early education for the next generation: preschool readiness for the san joaquin valley

2 Early Education for thE nExt GEnEration: rEadinEss in thE san Joaquin VallEy

3Early Education for thE nExt GEnEration: rEadinEss in thE san Joaquin VallEy

San Joaquin Valley Readiness forEarly Childhood Education

What LegisLators Need to KNoWStories from Rural Central California

The Great Valley Center (GVC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working in partnership

with the University of California, Merced, to support individuals, organizations and communi-

ties in ways to improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of California’s Great

Central Valley.

GVC is pleased to have partnered with Preschool California in their efforts as an advocate that

brings together a broad and diverse group of supporters, who share a goal of creating quality

preschool opportunity for all California children whose families want to enroll them.

Both the Great Valley Center and Preschool California have been supported by the David and

Lucile Packard Foundation, which has made a multi-year commitment to achieve voluntary

preschool opportunity for all in California.

This report is available to download free of charge from our website: www.greatvalley.org.

4 Early Education for thE nExt GEnEration: rEadinEss in thE san Joaquin VallEy4Early Education for thE nExt GEnEration: rEadinEss in thE san Joaquin VallEy

5 Story: Paramount Farms

6 Indicator: Three- and Four-Year-Old Population 7 Story: Public/Private Education Leaders Join Forces to Promote Preschool

8 Waiting Lists in the San Joaquin Valley: A Serious Shortage of Preschool Spaces 9 Story: Local Investment In Child Care (LINCC) Constructing Connections

11 The Central Valley Lacks Facilities for Preschool Children Who Need Them the Most

13 Story: Stephens Pre-Kindergarten and Family Literacy Program

15 RAND Report: Benefits of Preschool in the San Joaquin Valley

17 Story: Pulling It All Together: Funding Qualified Staff and a Suitable Facility to Create a Quality Preschool Program

19 FACTS: Childcare Is a Wise Investment

21 Preschool in the San Joaquin Valley: High Need and High Promise

22 Is Preschool Affordable in the San Joaquin Valley?

23 Unaffordable for Families Earning the Median Family Income in San Joaquin Valley Counties

24 Parent/Teacher Stories

27 Law Enforcement Quotes 28 Media Clips

29 Footnotes

30 Acknowledgements

Table of Contents


“ ... we were unable to give away as many scholarships as we wanted because so few students qualified to go to college.”

Bill Phillimore, Executive Vice President

County: Kings, Tulare and Kern

Students who attend preschool: 18%

Paramount Farming Company grows almonds,

pistachios and pomegranates on a large scale.

The company’s owners, Lynda and Stewart

Resnick, attribute their success to hard work

and education. They now want to give back to

their communities and believe education is one

place to focus; they believe education is the great

equalizer.

“When Paramount Farming set up a college scholar-

ship fund for its employees’ kids, we were unable

to give away as many scholarships as we wanted

because so few students qualified to go to col-

lege. This caused us a great deal of concern. In our

ongoing conversations with educators in our com-

munities, it became apparent that kids are coming

to school at the earliest ages not prepared to learn,

and that once these kids fall behind grade level,

they often never catch up. As a result, we are start-

ing a preschool in Avenal, a high need community

where many of our employees live. We’ve done our

research and learned the value of high quality pre-

school programs. We hope we will be helping a crop

of kids successfully complete college, with the aid of

our scholarships, in future years.”

Story: Paramount Farms


Indicator: Three- and Four-Year-Old PopulationPreschool Statistical Information

for the San Joaquin Valley 1

3 and 4 Year Old Population per County, 2007

29,530

25,014

4,969 4,647

8,586

21,915

15,608 15,725

Fresno Kern Kings Madera Merced SanJoaquin

Stanislaus Tulare

The Three- and Four-Year-Old Population 2

CountyFour-Year-Old

Population3 Children Living in

Poverty4

Children Who Speak Another

Language at Home5

Third Graders Who Read Below

the 50thPercential5

High School Dropout Rates4

Fresno 14,135 29% 46% 68% 26%

Kern 10,293 29% 46% 68% 26%

Kings 1,652 30% 46% 67% 19%

Madera 1,894 32% 46% 67% 27%

Merced 3,900 28% 46% 68% 19%

San Joaquin 9,341 19% 46% 67% 34%

Stanislaus 7,725 20% 46% 65% 21%

Tulare 6,088 28% 46% 72% 22%


County: Merced

In 2007, seventy top Merced County executives accepted an invita-

tion to join the Business and Education Alliance of Merced (BEAM).

San Joaquin Valley leaders know that an ongoing growth issue in the

Valley is attracting new business and the Valley’s often under-quali-

fied workforce is a big drawback. At County Bank, for example, job

applicants must take a short test in English, basic math and ethics.

Though the test is at about eighth or ninth grade level, test tak-

ers have a 60% failure rate. By the time businesses identify terrible

shortfalls like these, it is often too late to go back and repair.

BEAM members spent a year learning about the merits of preschool

and are convinced it is essential to a child’s long-term educational

success and to closing the “readiness gap” that exists at the kinder-

garten door. They learned that prior to third grade kids are learning

to read but that from third grade on they need to be reading to learn.

Quality preschool programs prepare our children to do their best in

kindergarten and beyond. Preschool makes concrete differences

in peoples’ lives in long-term measurable ways. According

to a RAND study, the San Joaquin Valley would see over

1,600 fewer high school dropouts each year by making

quality preschool available and a 25% increase in the

years of education achieved by Valley students.

Often 60 CEOs or more, along with the co-chairs, at-

tend BEAM’s Executive Committee meetings and they

are ready now to send a collective message to local

and state policymakers about the need to expand quality

preschool opportunities to make Merced County and the

Valley a more attractive place for business growth.

Story: Public/Private Education Leaders Join Forces to Promote Preschool


Waiting Lists in the San Joaquin Valley: A Serious Shortage of Preschool Spaces

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, California, surveyed preschool programs in all of the state’s

counties to measure childcare capacity. Waiting list rates for 2005 were published for each

county. The results for the San Joaquin Valley reveal serious capacity problems.6

All California Head Start, State Preschool and General Child Care contractors in each county

were surveyed. The overall survey response rate was 48%.

In all counties in the San Joaquin Valley• 1, 59% or more of all public programs that respond-ed had active waiting lists.

In Madera County, every public •preschool responding to the sur-vey had an active waiting list.

Stanislaus County was near total •capacity, with 96% of its respond-ing public preschool programs maintaining active waiting lists.

In half of the counties in the San •Joaquin Valley the percentage of responding public preschools with an active waiting list exceeded the state average.

Preschools with Active Waiting List (percentage of survey respondents)

County All Public Programs

Fresno 72%

Kern 83%

Kings 60%

Madera 100%

Merced 59%

San Joaquin 89%

Stanislaus 96%

Tulare 64%

State Average 76%

“The Great Valley Center reports regularly on child well being and ed-

ucation outcomes. We believe that early learners benefit from attend-

ing pre-schools with sound academic plans. That practice improves

the chances of reading at grade level by third grade and mastering

basic math concepts.”David Hosley, President

Great Valley Center


Story: Local Investment In Child Care(LINCC) Constructing Connections

Steve SandersCounty: Kern

Since 1997, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools has oper-

ated the Local Investment in Child Care (LINCC) project to address the

need for quality early childhood education (preschool and child care)

in our community. LINCC assists private, public and non-profit sector

parties who want to own, operate and/or develop quality preschool/

child care facilities, whether they are in-home family providers or

stand-alone centers. LINCC services help potential providers to de-

sign, locate, license, and finance suitable facilities to care for children.

Since 1997, LINCC has been able to develop 10,000 new quality early

childhood education spaces in Kern County, creating numerous new

jobs in the early childhood education industry in a county with notori-

ously high unemployment.

Kern’s LINCC program is supported by the Low Income Investment

Fund through their Constructing Connections grant. They serve as one

of ten demonstration sites that has successfully worked to cre-

ate more quality early childhood education opportunities

for children. Kern and Merced Counties are the only

Constructing Connections sites in the San Joaquin

Valley.

Many others have voiced their support of

LINCC’s mission. The LINCC Leadership

Team, consisting of business and govern-

ment stakeholders, has been working for the

past several years to develop collaborative

approaches that will meet the need for quality

early childhood education in Kern County. Several

cities are exploring ways to include preschool/child

care facilities in new developments so as not to continue


adding to the shortage. The cities of Delano, Ridgecrest and Taft have

adopted supportive early childhood education policies in their General

Plans, which will make it easier for preschool/child care operators, de-

velopers and other key stakeholders to work together to create qual-

ity preschool and child care spaces as the community grows. Other

communities are working to add similar language as they update their

general plans.

Constructing Connections and Kern County’s LINCC project are work-

ing proactively to address the needs of early childhood education in

the San Joaquin Valley. For more information visit the LINCC web site

at http://kcsos.kern.org/cccc/lincc.


Some of the Most Severe Space Shortages in California Are In the San Joaquin Valley

While the fact that California lacks adequate facilities for 21% of four-year-olds who would

enter preschool in both the universal and targeted scenarios presents challenges, this state-

wide figure masks even more serious equity and access problems. Facilities shortages are

not evenly distributed throughout the state. They are concentrated in “space short commu-

nities” and are clustered disproportionately in the San Joaquin Valley.9

None of the San Joaquin Valley counties have adequate space to accommodate entering •preschoolers in either a universal or targeted preschool initiative.

In 7 of 8 San Joaquin Valley counties, the percentage of children who could not be ac-•commodated in a preschool space under the preschool for all scenario exceeded the

state average by a significant percentage.

In 6 of 8 San Joaquin Valley counties, the percentage of children who could not be ac-•commodated in a preschool space under the targeted AP 1 and 2 scenario significantly

exceeded the state average.

The Central Valley Lacks Facilities for Preschool Children Who Need

Them the Most“Children in California neighborhoods that are rich with young families and struggling with

academic achievement are often the children who face the steepest access barriers. If pre-

school program funds were made available tomorrow, there simply would be no ready space

for many of the children who need it the most.”7

In California’s Preschool Space Challenge, 2007, the Advancement Project documented

space shortages for preschoolers throughout the state in two hypothetical scenarios: (1) pre-

school for all universal approach - in which preschool is made available to all four-year-olds

in the state; and (2) a targeted approach in which preschool is made available to all four-

year-olds who are heading into elementary schools whose Academic Performance Index

scores are in the two lowest performing deciles (API 1 and 2 schools).8


Generally, County shortages are not evenly distributed, but tend to be larger in communities that •would benefit most from increased preschool attendance, especially lower income and Spanish

speaking communities.10

The two main types of shortfall neighborhoods are urban core and exurban neighborhoods •where the social service infrastructure has not kept up with the recent large influx of new hous-

ing developments.11

Space Shortages in the San Joaquin Valley

County

% of Children Who Could Not be Accommodated

(preschool for all)

% of Children Who CouldNot be Accommodated(AP 1 & 2 targeted)

Fresno 9-16% 10-20%

Kern 38-45% 39-49%

Kings 30-38% 29-39%

Madera 38-45% 49-58%

Merced 30-38% 39-49%

San Joaquin 30-38% 10-20%

Stanislaus 30-38% 29-39%

Tulare 23-30% 29-39%

Statewide 21% 21%


Story: Stephens Pre-Kindergartenand Family Literacy Program

Dana TrueCounty: Madera

The Madera County Office of Education provides a comprehensive

child development program that includes early childhood educa-

tion, parent workshops, home visitation, research-based professional

development for teachers, and school-linked family literacy activities

between the child, parent, and the early childhood educator.

The early childhood education class is designed for 4-year-old chil-

dren, and includes a balanced approach between child initiated play

and teacher directed activities. All instruction includes purposeful and

intentional teaching and learning experiences. The foundation of the

curriculum includes interactive conversations and dialogic or shared

reading and writing activities. By focusing on the whole child, including

the social/emotional, mental, and physical domains of development,

children will enter kindergarten ready to learn, with the necessary foun-

dation for success in school.

Parent workshops build the capacity of families for serving

as their child’s first and most effective teachers through

providing information, training, and modeling that

engages children in early literacy, health, and fitness

activities at home. Parent workshops are hands-on

and involve the parent and child learning together.

The program also provides parent outreach and

education on topics, such as the impacts of domes-

tic violence on early brain development and school

readiness. Parents are also provided home visitation

on an as-needed basis for necessary community service

referrals and follow-up.


Children, parents, and educators participate in weekly school-linked

family literacy activities. This includes engaging children in shared

reading, both in school and at home, followed by adults inviting chil-

dren to represent their ideas about stories in home and school dia-

logue journals. Parents and teachers scaffold children’s vocabulary

development and language experiences through conversations about

stories and drawings, dictating in the journals what children say, and

then reading the dictated sentences back again with children. Fur-

ther, children are encouraged to share the pen and take a turn writ-

ing, which often means scribbling for the PreK child. Drawings and

dictated sentences that are written at home are discussed at school

during small group times, and drawings and dictated sentences from

school are re-read and discussed at home between parents and chil-

dren together. Using children’s experiences with story books and their

authentic language during shared reading and writing activities, has

resulted in successful early literacy gains for PreK children.

The PreK program also offers research-based professional develop-

ment for teachers. Workshops are centered on language and literacy,

social and emotional development, and early math. Furthermore,

teachers are provided follow-up site teacher meetings for shar-

ing effective teaching and learning strategies, and teachers

often participate in individualized coaching.


RAND Report: Benefits of Preschool in the San Joaquin Valley

A 2005 RAND report, “County-Level Estimates of a Universal Preschool Program in California,”

explored the substantial benefits of quality preschool attendance for four-year olds in five Cali-

fornia geographical areas.12 The authors analyzed several factors measuring children’s success

in later years including the number of children per year retained in a grade, the years children

spent in special education programs, high school dropout rates, and involvement with the ju-

venile justice system. Significant improvements were demonstrated in each of these areas as a

result of preschool attendance.

The RAND analysis was applied on a regional basis to the eight county San Joaquin Valley:

Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties. In addi-

tion, the authors looked at 13 individual counties expected to have the largest population of

four year olds over the next decade. Fresno, Kern, and San Joaquin counties were among the

13. These results were reported in raw numbers and as a percentage change from the baseline.

The Benefits of Preschool Attendance Are Even Greater for the San Joaquin Valley than

for California as a Whole

Because the San Joaquin Valley had the largest share of low income

students of the regions examined in the RAND Study, and because

low income children show larger educational gains as a result of

preschool, the benefits of universal preschool pertaining to

educational outcomes exceed those measured for Cali-

fornia as a whole by several percentage points.14

For example, universal preschool would mean that

the San Joaquin Valley would have to provide 13

percent fewer years of special education com-

pared to nine percent for California. If universal

preschool were offered, the San Joaquin Valley

would see a 22 percent reduction in the number of

dropouts. California by contrast would experience

only a 14 percent decline.


The San Joaquin Valley Would Benefit From Universal Preschool

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY annual rate of improvement

2,214 fewer children per year ever retained in a grade13

10,063 fewer special education child years 13%

1,610 fewer dropouts per year 22%

4,744 fewer total criminal charges filed against juveniles 17%

FRESNO COUNTY annual rate of improvement

539 fewer children per year ever retained in a grade


392 fewer dropouts per year

1,154 fewer charges filed against juveniles per year 20%

KERN COUNTY annual rate of improvement



355 fewer dropouts per year 22%

1,046 fewer charges filed against juveniles per year 19%

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY annual rate of improvement



235 fewer dropouts per year 30%

691 fewer charges filed against juveniles per year 14%

Reduction inchildren everusing specialeducation

Reduction in child years in of special education

Reduction in high school dropouts

Increase innumber of years

of education

Central Valley 8-13% 13% 22% 25%

California 5-9 % 9% 14% 15%


Story: Pulling It All Together: Funding Qualifed Staff and a Suitable Facility to Create a Quality

Preschool Program

Delhi Unified School District Superintendent, Bill

Baltazar, is a member of the P16 Council run by the

Merced County Office of Education. At the Council

he learned about the value of quality preschool and

determined that he wanted a solid foundation for all

his students so they can be best prepared as they

move into his kindergarten all the way through high

school. With a Power of Preschool (POP) California

First 5 Commission grant and his district’s Title 1 dol-

lars, he got started.

Superintendent Baltazar knew that his students’ reading and

math scores would be higher, their need for special education would

be lower, and their likelihood of graduating from high school would be

boosted if his preschool were an effective, quality program. The lynch-

pin of preschool quality is effective teaching staff, so Superintendent

Baltazar hired the best folks he could find. He didn’t have to go far

to find his first hire, Charleen King, a kindergarten teacher at his own

Schendel Elementary School with experience in early care and educa-

tion. His two preschool classrooms, with morning and afternoon ses-

sions, serve almost 40% of those who enter the district’s kindergarten

class and are staffed by two fully credentialed teachers who are paid

according to the district’s certificated salary schedule, and four full-

time instructional aides all of whom have their AA degrees including 12

units of early care and education classes.

Preschool facilities are at a premium in the San Joaquin Valley. A re-

cent study by the Advancement Project determined that even if there

were resources to provide the needed preschool programs, Merced

County would lack facilities for somewhere between one-third and


one-half of its preschoolers. But Delhi Unified committed their facilities

modernization dollars to creating two preschool classrooms. And be-

cause they suspected that their POP dollars might only be a temporary

fix, they competed, successfully, in 2006 for AB 172 preschool dollars,

the only new state preschool program money to come along in many

years.

In 2008, Delhi Unified’s first preschool teacher, Charleen King, became

the first ever preschool teacher to win the Merced County Preschool

Teacher of the Year.

“I knew that having the right people, fully credentialed BA teachers,

working in my preschool would make all the difference in the world. We

are doing a study now to evaluate the impact preschool will have on

our first graders but I am already confident that preschool is working to

get our four year olds ready to do their best in school. My kindergarten

teachers tell me they can independently identify the kids who have been

through our program because they are so well prepared academically

and socially for what school requires of them.”

Bill Baltazar, Superintendent

Delhi Unified School District


FACTS: Childcare Is a Wise InvestmentPreschools save communities money.

Every dollar spent on high quality one-year, voluntary universal preschool programs in Califor-

nia would generate $2.62 in benefits.

The RAND report quantified savings and tangible benefits for California resulting from the im-

proved outcomes associated with providing universal preschool. While the RAND study did not

attempt to quantify these on a regional or county level the results make it clear that savings for

counties would be very substantial as these improved outcomes are multiplied by the number

of individuals benefiting and as they accumulate over time.

oUtCoMe Benefits(2003 present value dollars)

Reduced California public sector costs per year of special education $8,421

Lifetime earnings differential per high school graduate compared to high school dropout

$131,848

California tax revenue per high school graduate $5,512

California public sector juvenile justice system costs per juvenile charge filed

$9,204

Tangible victim costs per juvenile criminal charge $12,873

“Knowledge of the critical importance of the brain growth and learning during the early

years has spread well beyond the wall of academia. Many children need quality preschool

to help them be ready for school. Sadly, the lack of affordable, high quality programs is a

barrier to that readiness. Too many parents cannot afford the cost of quality programs, or,

quality programs are simply unavailable at any cost. We need a concerted effort to en-

sure that programs are affordable and available for the Valley’s working families and that

early care and education teachers are well prepared and fairly compensated.”Marianne Jones, Chair

Child, Family, and Consumer Sciences DepartmentCalifornia State University, Fresno


“As Chancellor of California’s newest UC campus, my days are filled with immedi-

ate challenges in building the foundation for the long-term success of UC Merced.

This requires building a strong faculty, staff and campus now as well as working

for effective preschool programs in the San Joaquin Valley. I need to be watching

what is happening upstream to assure that the pipeline brings me young people

prepared to take advantage of what the University will offer. All the data tell me

that preschool is a great investment in getting our youngest people ready to do

their best in kindergarten and all the way through high school, into college and

beyond. It’s all linked. It’s really a big circle, with preschool a key link to assur-

ing young people are ready to do their best in their studies and then, later, in the

world of work and family, and in building a strong civic culture. The preschool in-

vestments we make now will be the basis for the future success of the University

and of the Valley.”

Chancellor Steve Kang, University of California, Merced


Preschool in the San Joaquin Valley:High Need and High Promise

High-quality preschool is one of the most promising investments California can make in the

children of the San Joaquin Valley. The Valley, with its large child population and high poverty

rates, would gain enormously by providing high-quality preschool to its children who need

it most. The Valley’s third grade reading scores are in the bottom half nationally and its high

school dropout rates are, in several cases, significantly above the state average. High-quality

preschool can provide the Valley’s eager young learners with the early academic and social

skills they need to succeed in kindergarten, the early school grades and well beyond. Unfortu-

nately, high-quality preschool is often unavailable and unaffordable for the children who need it

most.

Fresno County

4 Year Old Population16 14,135

Children in Poverty17 29%

English language learners TBD

Third Graders Testing below the 50th Percentile Nationally in Read-ing18

68%

High School Dropout Rate19 26%

More School Success and Less Crime20

What high-quality preschool means for Fresno County: • 539 fewer children per year who are ever retained in a grade• 2,449 fewer special education child years• 392 fewer dropouts per year• 1,154 fewer charges against juveniles per year

Cost of Preschool per child per year21 Avg. $5,453 Top 15% $3,478

Median Household Income22 $41,390

Household shortfall for making ends meet with preschool23 $6,536

Facilities (percentage of preschoolers in low-performing school dis-tricts who lack space in a preschool facility)24

19-29%

Preschool Programs with Waiting lists25 72%


Is Preschool Affordable in the San Joaquin Valley?

In Paying the Price for High Cost of Preschool in California, Fight Crime: Invest In Kids, Cali-

fornia reports the cost of attending preschool in California on a county by county basis. By

examining the cost of maintaining a household, as reported by the California Budget Project,

the report demonstrates that most lower and middle income families cannot afford even part-

time preschool.

Further analysis comparing the median income in each of the San Joaquin Valley counties to

the cost of maintaining a household and sending one child to preschool, reveals serious short-

falls for families in all but one county in the San Joaquin Valley, demonstrating that preschool is

out of reach for many families in the Valley.

How Much Does Preschool Cost In The San Joaquin Valley?

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids reported preschool costs for the San Joaquin Valley ranging from

$3,428 per child per year to more than $6,000 per year.27

CoUNtY Cost 15% highest cost programs

Fresno $3,478 $5,453

Kern $3,504 $5,466

Kings $3,691 $5,099

Madera $3,427 $5,622

Merced $3,428 $5,624

San Joaquin $3,509 $5,351

Stanislaus $3,480 $6,125

Tulare $3,443 $5,621


Unaffordable for Families Earning the Median FamilyIncome in San Joaquin Valley Counties

A two-parent household in the San Joaquin Valley with two children and one working parent

must earn $44,448 annually to maintain a household and raise children.28 This figure assumes

that the family rents a modest apartment rather than purchasing a home and does not include

preschool costs.29

For San Joaquin families earning the median household income even part-time center-based

preschool of varying quality is unaffordable. The annual shortfall between actual income and

income needed to maintain a household and send a child to part-time preschool ranges from

$1,160 to $9,712.

Families in the San Joaquin Valley: Median Income

CountiesMEDIAN HOUSE-HOLD INCOME

MINIMUM IN-COME TO “MAKE

ENDS MEET”COST OF

PRESCHOOL

MAKING ENDS MEET WITHPRESCHOOL SHORTFALLL

Fresno $41,390 $44,448 $3,478 $47,926 $6,536

Kern $40,146 $44,448 $3,504 $47,952 $7,806

Kings $40,433 $44,448 $3,691 $48,139 $7,706

Madera $44,655 $44,448 $3,427 $47,875 $3,220

Merced $40,039 $44,448 $3,428 $47,876 $7,837

San Joaquin $48,828 $44,448 $3,509 $47,957 $671

Stanislaus $46,768 $44,448 $3,480 $47,928 $1,160

Tulare $38,179 $44,448 $3,443 $47,891 $9,712

“I’ve talked to other business owners and community leaders and found they have the

same challenges County Bank has finding qualified employees. This problem has also af-

fected Merced County’s employers’ ability to attract new employers with higher paying

jobs. The data shows that quality preschool programs provide the foundation for assuring

that we have the capable, high performing workforce we need.”Ed Rocha, President/COO

County Bank


Parent/Teacher Stories“I have a 7th grader now who went to preschool when she was four. I was impressed at how

well she learned to communicate and get along with other kids. When she got to kindergar-

ten she was prepared and got great progress reports all year. So when my younger daughter

turned three, I knew I wanted her to have the advantage of preschool too. Kids are never too

small to learn and she adapted quickly to her new environment. She got a lot of good structure

and stimulation at preschool. I realized that before strong preschool started she was starting to

get bored being home with family. She learned a lot of more grown-up words at preschool, and

it all got her ready for kindergarten where she is doing very well now.”Lurdes Martinez, Parent

Sanger

“Juan’s parents are migrant workers. They don’t have much money at all and they are unedu-

cated. They speak only a little English. Juan is the youngest of five siblings. His parents work

in the fields and have done that for years. I am happy to say that I can tell already that Juan

is going to do well in school because he came to my kindergarten with a big advantage: he’d

been to preschool. His parents had been told about our school district’s preschool program

and that it would help their little boy do better in school and so they enrolled Juan. I could tell

from the first day of school that Juan had been to preschool. He was confident. He knew how

to behave in the classroom and got along well with the other kids. And, over the course of the

year his literacy and math skills were able to keep pace easily with

what was expected of him.

When kids come to me without preschool experience I

need to spend a lot of my time teaching them the ba-

sics in terms of classroom behavior and also in terms

of academics. Some kids come without knowing

what is expected of them and it makes for an emo-

tionally rough transition for these kids. Kids without

preschool usually don’t have the basics down in


terms of socializing and sharing. And they also don’t have basic literacy skills like recognizing

letters and understanding that letters stand for certain sounds. They start out way behind. It’s

tough on their confidence. I notice that later in the school year, when I compare the academic

progress of my students, it’s the children who had preschool who make the biggest gains.

Juan is doing great. He’s a good role model for some the kids who have not had preschool.

He often helps me out with tasks in the classroom and I can see his confidence and leadership

skills building every day. He came to my kindergarten class ready to learn.

There is a lot less crying in my kindergarten classes now than there was when I started teach-

ing kindergarten over a decade ago. Sanger Unified School District has added a lot of pre-

school classrooms now, and that means I have a lot more students who arrive ready to take

advantage of what I have to teach them.

I wish all students could get this kind of start. I am worried now that my own two-year-old

daughter will not be able to go to a quality preschool when the time comes. Although my

husband and I both work, we don’t make enough to be able to afford the high cost of quality

preschool, but we aren’t low income enough to be eligible for the district’s preschool program. I

hope that someday this changes and that all kids can have the preschool advantage that Juan

has had.”

Dolores Leal-Martinez, Teacher

Ronald Reagan Elementary School, Fresno County


“My husband tells my boys, who are in the third and fourth grade now, that “Once you get an

‘A’ you won’t want to settle for a ‘B’.” Both of these boys are on the honor roll at school, and I

am sure it was their preschool experience that set them up for that. When they got to kinder-

garten they already had high expectations of themselves. They knew their letters and songs

and shapes and it gave them confidence.

And their preschool helped me be a better parent by opening my eyes to the importance of

education at an early age. The preschool sent home fliers all

the time with lesson about how to help my boys learn.

Once they started preschool my boys became

more interested in interacting with books. They

developed good learning habits and good

judgment. My nephews who did not go to

preschool had a much harder time. Their

vocabularies were more limited and they

were not as good at sharing and waiting

their turns.

When my youngest, Adrian, started pre-

school just last year, the school identified

that he had a speech delay. I had noticed his

speech was slow but didn’t know there was

something we could do to help him. He is working

with a speech therapist and it’s made

a huge difference for him. Now Adrian’s speech is more clear

and he’s forming sentences. It’s great for all of us because now we can understand

better what he is trying to communicate to us. I am grateful for all that preschool has done to

help our boys.”

Rosa Linda Gutierrez, Parent

Sanger Unified School District


“We are making too many three- and four-year-olds play a dangerous waiting game that

threatens the public safety of our communities. The research is clear: turning our most at-risk

kids away from quality preschool increases the chances that they will fall behind in school and

eventually turn to careers in crime. I’d rather pay now to open the door of opportunity for

our kids than pay more later to shut a jail door behind them.”

Chief Jerry Dyer, Fresno PD

“Before their first day of kindergarten, more than half of California’s youngsters are already behind in school. Without a year of preschool under their belts, they stumble over the basics — following directions, taking turns, reciting the alphabet. Studies show they might never quite catch up and are more likely to wind up in spe-cial education, dropping out of high school or in the justice system.”

Chief Thomas Klose, Sanger PD

“Decades of research has shown than an ef-fective preschool experience is one of the best crime-prevention tools around. It’s important for us to remember that investing wisely and early in our young people is the way to keep our kids in school and out of jail.”

Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Kern County

“We can’t arrest our way out of the crime prob-lem, but we can educate our way to a safer community. The key is getting kids started on the right track as early as possible, and then making sure the parents and schools do what’s needed to help them succeed and graduate.”

District Attorney Ron Calhoun, Kings County

Law Enforcement Quotes “Those of us on the front lines of fighting crime know we’ll see a big drop in crime when Cali-fornia’s commitment to putting criminals in jail is matched by our commitment to investing in kids—starting with preschool programs that help kids succeed in school and start down the right path in life. Unfortunately, every single public preschool in Madera County reported that they are forced to put kids on waiting lists because they’re at capacity. Clearly we need to create more opportunities for our kids to get a head start with preschool.”

Sheriff John Anderson, Madera County

“We need to use every weapon in our arsenal to fight crime and the research is clear: deny-ing kids quality preschool programs increases the chances that they will drop out of school and become career criminals later on. It’s much more cost-effective to invest in children today, than pay to lock them up later in life. Unfortu-nately, only 28% of the three- and four-year olds in San Joaquin County are enrolled in preschool—a real problem from a public safety perspective.”

District Attorney James Willett, San Joaquin County

“Kids who attend quality preschool learn the building blocks that lead to success in reading, in school and in life. But in Stanislaus County a whopping 96% of publicly funded preschools are forced to keep kids on waiting lists. It is unacceptable that low- and middle-income working families face such a high road block to enrolling their children in preschool.”

Chief Marty West, Oakdale PD


Media Clips

Stockton Record, November 8, 2007

Study: Some S.J. preschoolers behind on

academic, social skills - Jennifer Torres

Fresno Bee, August 13, 2007

Preschool helps children succeed

Fresno Bee, August 24, 2007

Chief backs preschool - Jerry Dyer

Stockton Record, November 8, 2007

Study: Some S.J. preschoolers behind on academic,

social skills - Jennifer Torres

Merced Sun-Star, November 12, 2007

Study shows California kindergartners falling behind - Abby Souza

Merced Sun-Star, November 24, 2007

Kids should learn early and often - Lee Andersen and Catherine Atkin

Merced Sun-Star, January 19, 2008

Galgiani finds preschoolers can ask tough questions, too - Abby Souza

The Bakersfield Californian, April 28, 2008

New preschool boasts 192 licensed spots - Courtenay Edelhart

Merced Sun-Star, July 1, 2008

Preschool out of neediest kids’ reach - Abby Souza

Fresno Bee, July 10, 2008

Op-ed: Our children must have preschool access - Larry Powell

Fresno Bee, July 14, 2008

Letter to the editor: Value of preschool - Francine M. Farber


Footnotes1 2 The 2007 California County Data Book, Children Now.3 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, January, 2008 (based on 2005 data).4 Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Family in California: The California Budget Project, 2007. The Report

calculates the basic household living expenses for a two parent, two child household with one working parent. The basic num-

bers make no allowance for childcare. The figure used for this report are those calculated for Region V, the counties of the San

Joaquin Valley, using data from 2005-2007 5 Lee, Brian, Paying the Price for the High Cost of Preschool in California, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. These figures

are based on California Department of Education Data from Statewide RMR for Preschoolers, 2005. 6 Key Preschool Indicators, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2005 (a series of county fact sheets including preschool waitlists). 7 California’s Preschool Space Challenge: What preschool advocates, parents, and policy-makers need to know, Advancement

Project (2007) p. 5. Space short communities are also clustered in the Bay Area and Southern California.8 Ibid. at 4 (The report assumed that programs would be fully operational by 2010-2011.)9 Ibid. at 12-13.10 Ibid. at 13.11 Ibid. 12 The RAND study assumed a 70% participation rate of four-year-olds in a part-time program totaling 525 hours per year.

Karoly, Lynn A., County-Level Estimates of a Universal Preschool Program in Cailfornia, RAND Corporation, 2005, p. xiii.13 Due to data limitations, the authors could not calculate baselines for every category, and therefore could not measure per-

centage changes for some variables. Karoly, Lynn A., County-Level Estimates of a Universal Preschool Program in California,

RAND Corporation, 2005, p. xv.14 Karoly, Lynn A., County-Level Estimates of a Universal Preschool Program in California, RAND Corporation, p. 3.15 Karoly, Lynn A., and James H. Bigelow, The Economics of Investing in Universal Preschool Education in California, Santa

Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation.16 Key Preschool Need Indicators, fact sheet, County data collected and compiled by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, California, in

partnership with Children Now in 2005. The population data is for four year olds who are not in kindergarten.17 The State of the Great Central Valley of California, Assessing The Region Via Indicators: Education and Youth Preparedness

(Second Edition), Great Valley Center, 2008. P. 14. Figure is the percentage of children under 18 living below the federal pov-

erty level.18 ibid at 2219 ibid at 2620 Karoly, Lynn A., County-Level Estimates of a Universal Preschool Program in California, RAND Corporation, 2005 TABLES

3.1 and 3.2 p, 27 and 28. (benefits when 70% of Fresno four-year olds attend high-quality, part-time preschool)21 Lee, Brian, Paying the Price for High Cost of Preschool in California, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006. Based on data from

the California Department of Education. Figures include average cost and starting costs for schools in the upper 15th percen-

tile of costs.22 Lee, Brian, Paying the Price for High Cost of Preschool in California, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006. Based on data from

the California Department of Education. Figures include average cost and starting costs for schools in the upper 15th percen-

tile of costs.23 Authors calculations based on combining household living expenses from Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to

Raise a Family in California? The California Budget Project, 2007 with preschool expenses as reported in fn vi. above and

comparing to household median income fn vii. The Budget Project report calculates the basic household living expenses for

a two parent, two child household with one working parent. The basic numbers make no allowance for childcare/preschool.

The number shown in the chart is the shortfall between median household income and costs of making ends meet including

providing preschool for one child. The figures used for this report are those calculated for the counties of the San Joaquin Val-

ley using data from 2005-2007.


24 California’s Preschool Space Challenge: What preschool advocates, parents, and policy-makers need to know, Advance-

ment Project, 2007. Charts 4 and 5 pages 10-11. In calculating the availability of preschool facilities, the report looked at,

among other things, a targeted approach where preschool is made available to all four year olds who are heading into elemen-

tary schools whose Academic Performance Index scores are in the two lowest performing deciles (API 1 and 2 schools).25 Public Safety Can’t Wait: California’s Preschool Shortage, a Missed Opportunity for Crime Prevention, Fight Crime: Invest

in Kids, 2005. The figure represents the percentage of all responding programs with an active waiting list. All California Head

Start, State Preschool and General Child Care contractors in each county were surveyed. The overall survey response rate

was 48%.26 Lee, Brian, Paying the Price for High Cost of Preschool in California, A Report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006.27 These figures are based on California Department of Education data as reported by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. Although

they are lower on a per child per year basis than the RAND estimate, the figures are not comparable to the cost of quality care.

They represent the cost of part-time preschool and childcare of varying quality. While higher costs do not guarantee higher

quality programs, cost and quality tend to be related, because of the need for larger numbers of more highly trained staff,

comprehensive curricula, smaller staff to student ratios, and screening and referral services. The starting cost for preschools in

the upper 15% of cost are included to give a sense of the costs of higher quality programs in each of the counties.28 Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Family in California, The California Budget Project. 2007 p. 21.29 Ibid.

Footnotes (cont)

Acknowledgements

AuthorsMaryann O’Sullivan

Manuel Alvarado

EditorAmy Moffat

Project PartnersPreschool California

Kern County Office of Education

Fresno County Office of Education

Merced County Office of Education

This project and report was funded by a grant from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

Great Valley Center | 201 Needham Street, Modesto, CA 95350 ph (209) 522-5103 | fax (209) 522-5116 | www.greatvalley.org

A Great Valley Center Report

early education for the next generation: preschool readiness for the san joaquin valley

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