early childhood task force

presented by South Carolina Council on Competitiveness

Early Childhood Task Force

South Carolina Council on Competitiveness

What We Believe: Workforce Development

Early Childhood

Higher Education

Workforce Development

Economic Development

Prosperous State


The Starting Point

Our Premise

The future success of our economy depends on well educated and highly resourceful workers capable of learning new skills.

Our Challenge

A growing proportion of our workforce will consist of adults raised in disadvantaged circumstances. Research shows that individuals raised in these circumstances have lower educational levels and less skills.

Our Opportunity

• Evidence based interventions can change the course of a young

child’s life

• The investments made in the early years of life have a substantial

return on investment


The South Carolina Economy

• $14 billion of new investment

• Created 146,000 jobs since 2010

• 8% faster than the country as a whole

• Unemployment has improved by 52% at the same time

• Compared to 37% nationwide

• The new jobs require higher-level skills

• Traditional skills – math, science, reading

• Soft skills – work ethic, communication, problem solving


The South Carolina Workforce

The Conference Board surveyed 400 corporations

• Wide deficit in social/emotional learning or “soft skills”

- Consistent with a SC DEW survey which showed the largest gap

for new applicants is in this area

42%

HS graduates not prepared for entry-level jobs



By 2011… By 2018… But only…

74% 83%

fastest growing

jobs required

more than a High

School Education

fastest growing

jobs will require

more than a High

School Education

53%

of the workforce

has more than a

High School

Education

53%

Source: South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce: State of the Workforce Report, 2012



Technical school entrants

requiring remediation

41%

Cost to SC taxpayers

= $21,000,000

Source: South Carolina Technical College System


SC Educational Outcomes: 4th Grade

Math Reading Science

proficient proficient proficient

do not meet basic do not meet basic do not meet basic

By 8th grade reading improves slightly but math and science deteriorate

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

21%

35% 28%

40%

33%

28 %


Our Kids

Risk factors for 3rd grade failures in SC

*Annie E. Casey Foundation 2013 Kids Count Data Book -- http://scchildren.org/public/files/docs/Advocacy/Kids_Count/2013KCDB_FINAL.pdf

**South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness -- http://www.scfirststeps.org/docs/Vision2013FINAL.pdf

children who live

in single family

households*

42%

children who live

at or below the

federal poverty

level*

28%

children born to

mothers with less

than a high school

degree**

24%

children born to

teenage mothers**

13%

children born at a

low birth weight*

10%

http://scchildren.org/public/files/docs/Advocacy/Kids_Count/2013KCDB_FINAL.pdf


Early Life Experiences

• The foundations of life long learning are largely formed in the first 5 years of life

• The architecture of the young brain, like a house, needs to be built on a strong foundation

• Skills beget skills. Brains are built from the bottom up in a hierarchical fashion

• Brain chemistry is heightened during “sensitive” periods

• Interaction of genes and experiences shapes the circuitry of the developing brain

• Brain plasticity and the ability to change behavior decreases over time

• Changes can be made later but they are very expensive and are unlikely to reach the same potential


Anne E. Casey: Two Generation Approach

• Nearly half of families with young children are low

income

• 80% of those families have no post secondary education

drastically limiting job prospects

• 42% of children born into poverty stay there

• Less than half of kids from low income families are ready

for Kindergarten

The two-gen approach aims to equip parents and kids with

the tools needed to thrive.


Evidence is Incontrovertible

• The Rand Corporation studied 15 past and current interventions and found that

they returned to society between $1.80 and $17.07 for every dollar invested

• Numerous studies of current and past interventions show consistent results:

• Higher Academic achievement

• Higher Adult incomes

• Stronger family foundations including two parent families

• Greater Home ownership

• Lower welfare

• Lower crime rates

• Lower drug use

• Lower teen pregnancy

• Lower maternal depression


Anne E. Casey: Two Generation Approach

“The evidence is clear: A solid foundation in children’s

early years sets them up for success in school and beyond,

paving the way for higher test scores, fewer behavioral

problems, better job opportunities and greater income”

early childhood task force

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