Pre-Kindergarten in Washington
Background In Washington, more than 50 percent of children enter kindergarten unprepared.1 High-quality preschool, also called pre-K, can increase the number of children prepared for school as 85 percent of brain development happens between birth and age five.2 Numerous studies have found that children who attend pre-K have increased K-12 achievement and decreased rates of special education placement and grade repetition.3 In Washington, only 40 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are in pre-K.4 Almost all federal and state pre-K programs are for low-income children and even those programs are not serving all eligible children.
There are many benefits and cost savings to high-quality pre-K. One of the most commonly cited pre-K studies is High/Scope Perry Preschool. In 1962, researchers began following 123 high-risk 3- and 4-year-olds and their families in Michigan. At age 40, participants were more likely to have graduated from high school, make higher earnings, hold a job, and commit fewer crimes than those who did not attend this high-quality preschool program. Another well-known study is Chicago Parent-Child Centers, which found that participants who received high-quality pre-K beginning at age three did better in school and were less likely to drop out of high school, be arrested, repeat grades, or be placed in special education services.5 At-risk children who do not have access to high- quality early learning experiences are 25 percent more likely to drop out of school; 40 percent more likely to become a teen parent; 50 percent more likely to be placed in special education; 60 percent more likely to never attend college; and 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime, all of which require costly state resources.6
Pre-K in Washington Similar pre-K benefits are seen in Washington. Children who were enrolled in Washington’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) in 2010-11 made significant measurable gains in physical, social, cognitive, and language development.7 In addition, kindergarten readiness assessments in the Longview School District found that nearly twice as many children (48 percent) who had no preschool required alternative curricula and intensive supports for reading skills as children who participated in pre-K (25 percent).8
1 Department of Early Learning, Overview of the WaKIDS Pilot, February 2011, accessed online Dec. 15, 2011.
December 2011 1 Pre-Kindergarten in Washington
In addition to the academic gains, high-quality pre-K saves money. Research shows that high- quality pre-K saves school districts about $3,700 per child over the course of the K-12 years.9 Additionally, there is $1,000 in savings per preschooler for programs outside the school system, such as health care, drug prevention, child protection, and juvenile justice costs.10 For the million school children in Washington that would result in $3.7 billion in savings across the state. With additional savings, high-quality pre-K could save the state up to $4.7 billion. For every $1 invested in pre-K, there is a return on investment ranging from $7 to $16, depending on the specifics of the pre-K program.11
Despite the many benefits of pre-K, the only pre-K programs in Washington, Head Start and ECEAP, are for low-income families and those programs do not serve all eligible children. Head Start began in 1965 and provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.12 In Washington, approximately 12,400 children are served through Head Start.13 Similar to Head Start, ECEAP focuses on the well- being of the whole child by providing comprehensive nutrition, health, education, and family support services and eligibility is similar to Head Start. Children are eligible for ECEAP in their two years before kindergarten if they: are from a family with income at or below 110 percent of the federal poverty level ($24,585 annually for a family of four); qualify for school district special education services; or have developmental or environmental risk factors that could affect school success.14 Current funding for ECEAP is $57 million and there are 8,391 slots available for children. In 2010-11, the waitlist reached 4,341 children. Currently, only 50.5 percent of ECEAP- eligible children are served through ECEAP or Head Start. In 2010-11, 18,600 ECEAP-eligible children were not served by either program.15
Expanding Access to State-Funded Pre-K While many programs focus on serving low-income children, middle-class children also benefit from pre-K. Nationally, about one in three children from middle-income families do not know the alphabet when they enter kindergarten as compared with only one in six children from upper- income families.16 Middle-income children also face many of the same educational challenges as low-income children, including increased rates of grade repetition, dropout, and placement into special education, which are many of the trends high-quality pre-K has proven effective in addressing. During the 2005-06 school year, more than half of all dropouts were from middle- income families.17
9 Belfield, C.R., and Schwartz, H., The Economic Consequences of Early Childhood Education on the School System, National Institute for Early Education Research, 2006. 10 Ibid. 11 Washington Preschool Program: Increasing Access and Outcomes for Children. Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W. S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M, Lifetime effects: The HighScope Perry Preschool Study through Age 40, 2005. 12 Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP, About Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, accessed online Dec. 15, 2011.
December 2011 2 Pre-Kindergarten in Washington
Even with the demonstrated benefit to children from middle-income families, the cost of pre-K can be prohibitive for many families. Nationally, early education and care accounts for 29 percent of the average monthly expenses for a middle-class family of four with two young children.18 In Washington, the cost of pre-K varies greatly, but averages $718 per month. The yearly cost averages $8,613, which is more than in-state college tuition.19 Unlike higher education, there is not financial aid for pre-K and parents are often early in their career and therefore have less money to afford pre-K.
A number of states have created pre-K programs for children regardless of their families’ income. Oklahoma provides a state-run pre-K program for all 4-year-olds whose families choose to participate. As a result, 71 percent of 4-year-olds are in the program and an additional 15 percent are served through Head Start. Florida has a similar program for 4-year-olds. In 2006, Illinois created a program to provide pre-K to all 3- and 4-year-olds regardless of income. However, due to lack of funding the program is not currently able to serve all children who apply.20
Recent Legislation and Recommendations in Washington In recent years, early learning advocates have tried to create a voluntary, universal pre-K program, meaning all 3- and 4-year-olds would be eligible and the program would be available to all who want to enroll their children. In 2009, Governor Gregoire vetoed a section of HB 2261 that created an early learning workgroup and included early learning for at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds in the definition of basic education.21 In 2010, HB 2731and SB 6759 laid the foundation for creating a voluntary pre-K program by building off of ECEAP.22 SB 6759 required an Early Learning Technical Workgroup to develop preschool recommendations.
The workgroup recommended a voluntary program for all 3- and 4-year-olds with graduated copays for families over 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $46,325 for a family of three. The program will be similar to ECEAP but have higher standards by requiring more classroom hours (450 hours instead of 320 hours) and smaller class ratios (18 children instead of 20 children) and increased degree (lead teacher must have a bachelor degree) and ongoing professional development requirements. Similar to ECEAP, the program will provide tiered health and family support services based on child and family needs. The program will ensure accountability through evaluation and performance goals and contract with public and private providers to create a mixed- delivery system. The Department of Early Learning will manage the new pre-K program and ECEAP will be merged into the new program once it is fully implemented.23 Legislation that is similar to the workgroup recommendations is expected to be introduced in the 2012 session.
18 The Pre-K Pinch: Early Education and the Middle Class. 19 Social & Economic Sciences Research Center, Washington State 2010 Child Care Survey, Fall 2010, accessed online Dec. 15, 2011.
December 2011 3