Susan K' Urahn

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The Role of State Leaders in Advancing Quality
Preschool
Susan K. Urahn Director of Education The Pew
Charitable Trusts Governors Forum on Quality
Preschool December 15, 2003 Orlando, Florida
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Children who start behind too often stay behind
A significant percentage of children are not
proficient in reading in fourth, eighth and
twelfth grade
Percentage of children below proficient (NAEP,
2002)
NAEP National Average Reading
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Children who start behind too often stay behind
In 2003, the percentages of children not
proficient in reading in fourth, eighth and
twelfth grade increased
Percentage of children below proficient (NAEP,
2003)
NAEP National Average Reading
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Children who start behind too often stay behind
Children who do not know the alphabet when they
enter kindergarten are behind in reading at the
end of first grade
National Average
Reading Achievement (t-score)
Knew letters at kindergarten entry
Did not know letters at kindergarten entry

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Too many children from all families are not
ready for school
49 percent of children who do not know the
alphabet as they enter kindergarten are middle
class or higher
49 percent
Percent of beginning kindergartners who do
not know their letters
51 percent
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
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Too many children from all families are not
ready for school

• As children enter kindergarten
• about one-third of middle class children do not
  know the alphabet
• about one-quarter of upper-middle class children
  do not know the alphabet

Percent of beginning kindergartners who do
not know their letters
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
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Too many children from all families are not
ready for school
The gap in reading skills between middle class
children and their more affluent peers is greater
than the gap between middle class and poor
children
6 point difference
4 point difference
Reading Achievement Scale Score
HighestSES
MiddleSES
Lowest SES
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
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Early Childhood InitiativeAllegheny County,
Pennsylvania
PreK has immediate benefits for kids and schools
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21
lt1
lt2
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Children have short term and long term benefits
Chicago Child-Parent CentersDevelopmental
Outcomes
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Families with a parent at home choose to give
their kids prek as much as families with all
working parents
Early education enrollment, by mothers employment
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Too few child care classrooms provide quality care

Excellent Quality
Good Quality
Average ECERS Scores in four different studies
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States have dramatically increased investments in
prek
Participation in state funded pre-K
Number of children
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Many more children are getting access to prek
Total state spending in state funded prek
2,500
1,700
Dollars (millions)
700
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Too many states invest too little (2001-02)

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Only two states serve over half of their 4 year
olds (2001-02)
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