On Tuesday, February 4th, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted a policy luncheon in Austin to provide more than 80 legislative staffers with the opportunity to hear from school district representatives, the philanthropic community, and policy experts on public pre-kindergarten education in Texas.
Dr. Robert Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK, discussed the need for pre-kindergarten education in Texas and the impact it can have on a child’s academic performance, social development, and economic well-being. Mandi Kimball, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at CHILDREN AT RISK, unveiled the methodology of CHILDREN AT RISK’s upcoming statewide study focused on assessing current access to public pre-kindergarten education in Texas.
Representatives from the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC) were also in attendance to show their support. Adrianna Cuellar Rojas, President & CEO of United Ways of Texas, and Caroline Sabin, Executive Director of The Powell Foundation, spoke about the importance of investing in our young children through the avenue of pre-kindergarten education.
Closing out the luncheon, school district representatives from around the state participated in a panel to share what each of their districts is offering in regards to pre-kindergarten education. Dr. Helena Mosely, Assistant Superintendent of Achievement and Student Services at Lancaster ISD; Dr. Jennifer Blaine, Associate Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction at Spring Branch ISD; Dr. Lisa Leach, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Lubbock ISD; and Dr. Patricia Rangel, Executive Director of Early Academic Success & Acceleration at Fort Worth ISD, all shared the innovative and creative steps their districts were choosing in order to ensure that their children received full day pre-kindergarten education.
A study conducted by Georgetown University showed that on average, children’s test scores increased 16 percent after participating in the one-year Oklahoma pre-k program, with the greatest gains made in cognitive and language skills. National and Texas specific research further supports the effectiveness of pre-kindergarten education by finding that that children in pre-kindergarten education not only have increased test scores, but an overall increase in academic readiness and performance. Pre-kindergarten education has many benefits not only for the children participating, but also for the community as a whole. Investing in early childhood education is a cost-effective strategy for promoting economic growth. Studies show that the estimated return on investment is at least $7 for every $1 invested in early education.
Scheduled for a September 2014 release, CHILDREN AT RISK’s report, The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas, will serve as a tool kit for Texas districts to increase access to pre-kindergarten and provide important data and information to legislators. This report will provide recommendations of creative solutions for districts to work with under current policies, and examples of policies for Texas legislators to look to for ways to promote pre-kindergarten access during the 84th Legislative Session.
Please contact Christianna Burwell, Project Coordinator, with any questions regarding this project at cburwell@childrenatrisk.org or 713.869.7740