – Chrisanne Gayl

• Engaging school boards in the states:

Kansas – Tom Krebs

Ohio – Maryse Gonzalez

Texas – Janice Esau

• Questions

• Why focus on pre-K?

• Don’t school board members have enough to do?

Poor children start school behind their more affluent peers academically …

Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

8 7 6

27 27 27

0

80

reading math gneralknowledge

welfare

no welfare

Per

cen

t of

stu

dent

s sc

orin

g in

to

p q

uart

ile

… and socially

Source: NCES, America’s Kindergartners, Class of 1998-99, February 2000

67 69

43

75 78

53

0

80

accept peerideas

formfriendships

comfortothers

welfare

no welfare

Per

cen

t of

stu

dent

s w

ho

eng

age

in p

ro-

soci

al b

ehav

ior

ofte

n or

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y of

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The benefits of pre-k for all children

Effects of Tulsa Pre-k Program by Race/Ethnicity of Student

52% 53%

79%

49%

26% 29%

39%

20%

6%

21%

54%

35%

0%

100%

White Black Hispanic NativeAmerican

Letter-WordIdentification

Spelling

AppliedProblems

Source: The Effects of Oklahoma’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program on School Readiness. Gormley, W. (2004). Georgetown University Center for Research on Children in the U.S.

Short-term benefits

• More likely to score higher on math and

reading state tests in elementary school

• Less likely to be retained in grade

• Less likely to require special education

services

Long-term benefits

• More likely to earn high school diploma

• More likely to be employed

• More likely to earn high wages

• More likely to be home owners

• Less likely to be a teen parent

• Less likely to be involved in criminal justice

system

Pre-K is a gift that keeps on giving

40

5

45

15

28

60

27

65

49

67

0 100

earned over$20K at 40

owned home at27

graduated highschool

achieved basicor better at 14

IQ was over 90at age 5

with pre-k

without pre-k

Percent of individuals

SOURCE: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40, Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions, November 2004

And it adds up:Gains per $1 invested

Center for Public Education, 2006

2.363.78

7.14

16.14

0

18

Meta-analysis Abecedarian Chicago Centers High/Scope

SOURCE: CED, 2006

Challenges

• Making pre-K a public priority

• Accommodating a diverse system of providers

Pew-CPE initiative

• Making the case for pre-kindergarten

• Intensifying efforts in Kansas, Ohio and Texas

• Reaching out broadly to other states and nationally