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Statement of Issue: Early Childhood Education: Building a Strong Foundation for Future Mississipplans F^ rt *1 <ncr\t.J i- lc-ir..

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Background

It is universally acknowledged that the first five years of a child's life offer the greatest potential for building the foundations of conceptual learning and of developing valuable skills, habits and attitudes. Early childhood education therefore, provides early stimulation in building interests in positive dispositions towards learning.{According to the Mississippi State University's Early Childhood institute, Mississippi ranks near the bottom of the nation in academic performance and achievement. Among the challenges to education in Mississippi are the lack of a mandatory kindergarten attendance law and the absence of a fully funded mandatory pre-kindergarten program. We do have Head Start and many school districts use their Title 1 dollars for 4 yearold pre-kindergarten classrooms, but only a third of all school districts within the state of Mississippi provide funding for this initiative. The continued absence of a mandatory pre-kindergarten attendance law and the inherent lack of state funding for early childhood education will persist in limit better early-learning opportunities for young children in Mississippi.

Current Laws

The state of Mississippi up until recently had a largely unregulated system of day care and pre-k programs. However, the Mississippi state legislature on January 31, 2013 passed a bill that would provide $3 million to partially fund voluntary preschool programs for 4 year-olds, beginning in the 2OI4 to 2015 school vear.L Jwc'

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Policv Ootions

*Pass Legislation that Ensures Mandatory KindergartenAttendance in Mississippi. This will ensure eerJy an early academic start for students at the pre-kindergarten level statewide.

It will also significantly boost the readiness of children entering the K-12 level. Also, an Integration Program of Day Care and Pre-Kindergarten Schools policy must be enacted by the state's legislature. This collaboration through integration will provide a more effective means of catering to the development of the 'Whole Child' at the most critical stage of development.

*Develop High-Quality Early Childhood Initiatives to Ensure Student's Success in School. The positive impact of high-quality early childhood programs on children's success in school and

their future has been well documented. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of the early years for the developing brain. And over the past four decades, numerous studies such as the Perry Preschool Study; the Abecedarian Project; the Chicago Longitudinal study; and the Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study have indicated that high-quality early childhood education increases the likelihood that children-particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds-will become successful citizens (NICHD, 1998).

High-quality programs at the state level to provide children with secure and caring relationships with educators and caregivers, stimulating learning opportunities, and experiences that prepare them for later school years. These programs are charucterized by the following practices:

*Language-rich and responsive communication between adults and children;

*Positive and appropriate reinforcement of skills and behavior;

*Extensive rehearsal of old and new cognitive, academic, and developmental skills;

*Guidance in desirable social skills and facilitation of positive interactions between peers and adults; and

*Various structured and informal and formal activities that encourage children to reflect, predict, question, and hypothesize.

Although early childhood programs that include the practices described above are expensive, studies have consistently shown a savings of $7 for every dollar spent on such programs. These savings

come as a result of lower costs for remedial and special education, fewer school dropouts, and less delinquency and subsequent unemployment or criminal activity. Research also shows that high-quality earty ctritOlood education helps to bridge the achievement gap and increases economic productivity

and social stability. Making preschool available state-wide would help to develop a highly educated work force and citizenry needed to improve the state's per capita income.

*Provide Training for a Highly Competent and Well-Compensated Teaching Staff. Teacher training in Mississippi is currently an issue, especially at the early childhood level. Anyone

can teach at a pre-k child care facility in the state if you are 18 years or older, and have a high school diploma or GED. The need for specialized training is critical if we are to improve academic achievement in the state. The evidence indicates that specialized training, including post-secondary education; low turnover; and decent salaries, are key predictors of program quality and positive child outcomes (NRC, 2000a). In other words high quality teachers make a difference. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, early childhood teachers in Mississippi rank among the lowest in pay, lowest in training, and highest in turnover rates of any occupation (USDO/BLS, 2002). Forty percent of preschool staff has only a high school diploma, and turnover rates range from 30 to 50 percent. On average, the highest paid teachers earn a wage of $10.50 per hour. Teachers are critical stakeholders in the teaching and learning process, as such a highly knowledgeable and professional staff is needed to effectively educate our children.

Sources:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Early Child Care Research Network. (1998). "The NICHD Study of Early Child Care: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study of Young Children's Lives." Psychiatric Times,15 vol. 3,71-12.

National Research Council (NRC). (2000a). Eager to Learn: Educating our Preschoolers. Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, B. Bowman, S. Donavan, and M. S. Burns, (Eds.). Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (USDOL/BLS). (2002). Occupational Outlook Handb o ok, 2002 -200 3 Edition. Washington, D.C. : USDOL/BLS.

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Pre-kindergartners listen in class at€entral Elementary lq!9!in Gulfport' The class is p*t of a pilot piogram called South Mississippi's PreK4Ward lnitiative.

Legislature. The moneywill serve near-

ly two dozen school districts this year and re-ach an esti- iated2{OO4-year-oldsdur- ing the next 2r/z Years, said Robin Lemonis, director of early childhood, literacy, and

Mississippi educators tackle early learnittg , By lrlARY IIAROARIT HAIFORD [email protected]

In a state where"Pover- ty affects tens ofthousands of children and education falls to the b6ttom of na- tional rankings, communi- ty ieaders know they have to do what theY can to im- prove opportunities for kids across Mississippi.

Research shows that earlY childhood education is one waytoim€ase adrill's dnre

! es for success in their later years, but there's no statewide

I program for 3- and 4-Yeat- I olds in Mississippi'

"\Alhen children get to first-

State money,boosts some pre-K programs, but falls short of need

By JACI(IE [lADTR

The Hechinger RePort

ABERDEEN - Inthe 23 Years |ennifer Calvert has offered preschool for 4-year-olds in this rural town, she has never filled a classroom. Last Year, just six students signed uP, even thu.g! C,ahert hasromt,- for 19 irr her bright, spacious child-care center. ' Calvert said manY fami-

lies wanted their children in pre-kindergarten, but simPlY iouldnt pay the tuition.

"Most of my Parents are single parents. ManY single

fiarents cannot afford $80 a week,'l Calvert said on a recent afternoon at ABC Pre-School & NurserY Inc.' as children practiced writ- ing letters with a teacher's help and played in careful- Iy labeled areas oftheroom, packed with toys, books and dress-up clothing.

There is good news ahead for Calvert, who exPects a packed classroom for the first time ever in August as part of MibsissiPPls first

dyslexia for the state DePart- ment ofEducation That's *ill fewer than 6 percent of the state's population of 4-Year- olds, however.

Calvert will be able to low-

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foray into state-funded Pre- school.

Calvert and a smattering of local school districts, child- care centers, and Head Start programs will allbenefit from ihe additionof $3 millionin state grants aPProved bY the

across Mississippi still risk entgring kindergarten un- prepared.

But throughout the Mag- nolia State, privately-funded pre-k programs arc PoPP1DC up to ensure that children have a head start vrhen the-v enter kindergarten-

In 2009, Gulfport con' munity ald business leaders wanted to do something for the betterment.of their citY, and they landed on earlY childhood education as their best option.

The cr'ew looked at what other Southern states were dsing to better prepare chil' dren for kindergarten and

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concluded that tlere was no ':me to waste on wair- ing for state funding - th€Thad to act irnrraji*elr m their own-

'Ilte were *aniry wib I'oungsers wbo droP un iniuni;rhig}r,anlwwe d.-aling wlh th rrF' grrdry in tru$le wth the las- eal{ fuff4uc'eageSc*d. '"But if we don't start with 9 and 4-year-olds, we'll always be playing catch up. That's the theory behiad gerriry t': a -voung:$ex ea+-"-

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grade, they're on so manY diF ferent levels, it's an obvious problem in this state," said loyce Helmick, prdsiden! of the MississiPpi Association of Educators. "Learning in an early stage can Prevent so much of the students be- ing behihd, it can get then where they need to be."

ln 2013, MissisiiPPi be- came the last Southern state to jump on the earlY child- hood education bandwag- on, allocating about $3 mil- lion worth of grants to Pre-k programs across the state. But that money was given to only 11 pre-k Programs' and many 3- and 4-Yea:-olds

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