Hi ECH 500 Community!
For your 1st post I'd like you do several things. First, introduce yourself and describe the ECD program you work for and how to works to develop human capital.
Next, I want you to consider the debate about enhancing human capital through preschool education efforts such as public or universal prekindergarten programs. What are the potential benefits and challenges or concerns articulated by Reynolds et al. (2010), Finn (2010), Doggett and Wat (2010), and members of the U.S. News and World Report Debate Club? Consider at least 2 benefits and 2 concerns/challenges.
Remember to use APA citation and referencing rules in writing your response. There is no need to include a reference list if you've used course resources. Happy blogging!
For your 1st post I'd like you do several things. First, introduce yourself and describe the ECD program you work for and how to works to develop human capital.
Next, I want you to consider the debate about enhancing human capital through preschool education efforts such as public or universal prekindergarten programs. What are the potential benefits and challenges or concerns articulated by Reynolds et al. (2010), Finn (2010), Doggett and Wat (2010), and members of the U.S. News and World Report Debate Club? Consider at least 2 benefits and 2 concerns/challenges.
Remember to use APA citation and referencing rules in writing your response. There is no need to include a reference list if you've used course resources. Happy blogging!
I got my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maine. Upon graduating, I worked at Easter Seals Maine: Northstar Learning Center. This is a therapeutic preschool where I worked as an Ed Tech with preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders. Last August, I accepted a position as a Pre-K Teacher at Sacopee Valley Elementary School (SAD 55) in Hiram. My school is part of the Preschool Expansion Grant. The purpose of the grant is to provide school districts with resources to start up high-quality preschool programs. The grant requires my students' families to meet certain income requirements, similar to those of Head Start. We use the Opening the World to Learning curriculum, and next year we will begin using the Building Blocks math curriculum. The program is full day, Monday through Friday and runs from 7:30 to 2:30. I have 13 students in my classroom and support from an Ed Tech. We also have a Pre-K Family Liaison who works with families to connect them with community resources. When the grant expires the school district plans to sustain the preK program. This program works to develop human capital as we provide children from low-income families with the opportunity to develop early literacy skills, learn how to appropriately interact with others, and how to self-regulate. All these abilities help students succeed in their schooling and be well-rounded members of their community.
ReplyDeleteQuality early childhood education is agreed upon as beneficial for young children’s growth and development. Proponents of universal preK believe that preschool helps students learn school readiness skills that will prepare them for success in subsequent years. Dogget and Wat (2010) discuss the achievement gap, which sets many students from low-income families behind their upper-class peers. Many students from low-income families have less exposure to print, language, and number concepts. Dogget and Wat also propose the struggle that many middle class families incur, as they have too high of an income to qualify for publically funded preK, but not enough income to afford private preschool programs that offer quality education and care. This puts their children at a disadvantage when it comes to school readiness. Another benefit of universal preK is it’s significant impact on children’s health and safety (Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple 2010). PreK programs encourage outdoor play and healthy eating. In my public preschool classroom, we spend an hour and a half a day outside and the children also have class with a certified Physical Education teacher. They are provided with breakfast and lunch, as well as a healthy snack through the school nutrition program. Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, and Temple discuss the cost effectiveness of preK. Studies, including the Perry Preschool Project, have shown that students who participate in high quality early childhood education programs have an increased employment rate, greater income, and less arrests and convictions as adults.
Despite the benefits of universal preK, there are also concerns. Finn (2010) suggests that targeted preK is the answer to the achievement gap. The United States has many options for preK programs. Most young children already attend preschool programs or have access to them. Finn asserts that spending money to create a universal preK system would be wasteful. Rather, that money would be better spent on programs for the minority of children that have severe struggles in accessing early childhood education (2010). Finn expresses doubt in the Perry Preschool Project. He agreed that the Perry Preschool Project displayed great results among the participants, however, his doubts are spurred by the small sample size, amount of money invested in the project, comprehensive services provided to the students and families of the school, and the extreme poverty of the children in the study (Finn, 2010). These factors would be impossible to emulate in a universal preK model.
Nice to meet you through our Blogger forum, Marjorie! I have varied experiences of education in art, marketing, French and now education. I similarly have various job experiences that have been rewarding, eyeopening and have consequently lead me right back to preschool. I tell my kids that I've done a lot of growing up, but decided I liked preschool so much that I decided to come back! I am now working at Peopleplace Cooperative preschool in Rockport. Being a cooperative, the parents are heavily involved, which is wonderful for the learning environment. It also uses the Reggio Emilia approach to education while maintaining a NAEYC accreditation. I love this approach to education, it's child lead, uses the arts to teach and scaffold and is very nature focused. Children spending a half day at school are outside an average of 1.5 hours or more a day. Children who stay until 3 or 5 spend more than two hours outside a day. We have so much fun encouraging kids to be kids, I am sure I will be relaying stories throughout this course!
DeleteI feel like I have been swayed to either side of the universal preschool debate several times, there is so much to consider. However, coming from an inspiring private preschool, I can't imagine having such a high-quality program at the state level. Costs of these private preschools does present a huge barrier for low and middle class families (Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple 2010). Although, not in poverty, the low and middle class is financially stretched really thin, it's very frustrating that there isn't more financial initiatives to help serve these income brackets high-quality education for their children.
Furthermore, poor quality of preschools is attributed to low staff compensation, lack of education credentials and high turn over (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns 2000). However, there's strong evidence that "early childhood practices enhance the continuity of development over the first decade of life and can promote well-being and enduring effects over the course of life." (Renyolds et al. 2010). Institutions can't afford to pay staff and families can't afford the expensive services, yet, our children and posterity are our nation's greatest assets. There is a huge disconnect, I definitely agree that a bigger and more focused investment in our children is needed.
Is universal preschool the answer, though? Universal preschool may give the disadvantaged and impoverished a helpful boost in learning, but it may be skimpy services compared to what's available for the majority of children in the vibrant preschool market (Finn 2010). Why not work on advancing the organizations that already exist like HeadStart and make financial subsidies available for low and middle class families instead?
Deciding on a universal curriculum and deciding on set expectations would present a huge challenge (Finn 2010). Given the current early education landscape with its various curriculums, expectations, and parent involvement, it seems like choosing just one to work within would be a huge disadvantage to certain family values. What I enjoy most about my preschool is that it's very flexible and allows for exploration of family and children values throughout the learning process. So much of the magic and creativity of early childhood education could be lost in the efforts to streamline the service for the whole country.
Alison, I resonated with your point about public prek providing skimpy services. Coming from Head Start, I completely understand that children living in poverty deserve high quality programs, arguably even more than those coming from middle-high class families. The foremost reason I cannot favor this type of program is the clear difference between early childhood programs and elementary education background. We know that young children learn best through play - and as you stated, "allowing kids to be kids". Unfortunately, I don't see that for kindergarten on. As I stated in class, school readiness isn't about us preparing the children, but rather preparing ourselves to meet those childrens needs in all aspects of development.
DeleteHi Marjorie...I am very interested in hearing more about your experiences with the Preschool Expansion Grant. We just met with Deb Lajoie from the Maine DOE today to begin finalizing our paperwork for the grant as we move forward in opening two full-day prekindergarten programs next year. We have chosen to use the Tools of the Mind curriculum instead of OWL, but I am sure that you have many insights that I would find useful!
DeleteMarjorie I look forward to hearing more about your experiences with the Grant. As we discussed in class I am also apart of the Pre-K Expansion Grant and I am interested in knowing how this differs from district to district. It is hard for me to think of the cons of Pre-K because I am teaching it. It was nice to see what you pulled from the articles as cons.
DeleteAlison, I look forward to hearing more about how you implement the Reggio Emilia approach in your program. I had a practicum course while obtaining my bachelor's degree at UMO's onsite preschool. They drew inspiration from the Reggio approach in their program. I love the idea of using an emergent curriculum. My public Pre-K has a set curriculum that we are required to use, and luckily all the topics are pretty interesting to children. However, we have a couple weeks between each of the 6 curricular units that we get to plan our own activities for. I would like to start planning these "off weeks" around topics that the children have sparked an interest in.
DeleteDenyell, that's exciting that your school will be working through the PEG as well! So far, I have found all the training and supports within the grant incredibly helpful, especially as a first year teacher. I am unfamiliar with the Tools of the Mind curriculum, so I'm interested in hearing more about that.
Brittany, I agree! It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences between our experiences with the grant.
Hi Alison!
DeleteDuring my undergrad I loved exploring the Reggio Emilia approach and was very drawn to the curriculum. In my program we use the Creative Curriculum, but I look forward to hearing more about how you implement the Reggio Emilia curriculum in your program! I am always looking for more ways to provide a broad range of experiences for my students, and sprinkling in Reggio Emilia would be so much fun! I also agree that forcing specific standards, curriculum, etc. on programs would be a disadvantage to many families. Public Pre-K may be a great fit for some students and families, but it is definitely not the answer for everyone, especially students with significant need who would likely have more success in a long-term childcare program that would begin in infancy and continue through much of their early education and beyond. I look forward to hearing more about your program!
Hi Allison…
DeleteI am in the process of getting a preschool program up and running for my district! I have a great deal of freedom in what I choose to do and on one hand this is very exciting and on the other, a little nerve wracking. This will be my first year in a preschool setting (although I have spent numerous years in kindergarten). My research has led me to discover the Reggio Emilia approach. I would love to hear more about your experience with this approach and if you had any resources that I should check out. Thanks!
My name is Sara Jackson, soon to be Sara Wilkes on August 26th! I live in Winslow, my hometown, with my fiancé and two dogs – Copper and Bella. I am a Supervising Lead Teacher at Educare Central Maine in the full-day, full-year preschool classroom. Our source of funds is primarily federally provided through Head Start, as we are part of Kennebec Valley Action Program, we also receive funding at the state level and a few privately funded sources. Part 1, Early Childhood Development and Human Capital, of Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life (Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple, 2010) discussed the importance of the human capital framework. They initially discuss the significance of this model within the work place. At Educare, we have many professional development opportunities, which promotes knowledge in skills within our field as early educators. The authors then go on to highlight the need of investing in the early learning years to develop positive experiences and outcomes for young children. Within our program, we exemplify this by having continuity of care. Our preschool classrooms are paired next to an infant/toddler classroom. Thus, allowing smooth, easier transitions when children are three to naturally adjust to the next-door preschool classroom. We also partner with the families to provide integrated family services – supporting families in all aspects to connect home-school environments. All of these attributes within our program work to improve human capital and create constructive impacts.
ReplyDeleteSome would argue that one way to develop human capital is through universal or public preschool programs. This however, presents both benefits and challenges. Finn (2010) writes about several reasons in which the idea of public prek is not the right approach to preschool. One objection is the concept of school readiness and how different that is perceived among early childhood professionals versus those who teach in public schools. The expectations and standards in which elementary schools hold go against quality practices that are believed in the ECE world. He also discusses the cost of implementing universal prek and how many private childcares and preschools would struggle due to the new competition. Dogget and Wat (2010) mention some advantages to the idea of public preschool. They found that expanding access to preschool would provide middle-class families with more early education options. Currently, it is often the case that parents earn too much to qualify for publicly funded programs and not enough to afford private options. Public preschool would meet the needs of those issues. The authors also argue that the benefits of having this program would enhance the developmental skills for children who attend compare to their peers without quality prek. Although I can understand the positives and negatives of both arguments, I primarily agree with Finn in that public prek is not the answer.
You bring up an interesting point about how the work place encourages Human Capital for their staff. I was thinking about that in the perspective as being my own boss but also having to constantly take that initiative myself to stay accredited and meet QRIS requirements plus look for and enroll in valuable learning opportunities.
DeleteIt is wonderful you have so many supports for children and families.
I also find myself constantly asking why we are expecting younger and younger children to go to "school." I keep thinking about how this is against what I know is to be good for young children. Yet I remind myself that there are those Pre- K programs that are quality programs and are doing what is best for children at an early age. It's those high quality Pre-K programs we are hoping for, just as in family child care. This debate is very similar to our work with young children, in that, it is very individual in all aspects from the child and family to the type of quality program and the people running/ funding it.
I agree with you and Finn that Public Pre K is not the answer.
Hi Sara,
DeleteThank you for bringing up the issue of middle class families not qualifying for subsidy yet not being able to afford Private Programs. I have been in this situation myself and actually left my teaching job as I could not afford childcare and Preschool for my two young children. I am currently working a night time housekeeping job so that my boyfriend and I can work opposite shifts to avoid these costs.
Hi everyone, my name is Veronica Penniman, and by the end of the summer I will be Veronica Penniman Perry. I will be getting married on August 5th in my childhood home on the coast of Maine. I live in Farmington with my fiancé and my little orange fur-ball Malcolm. We are also expecting to pick up another little kitten in a few days. I am currently working for Child Development Services (PEDS) out of Waterville. I currently do supplemental design instruction (SDI) and adult support with my two little boys with distinct types of disabilities. The two public pre-kindergarten classes that I work at are different and I get to see diverse types of teaching and instruction throughout my day. At the agency that I work for, we promote human capital by assisting the teachers and the students to develop concepts, routines, self-care skills, social skills and decision making skills that will help our students continue down their educational roads. In my hopes they will become productive members of society with those skills learned early on in their school careers. Since starting at CDS, I have had the experience to work in a few different classrooms and schools. There are similarities in concepts and how the students are learning, their curriculums and routines, but there are differences that include the socio-economic status and other factors of the schools.
ReplyDeleteIn our current educational system, there are many different ideas and opinions on how to focus and do Pre-Kindergarten. One of the more popular ideas is Universal Pre-K, in which every pre-school will include the same curriculum, materials, and funding. There are some advantages to this type of program such as to give all children the same education despite their socio-economic status. Doggot and Wat (2010) discussed in their article that in America there is a huge gap in development, ability and achievement from the poor/ middle class and upper-income children. As discussed in Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund and Temple (2010) there is also a concern from the achievement gap the lack of school readiness for a more academic Kindergarten. This universal program would also give the children who are from middle class families the ability to give their children a high-quality education and do not qualify for assistance from Head Start or would not be able to afford a private education. Another benefit of a universal prekindergarten system is that students will be able to adapt stronger cognitive skills that help throughout their education. This would give students a more of an advantage in testing later on in school.
With all the benefits and advantages from an universal prekindergarten system, there are some disadvantages to this particular system. As discussed by Finn (2010) in his article that there are many state and federally funded programs that students are a part of already. The revamping of the entire system would be costly, and unfortunately with this current administration in office, there is never a certainty of funding. Another con to a universal system, comes from the fact that a portion of our society is severally impoverished and students have needs that will not be met with this system. As Finn states, there is a concern that the population of the students who need more intervention will not receive it in that encompasses all. That is why Head Start is such a great program for our schools because it supports not just the students but also the parents and communities.
There is not one single answer for this question of which direction as a country we should go in. There are many different ideas and opinions. I think it would be foolish to think one way is correct or right.
As I read your post I connected in thought with a few things you said. First as you shared your experience it brings me back to reflect on my tiny little program with just a few children and families for many multiple years. One reminder was that my setting is a very different place than what some of you see and experience on a daily basis and vise versa.
DeleteI must admit I feel torn by this topic. I have typed then erased and typed again. Here I go...
I am confused how as early educators we want children to attend a "school like" setting at an earlier and earlier age. This seems to go against what I know is right.
With that said, I have also heard programs are as different at the Pre K level as they are in any child care facility whether family or center care. I guess if you get the model similar to the Perry Preschool one, lucky you.
I think like you said there are solid points on both sides and personal perspective plays a huge role in understanding.
I too, am feeling a bit torn about this topic. Like you, Tammy, I am coming at this from a different type of programming. Though mine is not as small as yours, it is certainly different from where Veronica is coming from. My views about public pre-k are based on my philosophy of early education. I have no personal experience working in a pre-k setting, so it is sometimes difficult for me to see the benefit. For me, looking in from the outside, I see a program where we are "rushing" children to learn skills, in a setting that does not match their developmental needs. However, I can see the benefits for some children, especially those who have had no other experience in an early childhood setting. Hopefully as we continue through this class, I will either gain a better understanding of the benefits, or it will solidify views about the topic.
DeleteJulie and Tammy,
DeleteI appreciate your points of view, and I like Julie have just started in the early childhood field. I started out in Elementary Education which was and still is very different. I think I would love to see what you work and do everyday, just to see differences and similar aspects of early childhood education.
Veronica,
DeleteI have actually been teaching in the early childhood field for almost 30 years. However, none of that time has been spent in public education (with the exception of a short time working with Head Start children, who were immersed within our regular programming) ...only private. I am interested to learn more about this debate over universal pre-k, and its benefits and drawbacks.
Hi Veronica,
DeleteMy issue with Head Start is that it promotes income segregation and that it is often not available to everyone. This is difficult for middle class families who can't afford private programs. How do you feel about the income segregation of preschool programs? It bothers me that only well to-do families have the option of Waldorf or Montoserri, poor kids go to Head Start and the middle class are often left in the dust.
Pre-K is a tricky there are so many benefits for children who are entering Kindergarten but I agree that we are rushing our children as well. As a Pre-K teacher I am always promoting the benefits but I am interested to hear more about the Pre-K debate so I can educate myself more on the cons of Pre-K.
DeleteHi Veronica…
DeleteYou mentioned that working in multiple schools, you have seen classrooms that vary by socioeconomic status. Do you mean that some schools you work in are in more affluent communities or that there are learners with varied socioeconomic status in each classroom?
I am not advocating for or against universal prekindergarten, but I do feel strongly that classrooms with learners from diverse socioeconomic statuses has benefits. Given your experiences, what are your thoughts?
I am a family child care provider. I own and operate my own program in Auburn. I have been in business for twenty years. My immediate family are my staff, both my parents work with me in the child care and my two adult daughters are also assistants when needed. We are in our fifteenth year of being nationally accredited. Our next official observation will be in the month of June.
ReplyDeleteI find myself amused by the question of how we work to develop Human Capital. It amuses me because I feel strongly about the effects that programs can have on a child and family when they are able to take part in the program for many years, like in family child care. Family child care can be a program where children come in as infants and sometimes leave as adolescents. The bonds that are formed are deeper than one may understand unless they themselves have experienced it. Under good leadership the family child care program might look somewhat similar to the Perry Preschool Project we read about, but extended for the life of the child.
In regards to human capital, we build communication skills, self-help skills, gross and fine motor development. We work to foster heathy social, emotional development and build strong healthy relationships with both the children and the families. We use these relationships to build resources, experiences and supports to foster growth and development of the child and family. We work to form a community and a society where we all care about one another and work together. Together we raise citizens of the next generation.
In the reading entitled, “Early Childhood Development and Human Capital,” it is discussed how high quality early childhood development programs can have long, lasting effects on the child and family and how this increases dramatically when children and families have access to these types of programs from prenatal development through Kindergarten. Research further shows, high quality programs have lasting effects for many years and in many areas beginning at entry level into school and well into adulthood. Public Pre-K has great advantages for children and families that do not have access to high quality environments/ programs for their child, at an earlier stage in life. Without these opportunities children fall behind and it is increasingly harder and harder for the child to, “catch up.” Public Pre-K is an early intervention but yet, I question is the intervention early enough? (Reynolds et al., 2010)
The authors in, “Why Pre K for All?” spelled out how high quality Pre K education is a benefit for all three and four year olds. They talk about how Pre K is an education reform and if done correctly can save many dollars on average for education and resources for each child and family. I also noted how the authors speak about the teaching and learning practices and how Pre K should be correlated with and to upper elementary grades. They also highlighted the need of leadership beyond the early childhood spectrum. (Doggett & Wat, 2010)
I see viewpoints from both sides. I think Public Pre K is a benefit to some but not all.
Hello Tammy! I know that we talked a lot about each others programs that first day of class. It is great to hear the perspective of someone who is not teaching through the district or a specific organization. Being a Pre-K teacher myself I alway advocate for our program and its benefits but when considering my child who is on the way I'm not sure if I would want them to go to a public program. These children are so young and a family child care setting seems like it would foster family connections. I look forward to hearing more about you business.
DeleteHi Tammy!
DeleteI really enjoyed the description of your program and how your program helps to develop human capital. Having a solid program that children, and their families, can rely on and have continued success with is very important. I teach in a public pre-k, and although I advocate for our program and enjoy what I do, I admire and respect the daycare/center owners in our community and if parents feel that our program may not be the best fit, I find myself also advocating for those programs as well. There is a third grade teacher at my school who chose not to send her child to our program because she felt her childcare provider offered similar education, it was a place he was already comfortable, and he had already shown great growth in early development. Finding a program that is a great fit can be challenging, but I am glad that they found one, even if it wasn't our program. I fully believe that universal Pre-K is not the right fit for every child, and that universal Pre-K and the politics it provides will dissolve other wonderful settings in the area for children to grow and thrive. Voice and choice for families in early childhood education is needed, and a "one-size-fits-all" approach will not work. I look forward to hearing more about your program and hope to learn some great things to take back to my own classroom!
Hi Tammy…
DeleteAs I was reading all of our blog posts, it was great to see all of our varied experiences. I think that we will bring a wealth of knowledge and perspectives to the class that we can all learn from. Going through the process of starting a new prekindergarten program with the state, has afforded me a new look on public education. As part of our application process with the State, we had to meet with preschool programs in the catchment area of our program to make sure that a new program would not negatively impact an existing program. This was an eye-opening experience to say the least! I never knew how political education was. That being said, we met with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) and Skowhegan Montessori School.
It was interesting to learn about the population of learners who attend Skowhegan Montessori School and the philosophy of the school. The families who choose to attend private preschool settings, do so for very specific reasons. They have strong feelings about the education that their child receives in such a setting. I am wondering what, if any particular, philosophy you subscribe to in your childcare center? How would you describe your population of learners and families? As I think about setting up my program, I am wondering what aspects I can take from a setting such as yours and incorporate to improve the experience in the public preschool setting I will run.
Hi Tammy!
DeleteLike you, I get to see children for extended years, though probably not as many as you are sometimes afforded. At our center children can begin at age two and one half, and if they stay through our before and after school program, they can be there as long as age eight. I feel this provides continuity of care, for both the children and their families. It is so different than being in a pre-k setting for just one year. I feel that I really get to know the children, and form special bonds with each and every one. I would think it would be much more difficult to form such tight bonds with children and families in a pre-k setting. Just as you are getting to know one another...the year has ended. I am looking forward to learning more from our classmates who teach in these types of settings. I am hoping to learn a lot from them!
Denyell
DeleteI wanted to comment a little on my philosophy and what I share with parents. I talk about our focus on the relationships that we will form and how as a team we will work together to form a meaningful experience for both the child and family. I talk about building curriculum that is intentional for that child and family and the tools I use to do that. I wrap it up by saying something like...
It is the goal of this establishment to give your child the opportunity to experience high quality, educational care at affordable prices. We value your questions, comments, and input; we as a team can achieve the very best experience for your child and family. We anxiously look forward to working with you and your family.
The children and families currently enrolled have been here for years. Families typically stay here with us. We have a mixed age group with one toddler, 8 preschoolers ranging from 3-5 and 3 school age children.
Not sure where you are from but you could always arrange a time to come visit us and get a first hand view of my space. I do a lot of work for Maine Roads To Quality, (MRTQ) and one of my favorite things to do is to see new spaces. It seems to be something many of us enjoy, which is why I offer. The offer is for anyone interested, just please reach out to be sure I am here and not away for MRTQ. My cell is 576-3930.
Melissa
DeleteI agree there is value to public pre k just not universally. If children are in a high quality site I do not see the value of pulling them out to put them through many more transitions just to go to a public program. I also think that parents really know what to do and sometimes they think that public pre k is just the next step. I think the system has to do a better job of determining who needs the services the most and focus attention there, have smaller groups and as a whole we all become more intentional.
Tammy - I definitely agree that parents know what will be best for their child, and that some feel public pre-k will be a great next step for their child. If all programs had to adhere to same curriculum, policies, materials, etc., parents would not be allowed the choice and freedom to choose what is best for their child. Taking this choice away, to me, feels essentially like saying we don't trust parents to find the right program, so we are going to make what we think is the right program and you have to follow it. I had a student in my class at the beginning of the year who would have greatly benefited from a family owned center or program that had started in his infancy, rather than public pre-k, and in meetings with the family, special education director, etc., I often said "I wish I could be what is best for him, but I'm not, and we need to find out what is." Public pre-k was not a quick fix for him, and we were able to find a full day program for him where he is starting to grow and thrive much faster than I believe he could have in my half-day program. Due to this child, as well as many other children I have met and spent time, I feel that universal pre-k would be a disadvantage and a lot of children would be "left behind."
DeleteTammy and Melissa - We have some children at our center, who split their time between us and the public pre-k program. So far, it has worked for those whose families have made that choice. We then have other families who choose not to send their children to public pre-k, and instead make the decision for them to continue to attend our center only. The latter families have made this decision based on their knowledge of our programming, knowing that their child will receive curriculum that is intentional, emergent-based, that is individualized, and meets all domains of early learning standards. Melissa, how wonderful for that child that you recognized that public pre-k was just not a perfect fit for him, and made the decision (along with other school professionals) to locate a placement that would better fit his needs. You are right, universal pre-k will not meet all children's needs.
DeleteHello, I am Brittany Hoffman! I live in Rumford Maine with my fiancé and we are expecting our first child in December. I graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with my undergraduate in 2014. Upon graduation I was hired as an assistant teacher through Community Concepts. This program consisted of 2 or 3 school days and then the remainder of the week was spent on providing 2 home visits a month to each family. Within that first year I was promoted to lead teacher. We then learned that the program would change the following year because we were going to collaborate with the public school through the Pre-K Expansion Grant. This is when I decided to apply through the district as Community Concepts teachers would be the assistant teachers and district would take the lead. I was offered the position and have been here for two years and I love it!
ReplyDeleteAs I said before we are under the Pre-K Expansion Grant which means our currently curriculum is Opening the World of Learning (OWL). I have 12 students in my room from 8:30-3:05 during the school week. This grant also provides teachers with a variety of training and professional development opportunities. The program works to develop human capital by providing education to children in the area who are low income. Each family is also provided with family services which includes support with finding a dental home and a PCP. Families are also provided educational experiences and they work on family goals throughout the year. After the grant is complete I am confident that the district will continue to collaborate with Community Concepts as they have seen improvement in the children's Kindergarten readiness.
Even though I have been teaching in this field for 3 years I did not know that this debate about universal Pre-K was researched by so many. In Doggett and Wat (2010) they stated many statistics about the lack of knowledge of children from low-income and middle-income families. Children who participated in the Abbott program for two years demonstrated gains that followed them to 2nd grade. It seems that based on the Pre-K program provided varies the results later in the academic years. Even through the Abbott program resulted in gain lasting through 2nd grade, Finn (2010), states that the gains from Pre-K programs typically do not yield any results by 3rd grade. Doggett and Wat also express that learning gaps between children are already evident by Kindergarten. Those children who do have access to early childhood can begin to work on their school readiness and academic skills to close the gap. Children who enter Kindergarten who are lower than their fellow peers will have a larger gap and more skills to work on to close the gap.
Finn (2010) states that a reason universal Pre-K should not be implemented is because Pre-K is not enough for those children with the highest needs. It was stated in a few articles that to see academic success throughout schooling children with the highest needs need to start programing earlier than Pre-K. The Perry Preschool project resulted in positive outcomes but this was targeted project that was heavily funded. Finn states that investing is universal Pre-K is a waste of money because 85% of children already participate in a Pre-K program. Funding these programs for all children would result in taking money away form organizations that are already providing quality Pre-K experiences. He also states that families who are already choosing to not participate in these types of programs will not begin to participate even if Pre-K is universal. It seems that there are many pros and cons to universals Pre-K and that more research needs happen in order to come to a conclusion. It might be best for each state to decide if universal Pre-K is the right thing for their families and children.
Hi Brittany!
DeleteLike you, despite working in a Public Pre-K, I didn't realize how much research has been done supporting and raising concern with the universal preschool movement. Before this class, I honestly never really thought about the cons of universal Pre-K. Like you, I am a strong proponent for the Preschool Expansion Grant and my school's program. I feel that the OWL curriculum and the preschools set up under the grant are developmentally appropriate for young children and I love being a part of it! However, I am concerned about the sustainability of the program once the grant expires.
Hi Brittany and Marjorie!
DeleteI also work in a Public Pre-K and did not realize how much research was done on the pros and cons of universal Pre-K. Our program is funded through our district, however in listening to discussions on Monday I was very interested in the OWL curriculum and hearing about the differences between our programs. We offer two half-day sessions each day with 15 students per session, and we have found that 2.5 hours a day per class just isn't enough and have created evidence to show that even a 3 hour day per session would be greatly beneficial. We have yet to succeed to with our School Board, but are hoping with a new superintendent this year we will have better luck, especially due to the fact that he seems to understand the importance of early education. Although I love teaching in our program and feel it is a valuable program, I do feel that it is important for families to have a choice in the style, setting, and curriculum they want to provide for their child, and universal Pre-K would not make this choice possible.
Melissa - At Sweatt-Winter I teach the part day program, which is three days a week from 9-11:30. I know firsthand how difficult it is to carry out all you want to do, in such a short amount of time. Our center, including the full day program, embarked on a project-approach study of birds starting last fall. It is amazing how much richer this was for the full day children, and how involved they were with this project. I feel it is due to the fact that they have so much more time to devote to it. They have two meeting times a day, and are able to go more in depth with their research of birds. It has been an eye-opener for sure! Not that I am a proponent for full day pre-k though, I am not sure where the balance would be.
DeleteJulie - I definitely agree on not knowing what the correct balance would be in terms of time. I remember doing an internship in the part day program and the team would come up with ideas and present them to Edna and she would have to remind us of the short time we would have to completely cover the lesson, and often it just wasn't enough time. We most want that extra half hour in the winter when it takes seemingly forever to get ready for outside, which decreases the amount of time they get to spend outside. With restrictions on how warm it must be to go outside, and often being too cold, the days we are able to get outside would utilize that extra half hour to give them more time outside in the fresh air and getting to play and be kids! I also find that finding science experiments that they can track is difficult. We do an experiment on the effects of different liquids on gummy bears and they had a blast, but they were only able to do two observations (what the gummy bear looked like before the liquid, and what it looked like after). They really loved the experiment and have been asking to do more, I just wish we had more time to really get into the experiments!
DeleteHi Brittany and everyone,
DeleteFirst of all congratulations on your first child. Just like you I had no idea that the debate of universal prekindergarten was so researched and thought out. However, from experience in last four years (since graduation) that education is such a fluid and ever changing field. I really enjoyed reading your points of view about allowing for choice. Giving families a chance to give their children a choice for the beginning of their education I feel is important, because to be honest after this they will not have a choice when their child goes into a public kindergarten. I have had the experience to watch educators in different settings and seeing different types of curriculum, and allowing for parents to choose what might meet their child's needs is extremely essential.
Melissa - Where the programs that we teach are similar in regards to time frame, please feel free to contact me if you would like to "share ideas", and what we each have found to work. I LOVE science! I have lots of ideas that I could share with you. There is a lot you can do, in a program that lacks time, when you focus on a concept rather than focus on one specific experiment. Feel free to contact me by phone at 778-7480 or email at julie.farmer@maine.edu.
DeleteIt is certainly interesting how different current public pre-k programs are in terms of how the day/week is set up. I imagine that if universal pre-k were to be put into place, then every program would look the same. I am not sure that that would be the best option either.
Julie and Melissa,
DeleteI found your conversation about the balance between half-day and full-day programs really interesting. I work at a full day program and it's great to have so much time with the kids... We're able to provide them with breakfast, lunch, and two snacks, which is nice because many of my children come from low income families and some have a food shortage at home. We are also able to have at least an hour and a half a day of centers/free choice play and an hour and a half of outside play. However, by Friday afternoon, our kids are so exhausted because it's a very long week for them. Sometimes, I feel like we're putting too many demands on them with such a long school day.
Wow what a great conversation! The more I think about it after reading so many comments I'm not sure I am pro universal Pre-K. I think parents need choice in where they want to send their child. Each program offers children a different experience and each child is different. Some children might benefit from a full day program where others a half day program is a better fit. This goes for curriculum as well. Parents know their children the best and they should have choice in sending their children where they see best fit. This is of course a hard situation when they are in public school.... What are your thoughts?
DeleteHi Everyone!
DeleteFirst, Julie - thank you for the invitation to collaborate! I have always enjoyed my time at Sweatt-Winter and I would love to come in and hear/see what fun happenings are occurring and get my hands on some more science learning!
Marjorie, I can definitely see it from the view point of having too much vs. too little and how many demands can be placed before exhaustion sets in. I know most of our students who go to daycares/centers for the other half of their day receive great education and experiences there, and I am also thrilled that they are able to spend so much time outside there as well. I strive for a MINIMUM of 30 minutes outside and 30 minutes of centers each day, but there are some days where time gets away from me. I hear of my students falling asleep on the buses from both AM and PM pre-k sessions later in the week, so that makes me feel like they are getting what they need, but I always worry that once they get to their daycare/center they will be exhausted, grouchy, and won't be able to access all the experiences they have when they get there!
Brittany - I agree that parents are #1 when it comes to knowledge of their child and what is best for their education. Universal pre-k would not allow parents to choose, but would already make the choice for them. It would not empower families to make decisions and feel they are doing what is best for their children if they are being told the who/what/where/when/why/how of education. I feel that parents already get less and less say as their child advances through grades, so taking decision making away from them when their child is only 3 years old seems counterproductive. We are lucky in that information about our program is distributed to interested families so they can make an informed choice on whether or not they want to send their child to public pre-k, rather than assuming we'd be great fit and finding out later on that it isn't the case. Finding new placements in the middle of a year can be difficult for some families in some areas, so finding a good fit early on would be much more beneficial for the parents and child. I also think that having so many options creates a healthy competition in that all the different placements and programs have to continue to strive for greatness, which only benefits families and children even more. I can think of a specific day care center that did not have great reviews, but was affordable, that really amped up their focus on early education and providing a high-quality experience to children after the public pre-k program was put in place. The owners of the daycare have stated that they knew if they didn't begin providing more early learning opportunities of substance, parents would send their children to the public pre-k and they may not be in business for much longer. This center has since flourished and provides great, rich experiences for the children in their care. Normally in competitions you do not want your competitors to succeed, however I was so excited! I may be in a public pre-k, but I am still 100% for ANY program that helps children succeed and have bright futures! I think that is something that we can all agree on, am I right?!
My name is Denyell Suomi and I have been an educator for 14 years. I received my undergraduate degree from UMF in elementary education and my graduate degree in literacy education from the University of Maine in 2006. Much of my career has been spent as a kindergarten and first grade educator in RSU #18. I moved to Cornville Regional Charter School (CRCS) two years. Currently, I am a teaching principal working primarily with 5-year-old to 8-year-old learners. Next year, I will take on a new challenge of both teacher and administrator at our early childhood center.
ReplyDeleteFounded in 2012, CRCS currently serves a population of approximately 144 learners in kindergarten through eighth grade. We were the first elementary charter school approved by the State of Maine and next year we are expanding to include 3-year-old to 18-year-old learners! At CRCS, we strive to foster responsible, independent, happy, curious learners.
As we develop the preschool program at our early learning center, we envision providing a program that affords students the cognitive, social-emotional, self-regulatory, and foundational academic skills that young learners need. We will be implementing the Tools of the Mind curriculum. For the 2017-2018 school year, CRCS, will offer two full-day session of prekindergarten. We are working with Child Development Services to implement a 3-year-old program.
Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, and Temple (2010) define human capital in terms of contributions to child welfare. It considers multiple ways of supporting children and their families to increase future success in society. Investments in human capital are considered to have long-term, positive effects on society. CRCS works to develop human capital through numerous means. One of the ways we do this, is by diligently reaching out to families with children most in need.
To reach families in need, we meet with local agencies that work with impoverished families and send brochures to prospective community partners to explain our program. We are explicit with agencies about what we offer so they can accurately discuss choices with prospective families. We host multiple open house events and informational meetings. CRCS is diligent in trying to reach families that would benefit from our public preschool program.
We are working to establish human capital through relationships with several organizations and medical providers. CRCS will provide children and families in our preschool program comprehensive services aimed at improving student academic readiness, development, and family wellness. Services will include health and wellness screenings, dental care, and counseling among others. Providing such comprehensive services will allow us to develop human capital.
Family involvement is another component in developing human capital. At our early childhood center, we strongly encourage parental and community involvement. Staff will work to maintain open lines of communication and we envision families as partners in their child’s education. Families and community members are welcomed in the center and classrooms. Our goal is also to eliminate and reduce barriers that prevent parents and families and from accessing the school.
We are creating a preschool through third grade professional learning community (PLC) because it is crucial to have high-quality educators working with learners and providing continuity of services as we work to develop human capital. CRCS will provide professional development in multiple formats including, the PLC. We will have shared trainings and experiences for staff to develop a deeper understanding of early childhood learning and development and enable us to have a systematic approach to educating young learners.
The long-term effects of CRCS to establish human capital as well as, to increase economic and social returns are unknown. This program will not open until August 2017 and it will be interesting to see what results the future brings. I am hopeful that CRCS will be successful in developing human capital.
The effects of a universal prekindergarten program on human capital are not clear cut. There are two opposing views on the value of such a program: those in support of creating a universal prekindergarten program and those opposed. Currently, I am undecided into which faction I fall. Both sides have valid reasons why we should or should not implement a universal preschool program, including prekindergarten.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics that Doggett and Wat (2010) outline regarding the deficits children have in literacy and mathematics when entering kindergarten are startling. The fact that so many of our children are entering kindergarten ill-prepared, leads me to believe in the need for universal preschool. Access to a quality preschool program would surely leave learners more prepared to enter kindergarten thus, closing the achievement gap. On the other hand, Finn (2010) states that although prekindergarten produces results, by third grade the positive effects of prekindergarten are no longer noticeable. This fact troubles me. Why are the benefits of preschool no longer visible come third grade? What reforms need to be made to prevent this? I am left contemplating what changes are needed in our education system and how to we go about instituting these changes.
The academic and economic benefits of attending a quality prekindergarten program are discussed by Doggett and Wat (2010). They state that attending such a program reduces the number of individuals who fail to be promoted to the subsequent grade level, do not complete high-school, and that need special education services during their school career. Being able to reduce the cost each school system incurs while educating our youth is valuable. The fact that providing access to prekindergarten can support learners who would otherwise struggle academically in their school career seems like an easy decision to make. However, Finn (2010) brings up a great point when he states that we do not have enough information on the specific qualities that create a high-quality prekindergarten program that produces lasting effects. We know as educators that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to education. Children learn in different ways at different rates of time. How would we create a universal preschool program that meets the needs of diverse learners?
I am left thinking about what are the characteristics that truly determine the quality of a preschool program. Reynolds et al. (2010) analyzed research on childhood programs and concluded that the most effective educational practices begin no later than age three, occur over multiple years, afford families needed support, and include home-based services. As I think about the program that I will be leading next year, I feel excited by the fact that we are looking to begin services at age three and this will provide learners with multiple years of instruction. We are hard a work creating a comprehensive services plan to support our learners and their families. Our program is also developing a schedule and plan to deliver needed home-based services. The needs of the communities that CRCS serves are certainly not the needs of every community, so is universal prekindergarten the route to go? On the other hand, I feel strongly that no child should be denied the opportunity to access a prekindergarten program that meets their needs. I am not ready to join a side of this debate, but rather still seeking to increase my knowledge on both perspectives.
Hi Denyell,
DeleteThere are two pieces in your post that really stuck out to me. The first being your question on how to create a universal program that would suit the needs of all learners. In my two years of being a Pre-K teacher at a public school I have had sixty students, and not a single two were alike in their learning styles, preferences, abilities, prior knowledge, etc. I feel it would be very difficult to determine a program that would fit every learner. The more I read and gather information, the more I am inclined to believe that Universal Pre-K would not be a great choice. That brings me to the second piece: your honesty in not joining either side but wanting to gain more knowledge and educate yourself before making your decision. I feel that I am already on the side of "No" but I have found myself swaying on the fence after each new piece of information is presented to me. My administrator often says "When we think we have arrived at perfection, we are really just beginning" and I think this rings true for early education, and really education in general. Saying that Universal Pre-K is the be-all end-all is almost laughable, as we as educators know that not every child needs the same thing in terms of education. In my program we are constantly striving to do better and meet our students where they are at, and although I look forward to a day when we can do that with ease, I also remember that each year my classroom set-up, delivery of instruction, learning experiences, etc. change based on the needs of my students, so I could never do just one thing and be able to show continued growth and development in my students.
Hi Denyell,
DeleteI can agree with you when you say that you are not comfortable joining a specific side of this debate. I agree, sometimes strongly, with points of both sides of it and definitely feel like I need to research the topic more before I am able to do that, if ever. I, too, feel that the needs of children always vary which makes me skeptical whether to not a universal program would work. Just as you feel, the opposite that I have a hard time denying education to anyone who wants to receive it. I also have to wonder whether a public system will meet the needs of parents of children that are only 4 years old. I know many families that go to our Head Start program struggle when they get to public school because public schools are not seeming to meet their needs and they really notice the lack of family services in the public schools.
My name is Ashley McDonald. I got my undergraduate degree in elementary education from University of Maine at Farmington in 2010. My past experiences include being an aide in a private PreK, as well as a first grade teacher at a private school. Currently, I am working in a full year, full day preschool classroom at Educare Central Maine in Waterville. We are a part of the Kennebec Valley Action Program and we are funded primarily through federal funds through Head Start, as well as state funding and private investors. We promote human capital by providing continuity in care, just as Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple (2010)
ReplyDeletediscuss as being an important aspect of human capital. One way that Educare provides this continuity is by having preschool classroom and infant/toddler classrooms directly next to each other, sharing a bathroom. The goal is to have the children transition into the preschool classroom next door, and by being so close they are able to form relationships with the staff members in those classrooms. We also provide family services to each family we serve, bridging the home-to-school gap.
There are both benefits and challenges when it comes to universal prekindergarten programs. Doggat and Wat (2010) suggests that programs such as Head Start are only offered to low income families, which in turn leaves many children, especially from middle class families, unable to get the high quality early childhood education that is needed for school readiness. These middle class families earn too much to meet the guidelines for Head Start programs, but struggle to be able to afford a high quality private preschool program. Many people worry whether the cost of public prekindergarten is worth it, but Reynolds et al. (2010) insist that early childhood development programs help to decrease the need for remediation services, which helps to balance out the cost of public prekindergarten. By having a universal prekindergarten, every child would be able to get the early education they need to not only help their transition to kindergarten, but help to lay the foundation of their education until graduation.
It can also be argued that the low-income families are the ones who need early childhood development programs the most. Finn (2010) discusses that many of the important aspects of an early childhood curriculum are things that low-income and minority children will not get at home. Furthermore, these children need to be receiving this education from a much earlier age in order for it to be effective. By creating a universal system of prekindergarten, the Head Start and Early Head Start programs that are currently serving these low income families would potentially lose funding, leaving these children who need it the most without these services. School readiness is one of the main goals of public prekindergarten, but as Finn also suggests, many of the learning deficits that children have going into kindergarten can be addressed and solved within that school year, meaning there is no reason to spend the extra money on a prekindergarten program.
I can agree with points on both sides of this debate. I’m not sure that there is a right or wrong answer when it comes to it. For certain people it would be what’s best, but not for everyone.
Ashley, I think it's important, as you stated, to recognize that it may be what's best for some, but not for all. When working with young children and their families, I think it's imperative to provide them with the privilege and the option of early education. Our role is to meet them where they're at, and therefore, support them in all aspects of doing what's best for their child.
DeleteI too can agree with various viewpoints on both sides of the debate. It is such a complicated issue with very difficult solutions that don't appeal to everyone. It is great to have the opportunity to learn more about it as well as hear different opinions on it.
DeleteHi Ashley…
DeleteI am curious about home services that Educare provides to families. As I work to develop the preschool program, a large part is building a solid home-school connection and am curious to what other programs do?
Denyell,
DeleteOur family services include a number of things. We work with the families to create family goals, which can be anything from reading more with their child to building a budget and sticking to it, and we check in with them periodically and see how they are doing with it. We also have 4 parent teacher conferences throughout the year, which includes home visits. Each family is assigned to a Family Service Coordinator and they also meet with the FSC throughout the year. We have a dentist who is on site a few times, which takes the burden off from the parents having to rearrange schedules to ensure their child gets to the dentist. This just names a few of the services we provide to our families.
Hello! My name is Julie Farmer. I am the director at Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center. I received both of my degrees from University of Maine at Farmington. I hold an Associates degree in early childhood, and a Bachelors degree in special education. I have worked at Sweatt-Winter for almost 25 years. I have served as director for the past year. Sweatt-Winter is located on UMF campus. We serve as a lab school for the early childhood programs, and are accredited with NAEYC. There are three programs at Sweatt-Winter, which include full day, and part day preschool programs for children ages two and one half to five years of age, and a before and after school program for children in grades k-2.
ReplyDeleteSweatt-Winter helps to develop human capital by providing continuity in care, helping children to develop skills in the areas of social and emotional well being, school readiness, citizenship, and by promoting healthy living. We also work alongside families in helping to provide the children in our care with continuity between home and childcare/"school". By working together as a team, the children receive rich meaningful experiences. Quite often, the children at Sweatt-Winter remain with us for four or five years. Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, and Temple (2010) mention that this continuity over time is beneficial to children, and helps reduce the risk problems that may require later remediation.
Along with continuity, I feel that a high quality program requires properly trained, and educated staff. In order for a pre-k, or any early childhood program, to be effective, the teachers need to be able to provide high-quality, age appropriate programming. And, teacher dispositions need to be positive, in order for said programming to be carried out in ways that meet children's educational and emotional well being. Doggett and Watt (2010) mention that high-quality programming is what determines the effectiveness of early childhood programs. Staff who have only minimal training or education, will only be able to provide minimal programming.
I find it interesting that researchers on both sides of the fence regarding universal pre-k, have been able to come up with statistics to support their views. It makes it difficult for someone like me, who has not quite yet made up my mind on the issue, to make a decision one way or the other. I am not sure I feel universal pre-k is the way to go, but I do think that a pre-k program might be beneficial to certain populations of children. I think I may side with Finn (2010) in that universal pre-k would be a grave waste of money, as there a great number of people who already have access to quality programming. It is making sure that those who need it most, are getting it. I am not sure there is an easy fix to this. Research shows, such as with the Perry study (Reynolds et al), that high-quality intervention at ages 3 or 4, can provide lasting results.
I have to say, there are both benefits and concerns to universal pre-k, and I am still not sure where I stand on the subject...though, I think I lean more towards the "against" side.
Julie - I was also very surprised with the statistics of each side of the debate! Researchers showing evidence of long-term benefits to age 40 in the Perry Project (Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple, 2010) had me questioning whether universal pre-k would be more beneficial than a targeted approach. Then Finn (2010) discussed the dynamics, high cost, and time elapsed since the Perry Project analysis was completed, bringing doubts back into my mind of the overall effectiveness of the program. I found myself reading an article that strongly recommended universal pre-k that had very good statistical backing and research and I would feel swayed in that direction, only to move on to a stance against universal pre-k and feeling swayed in that direction due to also having great evidence. I agree with your statement, as I too am not sure there is an easy fix, and, like Finn (2010) states, I don't want universal pre-k to be considered the end-all be-all and students with the most need get lost in the crowd because the government wants to enact more policy.
DeleteHello everyone, my name is Melissa Ryan! I live in Gray with my fiancé, Chris, and my dog, Jasper. I graduated from UMF in 2013 with B.S. in Early Childhood Special Education B-5. I work in the public pre-k program at Dunn School (SAD 15) where we use the Creative Curriculum. The program is comprised of 2 half-day sessions with 15 students per session, and I have the assistance of an ed. tech. There are 90 spots available to incoming pre-k students, with spots held for students utilizing CDS services, students qualifying for the free or reduced lunch program, and students not qualifying for either of these programs. Our pre-k program works to develop human capital by providing students with the opportunity to participate in a group setting, learn techniques for self-regulation and expressing emotions in safe and socially acceptable ways, receive early intervention services, and continue to build upon early math and literacy skills.
ReplyDeleteThrough the course readings I have found myself wavering on both sides of the fence on the debate of whether universal pre-k will enhance human capital. Doggett and Watt (2010) provide a lot of information on the importance of providing children with early learning opportunities to increase their school readiness and lessen the gap between peers who have access to early learning programming and those who do not. In his contribution to the U.S. News and World Report Debate Club's topic concerning government funding of universal pre-k, Steven Barnett (2014) states that the students needing the most early learning opportunities come from middle-class families who are not too financially insecure, but also not financially secure enough to access these opportunities. Children stuck in this realm would benefit from universal pre-k, as they would have free access to early education, taking the financial burden off of their families while increasing their ability to be school ready at the start of kindergarten. In addition to lessening the gap, universal pre-k has also shown a return on investment of up to three times the amount of that of a targeted program approach (Reynolds, Rolnick, Englund, & Temple, 2010), creating a strong argument for the effectiveness of universal pre-k to enhance human capital.
Access to early education for all children and return on investment, however, does not always mean effectiveness in the long term. Finn (2010) states that the need for early intervention begins much earlier than pre-k, and for children who are the most at risk, universal pre-k would be too little too late. Family childcare centers and similar programs would be more beneficial, as children would have much longer exposure and access to early intervention and education. He also highlights that school readiness has not been officially defined or wholly adopted by early childhood professionals, thus making it difficult to determine what factors are the most effective in an early education program. Research also finds that although pre-k programs help to lessen the gap between peers, over time the gap begins to widen again (Finn, 2010), providing little evidence of effectiveness on enhancing human capital.
Advocates for and against universal pre-k are convincing and well-educated in their arguments in regards to their stance on whether universal pre-k would enhance human capital. On one hand, access to all and return on investment are great indicators of the effectiveness of universal pre-k on enhancing human capital. However, on the other hand, the children who have the most need for these programs would not have access early enough, and the effects of pre-k programs can be short-lived. Despite my belief that public pre-k is not the answer for all families, the research I have read requires me to question whether access to all and return on investment or providing targeted programs for the most needy students is more important when it comes to enhancing human capital.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteI like you were wavering on the debate of universal pre-kindergarten and finding myself agree and disagree with certain things. There is no doubt in my mind that many students would benefit and thrive in a public universal program. But, I also think about my own students ( I work for CDS currently) and I see that sometimes the curriculum in place does not meet the needs of all learners. I worry about my current students and future students if this becomes a real thing. There is also a push for "school readiness" that I don't agree with because working with students who have special needs are not at times developmentally ready for a more academic program.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteI'm interested in hearing more about how the half-day program works for your school. The public Pre-K program I work at is full day, as required by the Preschool Expansion Grant. We have lots of time to play, go outside, and get everything done, which is nice, but sometimes the day seems too long for our students... especially at the beginning of the school year. 7:30-2:30 is a long day. Plus, some of our students get on the school bus as early as 6:30 and some get off the bus as late as 3:30. My coworkers and I often go back and forth on the pros and cons of half-day versus full-day and Monday-Thursday versus Monday through Friday programs.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteMy dog is named Jasper too! He is a 10 month old Australian Shepherd! How do you enjoy having the two different sessions? Do you do the same lessons for each session or is there a lot of variation between the two?
Hi Melissa…
DeleteI have feelings similar to yours. I read something that starts to sway me one way and then, I read another article and start to sway the other way. I am trying to stay neutral until I have done more research on the topic. One thing that I did find interesting was that Finn (2010) talked about instead of investing more money into Head Start and other programs, we look at our existing programs and overhaul them to better meet the needs of the children they are intended to help. He also talks about how programs aimed at education do not do enough to change home and community environments. This really has me thinking about what services are needed when and should we start servicing families before the child is even born? One thing for sure is that currently, we are not successful in breaking the cycle of poverty.
Veronica - I agree that universal pre-k would be a great thing for some children, but not for all. In education I do not feel there could every possibly be a one-size-fits-all approach. I have students in my classes who receive services through CDS. None of them were identified for services prior to beginning in our public pre-k program, and all have shown great growth. I do not pretend to believe that their successes are due only to me, but due to the collaboration with CDS and our program to give students every opportunity to enhance their potential. If our program did not have this collaboration, I feel these students may have struggled all year, and would then be sent to kindergarten where they would continue to struggle. I have seen great gains, I just hope they are sustained and grown when they enter public school services, as opposed to those they are receiving through CDS.
DeleteMarjorie - Our program runs from 9:00-11:30, and then 12:30-3:00. The two and a half hours seems barely enough, and most days not enough, to be able to fit everything in. The teachers in the program are looking to start having the sessions run 9:00-12:00 then 12:00-3:00, adding half an hour. This extra half hour may seem small, but when contributed to areas of outside play and increased center time, it could be very beneficial. I would be very interested in spending a day in a full day program to see the differences between our program! Does your program run year-round, or only during the school year?
Justina - YAY! I love my tiny monster! He is a 4-year-old Rat Terrier/Whippet mix, and looks (and runs!) like a small version of a greyhound! He is my study buddy right now, because he's a momma's boy! I really enjoy having the two different sessions and seeing the differences between my classes. What session students are placed in is determined by the side of town they live in, and it can be quite a contrast! I do the same lessons for each session, but because the same delivery doesn't work for all students I am challenged daily to create meaningful experiences for them as a whole as well as individually, so there is definitely variation! Using grouping techniques, preferential seating, and whole/small/individual instruction, I feel that all students in my class are able to access the content being delivered. Using frequent check-ins are also beneficial so I can assess my delivery and adapt my practices to best suit the needs of all the students.
Denyell - I definitely think the idea of overhauling, as Finn (2010) stated, is worth researching. If current programs could be enhanced and modified to better serve children and their families, it may be a more cost-effective option for the present, as well as in the future when those children enter the work force and return that investment. I definitely believe that working with families very early on, perhaps even before birth of the child, would be very beneficial to the success of the child. We are definitely no where near breaking the cycle of poverty, but with early intervention and access to health care and other resources, children born into poverty and their families could gain the education and services they need to help break the cycle. If parents cannot access, or are unaware, of services, how can they provide the opportunities for their children? And if they cannot pass this awareness and knowledge onto their child, how will their child pass it on to their children? Perhaps starting before birth would be a great first step and closing the gap and starting on the right path to ending the cycle of poverty.
Melissa, our program just runs during the school year! Although some of my students qualify for Kindergarten Title 1, so they will receive summer school services.
DeleteMy name is Justina Dill and I grew up in Greenville Maine. I went to Franklin Pierce College and graduated in 2004. After graduating I went out to Whitefish Montana where I started a daycare facility for school district employees. I then taught kindergarten on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation for 4 years. The whole school was kindergarten and there were 10 classrooms with a total of 180-190 students. When I left I was very traumatized with the stories I heard and with what I saw. What is abnormal in our society was very normal there. We had children who came to us that had never been read to, were experiencing severe emotional trauma, yet were expected to be reading by the end of Kindergarten. The focus on social development wasn't there and the pressure on academic achievement was too strong. There was a lot of pressure on the admin to ensure that we met reading and math standards so that the school received the right amount of funding and practices including long periods of whole group direct instruction and little play were enforced. It was very difficult as I knew it wasn't right for the kids. In 2011, I had my daughter and struggled to find quality daycare. There were no high quality childcare or preschool programs other than Head Start. Doggett and Watt (2010) talk about the income segregation of low- income children receiving publicly funded programs and well-to do families receiving private schooling. I was part of the middle class loop hole where I did not qualify for Head Start yet didn't have very many options. We decided to move back east so that we could raise our child closer to home. I received a job working as a First and Second Grade Teacher at a very small Dairy Farm in Northern Vermont. During this time I paid for my child to attend a quality childcare program. It was a struggle as I did not qualify for any childcare subsidy and too much of my paycheck went to childcare. The last year I taught there I taught public PreK in the am and Reading Intervention in the afternoon. Universal Preschool Laws in Vermont had just been implemented yet the school was not equipped to handle licensing laws and the principal had very little knowledge or understanding of Early Childhood Development (and even admitted that she hated that age group). She would cringe when she walked in the room and the children were painting or playing in sand or water. I had my son at the end of that school year. With the prospect of the future cost of daycare, I decided not to sign my contract. We decided to buy a house in Maine and work opposite shifts to avoid the cost of childcare. I currently stay at home with my children during the day and am a night time housekeeper. I have very mixed feelings on Universal Preschool because of the different experiences that I have had. When Finn (2010) says that most 3 and 4 year olds have access to various forms of Preschool, he doesn't seem to understand that the middle class is struggling with this. We don't qualify for subsidy and can't afford Private schools. If we are going to invest in more for preschoolers, then we need to consider everyone. Finn also states that Universal PreK doesn't achieve long lasting gap reduction. I do agree with this but i think it is because too much stress on academics and not enough emphasis on social development is being forced in public Preschools. I don't like the way administrators with no Early Child background are being forced to embrace Preschool without help. Schools and Early Childhood Educators Providers should look closely at private school models to implement best practices. They should be supported by Early Childhood Professionals. High quality private programs should receive more public funding and be an option for everyone so that choice is still respected.
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