NIEER news roundup

July 2, 2009 Poll shows that when it comes to children, Michigan taxpayers don't mind spending a little more
The Lake Research Partners' poll showed that 74 percent of Michiganders are in favor of investing in early childhood development even if it raises their taxes. According to the Lake Research Partners poll, half of Michiganders believe the state already spends too little on early childhood development and education; six percent said the state spends too much.

July 2, 2009 Report Calls For New Initiative To Improve Math Education For Preschoolers
To ensure that all children enter elementary school with the foundation they need for success, a major national initiative is needed to improve early childhood mathematics education, says a new report from the National Research Council. Opportunities for preschoolers to learn mathematics are currently inadequate, particularly for those in low-income groups, says the report, which is intended to inform the efforts of Head Start, state-funded preschool programs, curriculum developers, and teachers.

July 1, 2009 Now preschoolers, too, are immersed in Chinese in Woodstock
The Yu Miao Chinese Immersion Preschool, at the former Our Lady of Sorrows School — just two blocks from Woodstock Elementary — offers an array of activities that help children learn Mandarin and gain skills in preparation for kindergarten. The preschool believes that just as young sprouts grow into great plants when given good nutrition and a good environment, so young children grow into great people when given good education within a caring context.

July 1, 2009 A tale of two preschool programs
Two programs, two departments, one goal: Give low-income children a head-start on their education by engaging the family in a subsidized preschool program. As the Even Start early childhood program lies on the chopping block, its close cousin, Head Start, is receiving billions in new stimulus funds.

June 30, 2009 As Many as 27,000 Children Cut From Preschool in New State Budget Plan
The latest budget proposed by the Illinois General Assembly cuts as many as 27,000 children -- most of them from low-income families -- from Preschool for All programs. High-quality preschools, like the programs funded through Preschool for All, provide valuable learning opportunities that far too many low-income children don't otherwise get.

June 29, 2009 Colo. education officials take early step in setting new standards
Next, the State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education plan to implement the definition as mandated by a bill passed in 2008. The bill, titled "Preschool to Postsecondary Alignment," directed state agencies to create a plan to expose students to options for life after high school graduation.

June 29, 2009 Editorial: Make preschool a funding priority
What may be Minnesota's most important educational report card was issued earlier this month, and the marks weren't good. The fall 2008 results of a yearly school readiness assessment of new kindergartners were down from 2007 on all five aspects of development measured.

June 29, 2009 Relationships Improve Student Success
When students are underachieving, school policymakers often examine class size, curriculum and funding, but University of Missouri researchers suggest establishing relationships may be a powerful and less expensive way to improve students' success. In a review of the research they show that students with positive attachments to their teachers and schools have higher grades and higher standardized test scores.

June 28, 2009 Letter-to-the-editor: Early learning cuts dropouts and crime
Research shows that high-quality early learning is an effective strategy to increase graduation rates. Long-term studies of high-quality preschools have found that at-risk kids who do not attend these programs tend to drop out of high school and abuse illegal drugs. They are 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 and five times more likely to be repeat offenders by age 27.

June 25, 2009 Opinion: Preschool is a key to boosting graduation rates
The good news is that we know how to put our kids — and with them, our families, communities and economy — on the path to success. A new report by the RAND Corp. underscores what I have seen in almost four decades of working in education: We must start early.

June 24, 2009 Some Nashville schools will test smaller class size
The plan calls for no more than 25 students per teacher in grades 10-12, 20 students per teacher in grades 4-9 and 15 students per teacher in prekindergarten through third.

June 24, 2009 Study evaluates school readiness in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) recently released results of its 2008 school readiness study, which has received some criticism by the Legislature for its data collection process and results analysis. This year's results show, based on information collected in 2008, that between 87 and 96 percent of 5-year-old children in the state were "in process" or "proficient" in physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking, according to a press release from the MDE.

June 24, 2009 Preschool program faces ax from possible state budget cuts
The vote on the budget is Tuesday. If passed in its current form, [Early Learning Initiative] programs around Ohio would be phased out by Aug. 21.