Education Today @education2day-blog - Tumblr Blog

What I have learned so far:

From this project, I learned a few main lessons. First, I learned that a technological forum can be a convenient and useful way to discuss educational topics and I will continue to use this blog as an ongoing format for any future early childhood education issues that come up. I also learned that when discussing any controversial issue, it is always important to acknowledge and evaluate the other side so as to not appear biased. I also discovered various sources for high-quality resources on education. While doing that, I found some very interesting and useful information on the "Universal Preschool" initiative, the high costs of private preschool, the debate surrounding universal pre-k, the importance of early childhood education, and nationwide data. I will use this tumblr as my own resource database from which I can obtain and add information for my future career in education and human services. I also will look for other education-based blogs to follow so that I can continue to stay up to date on educational topics as other educators and advocates view them. I will also use the skills I learned from this project when completing other papers, presentations and projects in my undergraduate classes and my future career. Specifically, I will use the ability to advocate on behalf of a particular program and the ability to use a creative, technological forum to my benefit.

Check out the comparison of annual daycare costs vs. college tuition rates in your home state! In my home state, Massachusetts, annual daycare costs averaged about $5,811 more than college tuition rates. This statistic is very surprising to me and proves how difficult it may be for families to afford high-quality preschool.

I attended a private preschool in New York City and when I recently checked back to see how much it would cost to send a child there in 2015 for 5 day-a-week, full-day preschool, I found out that it would be over $20,000/year!

Why do you think these rates are so high? How much is a reasonable price for daycare?

"Preschool has been oversold. People too often speak as if it’s a certainty that preschool has strong, lasting benefits."

"The issue isn't whether pre-k is a good thing. The clashes come over how to do it.” I thought that this quote encapsulated the “Universal preschool” debate very well. This article points out some of the main struggles for the implementation of this program: long-term impacts, low quality existing programs, political aspects, and funding. The article also highlights some of the strengths of the program including its positive impact on low-income students, the return on investment, and the percentage of children not enrolled in preschool. The article also explains how high-quality preschool has been successful in closing the achievement gap and how it may close the national achievement gap if universal pre-k was implemented. To me, this is the greatest strength of the “Preschool for All” initiative since no other educational or federal program has been successful in closing the achievement gap.

My personal response to my recent post on the "Universal Preschool" Initiative

Why do I believe in the future success and sustainability of the “Universal Preschool” initiative?

-As of 2012, 54% of all American 4 year-old children were not enrolled in any preschool program, meaning that they presumably entered Kindergarten with no preschool experience. This program is the only way that we can assure that all 4 year-old children are enrolled in high-quality preschool.

-President Obama has pledged $75 billion over the course of the next 10 years for the “Universal Preschool” program, a new home visiting program and an evaluation program so that the government can investigate the successes and failures of the program after its implementation.

-The program outlines specific quality benchmarks and standards on curriculum, facilities and faculty.

-The “Universal Preschool” initiative will offer the necessary resources to existing preschool programs to accommodate for the new population of students.

-This program can help provide children from at-risk populations to be more prepared for Kindergarten and their future educational careers.

My concerns about the “Universal Preschool” Initiative:

-This program may limit family choice because preschool may not be a good fit for some families for cultural, racial or personal reasons.

-It is possible that this program could be another failed education bill for lack of necessary resources and high-quality teachers.

-This program and the teachers who are implementing it may not account for children from diverse backgrounds and families and may therefore be detrimental to children’s development.

-How will we evaluate the success of this program?

-How can we be sure that all preschool facilities across the country are abiding by federal regulations and performing at an acceptable level?

-How will we find the teachers required for this program’s implementation?

-Will these preschools be state or federally regulated? How?

This poll, hosted by Gallup (a research based foundation consulting company that hosts major public polls), found that 70% of all individuals polled were in favor of the program, while 28% opposed and 3% had no opinion. The poll question was: "Would you favor or oppose using federal money to increase funding to make sure high-quality preschool programs are available for every child in America?"

I was surprised by the findings of this study, because many of the articles I read opposed the program for funding or content based issues. Many people may be in favor of universal early childhood education but not be in favor of the idea that the program will be federally funded. Others might be concerned with quality assurance and standards.

What do you think of the "Universal Preschool" program? What are your concerns?

#preschool #gallup #poll #education

This study — perhaps the most well-known of all HighScope research efforts — examines the lives of 123 children born in poverty and at high risk of failing in school.

Check out this study entitled the "Perry Preschool Project" proving the lifelong, positive effects high-quality early childhood education can have on young children.

Check out my Prezi on President Obama's "Preschool for All" Initiative and my recommendation for why it should be implemented!

#preschool #universalprek

This graph shows how much the rate of 3-4 year-old children not enrolled in preschool can vary state by state.

Why do certain states have higher rates than others? What are states doing to attempt to decrease this percentage?

Currently, 54% of all American 3-4 children are not attending preschool. This graph shows that since 2006, the national rate of children ages 3-4 not attending preschool has only decreased by 2%.

Why hasn't the federal government attended to remediate this problem earlier?

Why might people oppose to the Universal Pre-K program?

"This really puts more pressure on the non-disadvantaged parents to prepare their own children at age 4, not slough it off to the government to do. "

"pay our existing teachers and fund our existing schools AND PRE K PROGRAMS"

"I see it as nothing more than asking tax payers to pay for free baby sitting."

"Sustainability of this program is not guaranteed."

"Also, will parents have choices as to what type of early learning program their children will attend?"

High Scope Perry Preschool Study

"The study showed that subjects who had attended the Perry preschool program had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes and were more likely to have graduated from high-school than adults who did not attend the preschool (High Scope, 2005)."

-Katja Hamler

" The only current policy that has directly attempted to address the current achievement gap is No Child Left Behind (P.L. 107-110) (NCLB) that was introduced in 2001 (Education Week, 2011). NCLB required all school districts to disaggregate student test scores and other academic data points by student characteristics to present more accurate comparisons between student groups (Education Week, 2011). NCLB was successful in increasing awareness about the biases that inhibit low-income and minority students and their academic success (Education Week, 2011). However, No Child Left Behind has not made any significant strides in increasing low-income students’ test scores and therefore, decreasing the achievement gap (Education Week, 2011)."

-Katja Hamler

from-student-to-teacher

education2day-blog

"We know why kids don't learn, it's either poverty, low attendance, negative peer influences...we rarely discuss the value and importance of human connection "

Did you have any teachers that changed your life? Why are relationships imperative for learning?

"Bill de Blasio: Universal Pre-K Closes the Achievement Gap"

New York City, led by Mayor Bill de Blasio will be the first major city in the United States to offer free, full-day, high-quality preschool to all 3-4 year old children residing in the city. There has been controversy about this new initiative from both families and politicians. Many of the concerns have surrounded quality standards, budget, family choice and the transition to Kindergarten. There is much anticipation surrounding the research and data that will be done after the first year of the implementation of this unique initiative.

This is the White House fact sheet summarizing President Obama's "Preschool for All" initiative and key factors for implementation and evaluation. President Obama's Administration has promised $1.5 billion in the next ten years towards the "Preschool for All" Initiative, a new home visiting program and general early childhood education improvements.

What would you spend on education if you were the President of the United States?

"In the United States, as of 2012, 54% of all children ages 3-4 were not enrolled in any nursery school or preschool within the previous two months (Kids Count, 2012). Children below 200% of the poverty line were 18% more likely to not be enrolled in preschool than those children about 200% above the poverty line (Kids Count, 2012)."

-Katja Hamler

uwsbcfits-blog

a visual demonstration of summer learning loss & the achievement gap

education2day-blog

This is a simple, visual way to understand the significant summer learning loss that accumulates over time and increases the achievement gap.

How can we remediate this problem?

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