Kindergarten may be too late: recognizing the strong connection between a child's early development and success later in life, states are funding preschool programs for 4- and even 3-year-olds.

• Author: Andrade, Jane Carroll

In an effort to improve early childhood education in country where "too many children come to school unprepared to learn," President George W. Bush recently introduced an initiative he calls "Good Start, Grow Smart." The president calls for focusing on school readiness in Head Start, joining states to improve early childhood education, and providing information to teachers, caretakers and parents.

The president's initiative is part of a growing school readiness movement already under way in the states, Over the last several years, policymakers have increasingly established, expanded and funded early childhood education programs, known as preschool or pre-K. Today, 42 states and the District of Columbia fund preschool programs of one kind or another, spending about $2 billion a year.

Increases in state-funded preschool have been "dramatic," says Anne E. Mitchell, whose independent consulting firm, Early childhood Policy Research, studies the issue. "We've gotten much more serious about educational achievement, and we realize we're not going to be able to deliver on that unless we start earlier."

The need for government-backed preschool is supported by a variety of social and scientific data, say the president, child experts and policymakers. Statistics show that 62 percent of children ages S and under are cared for outside their homes. Recent brain research proves that children begin learning at an earlier age than was previously believed. And there is a strong connection between a child's early development and his success later in life, conversely, the more unprepared children are for school, the more likely they will be to repeat grades, drop out and commit crimes.

"We were aware of the fairly overwhelming evidence that good quality preschool programs have tremendous economic and educational benefits for children," says Connecticut Representative Cameron Staples, who helped push his state's school readiness program. "The cost to the system of re-educating kids is astounding. Add to that the costs of other remedial and special education programs, and you can make a strong case that the short-term expense of providing preschool saves money over the long term."

THE CHILDREN

State-funded preschool programs are strictly voluntary for families wishing to participate. A typical program serves mainly 4-year-olds and, sometimes, 3-year-olds, says Mitchell in her report, "Education for All Young Children: The Role of States and the Federal Government in Promoting Prekindergarten and Kindergarten."

Twenty-six states limit preschool services to children who are poor or educationally disadvantaged in some way, according to Education Week's report on public education, "Quality Counts 2002: Building Blocks for Success." For example, New Jersey provides preschool for 3-and 4-year-olds in low-income school districts. Washington state's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program serves preschoolers living at or below 110 percent of the federal poverty level.

Although most states limit eligibility due to budget constraints, there is a growing movement to make preschool available to any 4-year-old whose family wishes to participate.

"Universal preschool is a hot topic," says Mitchell. "There seems to be a lot of public policymaker sentiment toward it."

Georgia, New York and Oklahoma are the only states that have universal preschools to date. Georgia's prekindergarten program has been open to all 4-year-olds regardless of any criteria except age since 1995. Because its program has a dedicated funding stream from state lottery money, Georgia has been able to serve the vast majority of eligible children-more than 75 percent, according to some estimates.

New York's pre-K program, begun in 1997 through legislation, is also open to all 4-year-olds, but is not yet fully funded. Local school districts in Oklahoma have had the option of providing pre-K since 1998 to any 4-year-old wishing to attend. To date, more than 90 percent of the state's 543 districts participate, serving more than 50 percent of eligible children.

Many other states, including Connecticut, hope to increase their preschool programs as momentum increases and funds become available.

"Universal is our goal," says Representative Staples. Connecticut currently offers preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds in certain districts. Families contribute to the costs on a sliding scale based on income.

THE PROGRAMS

Most preschool programs are administered by the executive branch, often within the department of education or the governor's office. Typically, funds flow from the state to local providers. Preschool classes are often held in public schools, but most states allow private providers to participate, as well.

In many cases, local providers apply to the state...