Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Preschool Enrollment Issues...
We have talked about the importance of early education and the importance of quality preschool experience to enable children to be ready to succeed in school, especially those children who are "at-risk".
I read an interesting article last week in Early Ed Watch that talks about a report in Chicago that outlines some of the problems in getting enrolled and some recommendations to improve the process...
We have talked about the importance of early education and the importance of quality preschool experience to enable children to be ready to succeed in school, especially those children who are "at-risk".
I read an interesting article last week in Early Ed Watch that talks about a report in Chicago that outlines some of the problems in getting enrolled and some recommendations to improve the process...
In 2007, a group of community organizers in Chicago surveyed several low-income neighborhoods and discovered some disturbing news: Between 40 and 64 percent of preschool-aged children in those areas were not enrolled in the state's preschool program or Head Start -- even though both are free to at-risk children.
"Why Isn't Johnny In Preschool?" is a new report that both reveals what has stymied pre-k attendance among children with the greatest need for it and offers a series ofI hope that you read the entire article and look through the resources listed. I thought it was very interesting and hope that you will as well.
recommendations for how to increase enrollment. It was published this spring by the early learning committee of a group called POWER-PAC, a Chicago organization of low-income parents who advocate for new ways to help families. Recommendations derive from more than 5,000 interviews conducted from 2006 to 2008 in low-income neighborhoods with predominantly Latino or African American populations.
The report coincides with Illinois' push to engage "hard to reach" populations in its statewide program, Preschool for All. This spring the Illinois State Board of Education has produced a "tool kit" with recommended strategies for reaching many more children. It provides step-by-step instructions for identifying community needs and partnering with community programs to help make preschool attendance easier for families.
