susan k. urahn director of education the pew charitable trusts governors forum on quality preschool...

Susan K. UrahnDirector of EducationThe Pew Charitable

Trusts

Governors Forum on Quality Preschool

December 15, 2003Orlando, Florida

The Role of State Leaders in Advancing Quality

Preschool

A significant percentage of children are not proficient in reading in fourth, eighth and twelfth grade

Percentage of children below

proficient(NAEP, 2002)

NAEP National AverageReading

69 67 64

0

20

40

60

80

100

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12

Children who start behind too often stay behind

THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS

In 2003, the percentages of children not proficient in reading in fourth, eighth and twelfth grade increased

Percentage of children below

proficient(NAEP, 2003)

NAEP National AverageReading

70 70 66

0

20

40

60

80

100

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12



47

54

30

40

50

60

End of first grade reading achievement

Reading Achieveme

nt(t-score)

Did not know

letters at kindergarte

n entry

Knew letters at

kindergarten entry

Children who do not know the alphabet when they enter kindergarten are behind in reading at the end of first grade

NationalAverage



49 percent of children who do not know the alphabet as they enter kindergarten are middle class or higher

Percent of beginning

kindergartners who do notknow their

letters

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Lowest Low middle Middle High middle Highest

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

49 percent

51 percent

Too many children from all families are not ready for school…


As children enter kindergarten • about one-third of middle class children do not know the

alphabet • about one-quarter of upper-middle class children do not

know the alphabet

Percent of beginning

kindergartners who do notknow their

letters

61

4536

26

15

0

20

40

60

80

100

Lowest Low middle Middle High middle Highest




17

21

27

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Reading AchievementScale Score

The gap in reading skills between middle class children and their more affluent peers is greater than the gap between middle class and poor children



4 point difference

6 point difference

Lowest

SES

MiddleSES

HighestSES


Early Childhood InitiativeAllegheny County, Pennsylvania

0

5

10

15

20

25

Special Education Grade Retention

ECI

Non-ECI<1%

21%

<2%

23%

THE PEWCHARITABLE TRUSTS

PreK has immediate benefits for kids and schools

Chicago Child-Parent CentersDevelopmental Outcomes

38.4

25.1 24.6

14.216.9

23

14.4

6.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

Comparison GroupPre-kindergarten Group

Juvenile Arrest by Age 18

Grade Retention by Age 15

Special Education by Age 18

Child Maltreatment by Age 17


Children have short term and long term benefits

Early education enrollment, by mother’s employment


Families with a parent at home choose to give their kids prek as much as families with all working parents

Too few child care classrooms provide quality care

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Cryer, Cliffordand Harms

National ChildCare Staffing

Study

Layzer Cost, Quality &Child Outcomes

Study

Average ECERS Scores in four different studies

Good Quality

Excellent Quality


750,000

290,000

725,000

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1991-92 1998-99 2001-02

Participation in state funded pre-K

Number of children

THE PEWCHARITABLE TRUSTS

States have dramatically increased investments in prek

Total state spending in state funded prek

Dollars (millions)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1990-91 1998-99 2001-02

700

1,700

2,500


Many more children are getting access to prek

Too many states invest too little

(2001-02)


More than $6000$3000 - $5999$1 - $2999$0Data not available

Only two states serve over half of their 4 year olds (2001-02)


More than 40%20 - 40%

0%Data not available

1 - 20%

susan k. urahn director of education the pew charitable trusts governors forum on quality preschool...

Documents