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WELCOME Pre Kindergarten and Early Education Policy Luncheon April 29 th , 2014
WELCOME
Pre Kindergarten and Early Education Policy Luncheon
April 29th, 2014
WelcomeJaime Hanks Meyers,
Managing Director, CHILDREN AT RISK
WelcomeJill Scigliano,Chief Impact Officer,
United Way Metropolitan Dallas
Mary Jalonick,President,
The Dallas Foundation
The Role of Philanthropies in Early Education
The State of Pre-K: Realities and
Opportunities in Texas
Chris GustafsonPublic Policy Coordinator,
CHILDREN AT RISK
Why Pre-K?
It’s cost-effective now…
Research studies have shown pre-kindergarten education to be cost-effective and have immediate and
long-term positive effects on a child’s cognitive, social, and
emotional skills.
…and it’s cost-effective in the future.
Children who attend high-quality
pre-k have:
• a reduced likelihood of criminal behavior and incarceration,
• higher chances of being employed as adults,
• increased lifetime earnings and less reliance on welfare
The Pew Center on the States , Sept. 2011
Pre-K Saves Money Without early childhood intervention, an at-risk
child is:• 25% more likely to drop out of school• 40% more likely to become a teen parent• 50% more likely to be placed in special education • 60% more likely to never attend college• 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime
Cooper and Costa, 2012Commit!
Bottom line: Pre-K can save taxpayers money and most
importantly, provide children with the academic anchor
that can lead to better futures for our children.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Background $5.4 billion cut to education
funding in 2011 Discretionary grant funds for
pre-k lost $200 million.
In response, C@R conducted a study on the impact of the
school budget cuts
School Budget Study C@R sent survey to every district in Texas and
conducted qualitative interviews in select districts Over 400 school districts participated, representing
65% of the student population in the state
Many survey respondents reported a decrease in pre-kindergarten program offerings
Current Study With the support of the Meadows Foundation
and TEGAC, C@R has begun The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas A mixed-methods study to assess the current state of
public Texas pre-kindergarten programs and make recommendations for increasing pre-kindergarten programs statewide
Objective #1 Address the lack of data surrounding Texas Pre-K
programs What do we know about Texas Pre-K programs?
Which districts offer at least a half-day program How many students in each district are enrolled in Pre-K
What isn’t tracked? How many and which districts offer a full-day program Which student populations are served by these programs Data on class sizes and student teacher ratios
Objective #2 Provide a better picture of the state of pre-
kindergarten programs in Texas Access Funding Class sizes and teacher ratios
Objective #3 Provide practical policy recommendations for
increasing access to pre-kindergarten across the state
Survey Research Survey has been sent to every district in the state,
addressing: Half-day vs. full-day programs Populations served Funding models Class sizes and ratios Challenges faced
Qualitative Research Select sample of 5-10 districts to further evaluate
Districts that are offering Pre-k above and beyond mandates using innovative funding models that could be replicated
Qualitative research and interviews with district representatives on policies, strategies, funding sources, partnerships, etc. in these districts
Outline case studies for these model districts
Additional Policy Research Research state-level Pre-k policy in Texas and
other states
Policies in other states that promote Pre-k
In-depth summary of current Texas policies and statutes
Final Report Using the information collected in each phase of
this study, C@R will produce a report to disseminate to districts and policy makers Outline the current state of pre-kindergarten in Texas Serve as a toolkit for Texas districts to increase access
to pre-kindergarten Provide policy recommendations for Texas legislators
to promote pre-kindergarten access during the 84th Legislative Session
Policy Update In contact with the Legislative Budget Board,
Texas Education Agency, and other key stakeholders
Almost finished with in-depth research of Texas policies and statutes
Transitioning to the nationwide policy scan Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, West Virginia
Next Steps Closing the survey and analyzing final set of
responses
Selecting districts for case studies and conducting qualitative interviews
Full findings released planned for September 2014
Upcoming Events on Pre-K Austin: May 29th (2nd in series)
Perspective from The Business Community
Dallas & Austin: September Full Findings Release
Jaime Hanks Meyers, CHILDREN AT RISKAlan Cohen, Dallas ISD
Teri Wilson, Grand Prairie ISDDr. Deborah Diffily, SMU
Pre-K in North Texas: What’s Working and What We Can Do
Thank YouApril 29th, 2014
Pre Kindergarten and Early Education Policy Luncheon
