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THE CASE FOR INVESTING IN HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION
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- 90% of brain development occurs by age 5.
- 46% of kindergartners are coming to school at risk for failure.
- Economically disadvantaged children enter kindergarten one to two years behind in language and other skills important to school success.
- High quality child care is important for all children and is associated with better development outcomes for children across the range of family circumstances.
- A study from Cornell University of preschool and Head Start programs concluded that children who participated in high quality preschool were less likely to repeat a grade or be assigned to special education programs even six to thirteen years later.
- A 15 year longitudinal study of low income children in Chicago who participated in school district preschool programs found a 33% reduction in the rate of juvenile arrests, a 40% reduction in grade retention, a 41% reduction in the need for special education, and a 29% increase in the rate of high school completion.
- A 37 year study of the high quality Perry Preschool Program found that the time participants were age 40, the program showed a return to society of more than $17 for every $1 invested. Participants in the Perry Preschool program were more likely to complete high school, have higher monthly earnings, and own their own homes. They were less likely to need special education, receive welfare or be arrested.
- A 2004 study from the Economic Policy Institute found that taxpayers recoup more than $2.50 for every $1 invested in high quality education, in addition to the benefits for families involved.
- Research shows that parents with dependable, high quality care for their children are less likely to be absent from work. Nearly one-quarter of work absences are due to problems with child care.
- According to a report by Art Rolnick and Rob Grunewald of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, investment in early learning results in economic success not only for the child but also the overall economy. Decreased spending on government programs and a higher taxbase are tangible results of investments in early learning, as children with access to quality early learning have higher earnings potential than their peers.
"I really believe that each of us must come to care about everyone’s children. We must come to see that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people’s children. After all, when one of our children needs life-saving surgery, someone else’s child will perform it. If one of our children is threatened by harm or violence, someone else’s child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can only be secured if a good life is also secured for all other people’s children. Where are other people’s children right now? Are they having wholesome, caring, and appropriate experiences? The person who will be our president 60 years from now may be in someone’s three year old class today. I hope he/she is having a good experience! To be concerned about other people’s children is not just a practical matter – it is a moral and ethical one."
-- Lillian G. Kratz, PH.D, former President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and contributing editor of PARENTS’ MAGAZINE |
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