Ready Rhode Island

More documents

Recommendations

Info

74% in Oklahoma 18 and 65% in Vermont. 19 In neighboring Massachusetts, the percentage of four-year-olds in state-financed pre-kindergarten programs is 14% 20 and in neighboring Connecticut that percentage is 13%. 21 Nationally, about 28% of all four-year-olds are enrolled in statefinanced pre-kindergarten programs. 22 In fact, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Rhode Island has the lowest percentage of four-year-old children enrolled in state pre-kindergarten of any state in the nation with a state sponsored pre-kindergarten program. 23 Compounding these problems is a lack of access to full-day kindergarten in Rhode Island communities. In the 2012-2013 school year, only 68% Rhode Island’s children were enrolled in full-day kindergarten. 24 This number lags the national average of 77%. 25 “High-quality early childhood education programs are among the most costeffective educational interventions and are likely to be profitable investments for society as a whole.” --- Society for Research in Child Development 4. The Plan I have a three-step plan to make Rhode Island a national leader in early childhood education. • Achieve Universal Pre-Kindergarten for all Rhode Islanders: In Fiscal Year 2014, Rhode Island spent $2.45 million on its state-funded pre-kindergarten program for children without special needs – serving only 252 children in 14 classrooms. 26 About 10,800 students are enrolled in public first grade 27 , and we can expect a similar number of enrollees in Pre-K. Subtracting the number of students enrolled in Head Start 28 and Preschool Special Education 29 implies that approximately 5,200 children can benefit from state sponsored prekindergarten. As Governor, I will expand pre-kindergarten so that every family who wants to can send their child to pre-kindergarten within eight years. We will start by creating slots for 2,650 children to enroll in a high-quality, full-day pre-kindergarten program. Accounting for the percentage of Rhode Island four-year-olds already served by another public program, Rhode Island would achieve a 76% 18 “The State of Preschool 2012,” Oklahoma, National Institute for Early Education Research 19 “Figure 1: Percent of 4-Year Olds Served in State Pre-K,” “The State of Preschool 2012,” Rhode Island, National Institute for Early Education Research 20 “The State of Preschool 2012,” Massachusetts, National Institute for Early Education Research 21 “The State of Preschool 2012,” Connecticut, National Institute for Early Education Research 22 “The State of Preschool 2012,” United States, National Institute for Early Education Research 23 “The State of Preschool 2011,” National Institute for Early Education Research Based on 2010-2011 data. 24 “2013 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT ” Kids Count. Note that this number excludes children enrolled in private kindergarten programs. 25 “2013 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT ” Kids Count. Note that this number excludes children enrolled in private kindergarten programs. 26 “Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Executive Director Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Testimony before House Finance Committee,” 3/15/2012 27 “October Enrollment 2013-2014 ” Rhode Island Department of Education 28 “Head Start Program Facts Fiscal Year 2012,” Department of Health & Human Services, FY2012 29 Issue Brief: Young Children with Developmental Delays & Disabilities Page 5 of 8 Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Angel Taveras| Ava Vanech, Treasurer Printed In House
pre-kindergarten enrollment rate, among the highest in the nation. 30 Communities with a high proportion of children eligible for free and reduced priced lunch will receive a preference in the accelerated phase-in of this plan. • Maintain focus on high-quality standards: As noted above, Rhode Island maintains the highest quality standards for pre-kindergarten programming. In fact, Rhode Island was one of only four states nationally to meet all quality standards in NIEER’s 2012 State of Pre-school Report. 31 Moving forward, we must not sacrifice quality programming for greater access. Ready Rhode Island will ensure that state pre-kindergarten teachers maintain a bachelor’s degree with an early childhood teaching certificate, that classroom ratios are no higher than 18 students per teacher, and that prekindergarten sites remain regularly monitored by content experts. • Achieve statewide full-day kindergarten: Full-day kindergarten gives educators more time to introduce young people to key concepts in mathematics, science and literacy. It also gives working families peace of mind and flexibility with childcare during the working day. Yet today, students across our state, from Barrington to Woonsocket, lack access to full day kindergarten. As Governor, I will ensure that the Full-Day Kindergarten Accessibility Act is fully funded, allowing for one-time planning and implementation grants to all Rhode Island school districts transitioning to full-day kindergarten. 32 Research has demonstrated that transitioning to full-day kindergarten can save districts millions of dollars in reducing the costs of students who repeat grades. 33 As Governor, I will ensure that Rhode Island joins states like Delaware and Maryland in ensuring that all children have access to full-day kindergarten. 5. Paying for Ready Rhode Island As Mayor of Providence I have demonstrated that I know how to set priorities and make tough budget decisions. Together we have eliminated a $110 million structural budget deficit in Providence 34 and turned it into a surplus. 35 While Rhode Island too faces a difficult budget situation, I am confident that by applying the same discipline we did in Providence we will find the resources needed for universal prekindergarten. FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 Pre-Kindergarten Seats 700 1,350 2,000 2,650 Estimated Cost 36 $6,510,000 $12,555,000 $18,600,000 $24,645,000 Investments in early childhood education are investments that pay for themselves over time. A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that a voluntary, universal pre-kindergarten program in Rhode 30 “The State of Preschool 2011 ” National Institute for Early Education Research Based on 2010-2011 data. 31 “The State of Preschool 2012,” United States, National Institute for Early Education Research 32 “Issue Brief: Improving Access to High-Quality Early Learning Programs in Rhode Island” 33 Study: Full-Day Kindergarten Boosts Academic Performance ” Education Week. 34 “Providence faces $180M deficit this year and next,” Associated Press State and Local Wire, 3/2/2011 35 “Providence back in the black: Officials project slight surplus,” Smith, Providence Journal, 11/9/2013 36 Based on $9,300/pupil funding. Page 6 of 8 Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Angel Taveras| Ava Vanech, Treasurer Printed In House
Page 1 and 2: Ready Rhode Island: Angel Taveras
Page 3 and 4: 1. Why Early Childhood Education? R
Page 5: 3. Rhode Island Early Childhood Edu
Page 9: 6. The Bottom Line Research has dem

Ready Rhode Island

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?