TKW Consulting

Minnesota lags as other states invest more

Preschool education has been transformed from a school-readiness issue to a public health and economic-development priority. As state after state has committed significant resources to increase access to preschool, Minnesota continues to fall behind.

After five decades of research, the benefits of preschool investment are clear. Enrollment in high-quality preschools shows not only high economic returns to governments and taxpayers but also far greater cost-effectiveness than other education investments, such as reduced class sizes, remediation and tutoring.

The most immediate benefit of preschool enrollment is greater school readiness. Only about half of Minnesota's entering kindergartners demonstrate proficiency in early language and math skills, according to a study released last year by the Minnesota Department of Education. Yet evidence continues to grow that participation in state-supported programs is linked to greater school readiness and achievement. Recent evaluations of programs in five states found that preschoolers made gains in literacy that were 30 percent higher than children not in the program.

Given the strong connection between educational success and economic competitiveness, inadequate investments in early education will undermine the state's economic competitiveness.

Some numbers tell the story. Only 2 percent of the state's 3- and 4-year-olds attended state-funded preschool in 2005, according to the preschool yearbook of the National Institute of Early Education Research. This ranks Minnesota 36th out of the 38 states that have state-funded programs. Considering all public programs for 4-year-olds, the rank is 45th out of 50 states. The early education funding bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature this spring does not improve the situation.

Why the poor showing? State investment in preschool is about $50 million per year while other states are investing hundreds of millions. Of the three major state-funded programs, only Head Start provides the depth of services necessary for strong effects. With an annual expenditure of $9 million, the school-readiness program serves 32,000 children for an average cost per child of $283. Early Childhood Family Education has an even lower average cost per child. Given that the cost of programs with high economic returns is no less than $5,000 per child, funding would need to increase 20- to 30-fold to match costs of the most effective programs.

Meanwhile, other states are making large investments in early education and at an accelerating rate. Illinois, which now serves 26 percent of 4-year-olds in the state program, will spend $320 million next year in the program that serves 75,000 children. The governor just signed into law a plan for universal access that increases state investment by $135 million.

In Wisconsin, 29 percent of all 4-year-olds attend state-supported programs funded through a state aid formula that reimburses school districts up to two-thirds of the cost, which last year totaled more than $90 million. In Oklahoma, more than 90 percent of 4-year-olds attend publicly supported preschools.

While the gap in preschool access between Minnesota and other states is growing, significant advances have occurred here at home that provide a strong foundation for the future. Early education has been receiving greater attention from state government and the business community.

Innovative programs have been developed in such places as Rochester and St. Paul. There are high-quality programs across the state. The Minnesota Early Learning Foundation, created by the Legislature, is an innovative model to increase public and private investments in early education.

Finally, Minnesota is one of only seven states selected to hold a National Governors Association Summit on Early Childhood this summer.

To further expand preschool opportunities for Minnesota children, here are three recommendations:

• First, a governor's task force should develop a comprehensive plan to expand preschool opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds across the state. By including representatives from public and private sectors, this bipartisan group could go a long way in coordinating early education services among schools, child care providers, and Head Start.
• Second, state investment in preschool education should be increased substantially. Given the public interest served by the availability of high-quality programs, the full range of financing options deserve attention. These include redirecting existing K-12 human-service resources to early education, using general revenue funds via school funding formulas or block grants, issuing state bonds, allocating to preschool a portion of the 75-cent per pack impact fee on cigarettes, and testing market-based approaches such as scholarships for children at risk.
• Third, greater attention and resources are needed to promote smooth transitions from preschool to third grade. As beneficial as early education is, a strong preschool program followed by a subpar kindergarten and elementary school is not in the best interest of the child. The Child-Parent Center Program in Chicago that my colleagues and I have studied for two decades is an effective model for integrating services over these critical years.

The state with the highest rate of health insurance coverage and where charter schools began, Minnesota should be a leader in preschool education. As made clear by studies of the economic returns, the cost of not investing adequately in preschool is too high. Our youngest citizens have the most to lose.

Arthur Reynolds is a professor in the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and director of the Chicago Longitudinal Study, which tracks the effects of the Chicago Child-Parent Center early education program.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 2:25 PM