Posted on 02/10/2005 1:38:30 PM PST by hsmomx3
Goldwater Report Raises Questions about Government Plans for Preschool
PHOENIX—In a report released this week on early education programs, Goldwater Institute president Darcy Olsen shows that U.S. elementary students outperform their international peers in reading, math, and science. The findings call into question the advisability of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s plans to increase government involvement in early education, including kindergarten.
The report, “Assessing Proposals for Preschool and Kindergarten: Essential Information for Parents, Taxpayers and Policymakers,” examines the results of model early education programs -- including Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, and Head Start and Arizona programs such as Reading First and kindergarten in the Chino and Alhambra districts. The report finds the widespread adoption of preschool and full-day kindergarten is unlikely to improve student achievement.
Since 1965, enrollment of four-year-olds in early education programs has increased from 16 to 66 percent, but test scores are virtually unchanged. However, U.S. students routinely outperform their international peers in the early years, indicating that American students are well served by a flexible approach to early education where parents choose the setting, including home care that is best for their children. While U.S. children are “A” students in fourth grade, they regress to “D” students by 12th grade.
“The good news is America’s early education system is among the best in the world,” Olsen said. “The bad news is the secondary system is among the worst. There are solutions, but trading sippy cups for school desks is not one of them.”
Advocates for government preschool perpetuate the myth that poor school performance is the result of inadequate early preparation. American Federation of Teachers president emeritus Sandra Feldman said the United States “can’t afford not to” adopt a preprimary program sculpted after the French system that enrolls nearly all 3- and 4-year-olds in government schools. Yet, U.S. fourth-graders routinely outperform their European peers in reading, math and science and are more literate than the French.
Conservative estimates show Arizona spends in excess of $400 million on early education programs, but little information is collected on program impact. Olsen recommends measures for transparency, program assessment and improved flexibility through individual student funding.
“This report provides an invaluable review of existing early childhood research,” Heritage Foundation senior education policy analyst Krista Kafer said. “It separates rhetoric from fact at a time when policymakers need to know the truth.”
Among other findings, the report examines Georgia’s recent experience with universal preschool. After 10 years, the program has served more than 300,000 children at a cost of $1.15 billion and children’s test scores are unchanged.
“Fundamentally, the early education discussion is not about the effectiveness or cost of the programs,” Olsen said. “At heart is the question of in whose hands the responsibility for young children rests. Further entrenching the state into the lives of young children cannot be squared with a free society that cherishes the primacy of the family over the state.”
The Goldwater Institute report is available online at www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article.php/542.html.
Try convincing Janet Napoloreno of this. She is obsessed with putting in place what they have in North Carolina. Or is it South Carolina? She is wanting the govt. to take care of the toddlers (4 year olds) all day while Moms are away at play (or work).
Education PING.
Don't feel bad. The school board in Upper Township , New Jersey APPROVED a Charter School in a French Immersian setting . The WHOLE curriculum is in French. The program was originally part of the regular school district . BTW, TAX dollars still pay for the Charter School. The community did not get to vote on this proposal .Forced through by a bunch of liberal no nothings . They think it is cute to have a program like this .
""The report finds the widespread adoption of preschool and full-day kindergarten is unlikely to improve student achievement. ""
Children learn through play. Let four year olds be four year olds.
This is nonsense
My oldest grand daughter was home schooled till the ninth grade, she made straight A's in all her classes, including the advanced classes which all counted as college credits, she went to the Future Leaders of America conventions all three years. She won full scholarships to one of the finest University in the country and several others, being a good little Republican child she chose a Conservative religious college. Wonderful home schooled background, wouldn't you say?
She is in her freshman year in College, with perfect grade records so far.
Gee, in my county in NJ, school officials do everything in their power to thwart charter schools because they "take funds from the local public schools." The thinking is that parents should be thrilled with the local public schools and charter schools are only for the disadvantaged. I don't think there is anything in the state charter school law that supports that position, however.
Do parents who send their kids to the French language charter school pay school taxes?
"While U.S. children are “A” students in fourth grade, they regress to “D” students by 12th grade."
Kids are still enthusiastic in the fourth grade. By the time they reach 12th grade, they've had it. They want out of there.
I think the trend is changing for homeschoolers regarding going to a public or private school for high school. From what I've read, more are staying at home or attending junior college -- better homeschool curriculum -- on-line courses -- the wave of the future.
If I were a public school official, I'd be worried.
Everybody pays school taxes . Even if your child goes to a Parochial school , you pay local school tax .
Yes, I know that.
It seems so backwards to me! If I had kids in a public school, there's no way I'd want them to go through public high school.
This French immersion school was for lower grades . There IS a Charter High School in Somers Point called Charter-Tech which zeros in on kids interested in the arts. HOWEVER, 70% of the 8th graders in the school failed the GEPA test in Math last year ..
Having praised the preschool program, I can't wait to get the kids into a private school once they are past kindergarten. I have remarked before that the public high school kids in this area tend to be rude, loud and vulgar, while kids from a local Christian school are the best behaved I have ever seen. I'm sure that there are some polite kids in the public schools as well, but I have NEVER seen a rude kid from the Christian school!
FWIW, though, back in the 1960's, I graduated from Cedar Ridge Elementary. Everything I needed to know to be successful in college, I learned there. Junior high and high school were a waste of time. This was also about the time that the Japanese Deming crap from WWII was seeping into the system. For whatever it's worth though, elementary education being good and secondary education being bad in the US isn't a new thing.
yeah, except getting straigth A'a in public highschool usually means the kid is not really challeneged and she could potentially have learned much more.
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