DOCUMENT RESUME ED 477 637 PS 031 340 AUTHOR Denton, David R. State-Supported Prekindergarten in the SREB Region: Growing in TITLE Hard Times. INSTITUTION Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA. PUB DATE 2003-00-00 NOTE 16p. AVAILABLE Southern Regional Education Board, 592 10th Street, NW, Atlanta, FROM GA 30318. Tel: 404-875-9211; Web site: http://www.sreb.org. For full text: http://www.sreb.org/programs/srr/pubs/state_prekindergarten.pdf. PUB TYPE Numerical/Quantitative Data (110) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Access to Education; At Risk Persons; *Budgets; Educational Objectives *Enrollment Trends; Poverty; *Preschool Children; ; *Preschool Education; *School Readiness; *State Programs IDENTIFIERS United States (South) ABSTRACT Noting that one of the leading indicators of progress toward the goal of all children being ready for the first grade is the number of at- risk children with access to high-quality prekindergarten programs, this report presents information on the efforts of states in the southern United States to achieve that goal. The report notes that during the 2002-2003 school year, state-supported prekindergarten programs in the south, excluding Florida, served more than 325,000 children 3 and 4 years old, with state prekindergarten programs and Head Start combined serving 100,000 more than the number of 4-year-olds living in poverty in the southern states. The use of poverty as a criterion for counting at-risk children is discussed. The report includes profiles of state prekindergarten programs in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and, West Virginia. Information presented for each program includes the year established, target population, 2002-2003 funding, program hours, number of children served, eligible providers, and administering agency. The report notes that Mississippi has no state prekindergarten program but has the largest percentage of eligible children served by Head Start of any state. The report concludes by noting that although the southern states are facing budgetary pressures as is the rest of the nation, none of the 15 states with programs has experienced a significant reduction in funding. (KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. I AIL I 1 AI - 4Ib D is 14 rib .., iEST co AVAILABLE "1 U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION D Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND ED CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS I CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization I e in originating it wi'l v .,4 cl.s 0 Minor changes have been made to D improve reproduction quality 1 If Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy 1 2 f, I The total number of at-risk 4-year-olds served by state prekindergarten programs or Head Start in the SRE region in 2002-2003 exceeds the number of 4-year-olds living in poverty by more than 100,000. In 12 SREB states, the number of 4-year-olds served by state prekindergarten programs or Head Start exceeds the number of 4-year-olds living in poverty. BEST COPY AVAOLABLE 3 State-supported Prekindergarten in the SREB Region: Growing in Hard Times The first of the 12 SREB Goals for Education: Challenge to Lead is for all children to be ready for the first grade. One of the leading indicators of progress toward that goal is the number of at-risk children with access to high-quality prekindergarten programs. Across the region, state efforts to achieve that goal have been impressive. During the 2002-2003 school year, state-supported prekindergarten programs in the SREB region served more than 325,000 3- and 4-year-old children. That number does not include children served by state-funded prekindergarten in Florida because data for 2002-2003 are not available. (See page 7.) At least 220,000 of the children served by state prekindergarten programs are at-risk 4-year-olds. State prekindergarten programs and Head Start combined serve more than 360,000 at-risk 4-year-olds, 100,000 more than the number of 4-year-olds living in poverty in the SREB states. Poverty has been used as the criterion for counting at-risk children because comparable data are available for every state, because poverty is the eligibility stan- dard for Head Start, and because research shows that poverty is the leading predic- tor of children's risk of failure in school. The number of at-risk children served by state prekindergarten programs can exceed the number in poverty, however, because some states define "at-risk" more broadly than just poverty status. Arkansas, for example, includes low birth-weight, having a teenage mother and/or having parents with a low education level among its at-risk indicators. Maryland, South Carolina and Texas consider children for whom English is a second language to be at-risk. This report was prepared by David R. Denton, SREB director of school readiness and reading. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 4 The poverty figures used here are from the 2000 census. Given the difficult economic conditions in the United States. subsequent to 2000, the actual number of children living in poverty in 2003 may be higher than the 2000 figure. While not every SREB state can claim that all children in poverty are served by either a state prekindergarten program or Head Start, the number that can is impressive. Twelve SREB states have more at-risk 4-year-olds enrolled in a state prekinder- garten program or Head Start than they have 4-year-old children in poverty: Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. In North Carolina, the total number of at-risk 4-year-olds served is 95 percent of the number in poverty. In both Alabama and Tennessee, the number served is nearly 70 percent of the number in poverty. The state prekindergarten programs in Texas and Georgia are the first- and fourth-largest in the United States in total numbers of children served. Florida is not included among the states listed above because data for state- funded prekindergarten programs are not available. Counting only Head Start, the figure for Florida would be 48 percent, but the number of children served in state- funded prekindergarten programs undoubtedly would raise the percentage served not only for the state but for the region as a whole. substantially The graph on page 3 compares the number of 4-year-old children served in each state with the number of 4-year-olds living in poverty. The state prekindergarten programs described in the state profiles in this report include new and expanded prekindergarten initiatives in Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina and West Virginia. Among established programs, Oklahoma led the overall growth with an increase in enrollment of 38 percent almost 8,000 children between 1999-2000 and 2002-2003. Mississippi currently has no state prekindergarten program but has the largest percentage of eligible children served by Head Start of any state. The funding figures presented in this report are the amounts allocated directly to the programs by the states. In several cases, these funds include federal grant funds provided for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) under the reformed federal welfare system. Among the acceptable uses of these funds are pro- grams designed to meet the child-care needs of needy families. The amount of these funds available from year to year can vary substantially, however. 5 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 4-Year-Olds in Poverty and Total 4-Year-Olds Served by State Programs and Head Start in SREB States Alabama min 9 Arkansas Delaware 1111111111111= Florida 116111 Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas 91 Virginia West Virginia 180,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 40,000 20,000 0 Number served by state programs* Number served by Head Start* 4-year-olds in poverty* * Population figures are from the 2000 census. Head Start enrollment estimates are based on 2001-2002 data. State prekindergarten figures are for 2002-2003 Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state program officials. Note: Florida information does not include children enrolled in state prekindergarten programs because data are not available. BEST COPY AVAILABLE3 The state-allocated funds do not always represent the total funding available for the operation of state prekindergarten programs. Where states require local matching funds or in-kind support, for example, those amounts are not included in the totals shown here. Where programs are operated by public schools, the schools may use some of their general operating funds to supplement state funding as needed. Some programs also may compete for and receive grant funds from other sources to enhance capacity or quality or both. Any attempt to compare costs per child using the numbers reported here, even when allowing for different hours of operation, will produce results that vary across a very wide range. It seems clear that a better understanding is needed of all the sources of support for the different state programs before conclusions can be reached that will be useful to policy-makers. A future SREB report will attempt to deal comprehensively with these financing issues. Like most of the nation, the SREB states all are facing pressures on their bud- gets as a result of the current economic downturn. While prekindergarten programs have not been immune from legislative debate about possible ways to reduce state spending, none of the 15 states with programs has experienced a significant reduc- tion in funding. The continued growth of state-funded prekindergarten despite major revenue shortfalls is testimony to the commitment of the SREB states to achieving the goal of having all children ready for first grade. The SREB report Improving Children's Readiness for School: Preschool Programs Make a Difference, But Quality Counts! reported on studies of state prekindergarten programs in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas that showed these programs can make a real difference in terms of children's later success in school. The recent Delaware study (mentioned in the accompanying program description) adds further evidence to the growing body of research show- ing that quality prekindergarten programs are a good investment of state resources. Improving Children's Readiness for School also includes a detailed discussion of the factors that differentiate a high-quality preschool program from a mediocre or poor one: specifically, a low student-to-teacher ratio and small class size; qualified, well- compensated teachers; a curriculum that has been proved to be effective; meaning- ful parent involvement; and strong health and safety standards. Another SREB report, Focus on Quality: Prekindergarten Programs in SREB States, provides infor- mation on child-to-staff ratios, minimum class sizes and teacher qualifications in each program. The state profiles that follow are not intended to be comprehensive descriptions of the programs but to provide basic information about current levels of activity and any recent or anticipated developments with significant implications for the programs. Where programs serve both 3- and 4-year olds, the total number of children served is provided, with the number of 4-year-olds in parentheses. 7 4 BESTCOPYAVAILABLE Where required hours of program operation indicate "school day," the exact hours may vary somewhat but can generally be assumed to be between six and seven hours per day. Under eligible providers, the term "any qualifying organization" may refer to schools, government agencies, civic organizations and/or private providers of early care and education services. The numbers of children served by the state programs do not include children with disabilities, who are served with individual education plans under the provi- sions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). All states are required by federal law to provide services for these children, regardless of family income, while the prekindergarten programs described here represent voluntary efforts on the part of the states to help ensure that young children arrive at school ready to succeed. It is not unusual for some children with disabilities to be served in the same classrooms as those without disabilities, but the services for those children usually are paid for from IDEA funds. For the same reason, the Head Start enrollment numbers used to calculate the total number of at-risk, non-disabled children in each state served by either Head Start or a state program, as shown in the chart on page 3, have been reduced by 13 percent the propor- tion of all slots nationally that were occupied by IDEA children in that year . It can safely be assumed that every state has some local providers of early care and education services that offer high-quality prekindergarten services without any official connection with either the state program or Head Start. Including these providers in the enrollment totals for each state would present a more complete picture of the numbers of at-risk children in high-quality programs in each state. At present, however, it is not possible to accurately identify these programs or to determine their enrollments of at-risk children, but this information may become more readily available at some time in the future. Alabama Prekindergarten Program Year established: 2000 Target population: All 4-year-olds 2002-2003 funding: $3.2 million Hours: 6.5 hours, 5 days per week Children served: 1,280 Eligible providers: Any qualifying organization Administering agency: Office of School Readiness in the Department of Children's Affairs Notes: Funds are distributed directly to providers by competitive grants. Total funding for 2002-2003 includes $1 million from a federal Appalachian Regional Commission grant and $650,000 in unexpended TANF funds. Sources for contin- ued funding have not yet been determined as this report goes to press. 5 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) 40, Year established: 1991 Target population: At-risk 3- and 4-year-olds 2002-2003 funding: $13.4 million Hours: 7.5 hours, 5 days per week Children served: 7,420 (3,974) Eligible providers: Any qualifying organization Administering agency: Department of Human Services Notes: Overall, 40 percent of participating children are in classroom programs and 60 percent are served by HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) home-visiting programs. For 4-year-olds, 55 percent are in classrooms and 45 percent are in HIPPY programs. Funds are distributed directly to service providers by competitive grants. Legislation passed in 2003 established the Better Chance for School Success Program, which will expand the existing programs by targeting 3- and 4-year-olds in school districts where at least 75 percent of students score below the proficient level on state benchmark exams. Delaware Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) <0, Year established: 1994 Target population: At-risk 4-year-olds 2002-2003 funding: $4.5 million Hours: 4 hours, 5 days per week Children served: 840 Eligible providers: Any qualifying organization Administering agency: Department of Education Notes: This program originally was designed to supplement existing Head Start programs. The expectation was that over time the Head Start providers would expand using state funds until all eligible children were served. When the Head Start programs did not expand sufficiently, eligibility for funding was opened to schools and other types of providers in the community. Funds are distributed by competitive grants. Regardless of sponsorship, all programs are required to meet Head Start Performance Standards; Head Start programs, which are required by federal regulations to operate only four days per week, must provide five days of services for children who are supported by state funds. A longitudinal study released in 2002 found that children who had participated in the ECAP program were signi- ficantly more likely to meet or exceed standards on third-grade reading and mathe- matics assessments, had significantly higher grades and were less than half as likely to repeat a grade than their peers who had not attended ECAP. (Investing in Better Outcomes: The Delaware Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, April 2002, can be downloaded from the Delaware Department of Education Web site at www.doe.state.de.us/early_childhood.) BEST COPY MAILABLE 6 Florida Prekindergarten Programs Target population: At-risk 3- and 4-year-olds Year established: 1978 (see notes) Hours: See notes 2002-2003 funding: Not available Eligible providers: Determined by each county Children served: Not available Administering agency: Partnership for School Readiness in the Department of Workforce Innovation Notes: In 2002, the Florida Legislature said that decision-making about how to improve children's readiness for school should be at the local rather than the state level. Instead of allocating funds for specific state readiness initiatives, the Legislature said that all funds for categorical programs now would be given to each county as a lump sum for use according to priorities set by county school-readiness coalitions. Funding for the Prekindergarten Early Intervention Program (drawn primarily from state lottery proceeds) was included in this new system. As a result, the Early which had been in existence since 1987and which funded Intervention Program every school district in the state to provide prekindergarten for at-risk children officially ceased operations at the end of the 2001-2002 school year. In 2002-2003, the first year of operation under the new system, readiness coali- tions in 54 of Florida's 67 counties chose to continue funding their school-based prekindergarten programs. Because of the new procedures for setting priorities and allocating school readiness funds locally, the actual enrollments and the amounts of state funds that county partnerships have committed to prekindergarten programs in 2002-2003 are not available at this time. Some school districts have said that they may not be able to continue operating their prekindergarten programs after the current year because they are getting less funding through the county coalitions than they previously had gotten directly from the state. Under the old guidelines, programs were required to operate six hours per day, five days per week, but that requirement no longer applies under the county partnerships. Florida also funds a prekindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-old children of migrant workers. Begun in 1978, this program continues to be funded directly by the state. In 2001-2002, the migrant prekindergarten program received $3 million in state funds and served 3,270 children. Migrant programs are required to operate six hours per day, five days per week during the school year. In November 2002, Florida voters approved a ballot measure calling for devel- opment of a new prekindergarten program that would be open to any 4-year-old in the state. Legislation passed in early 2003 requires the state Board of Education to complete a study by October 2003 and recommend curriculum, design and stan- dards for the new, voluntary, statewide prekindergarten program. i 0 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7