Scientists and educational professionals say our current model of public schooling, with children beginning kindergarten at ages 5 and 6 years old, is failing to take advantage of the most opportune time in a child’s life to prepare him to learn, leaving him ill-equipped for school.

        Advocates for universal preschool point to four decades of study and research of the human brain that have furthered our understanding about how young minds develop.  Early in life, scientists say, our brains have a high level of plasticity, or ability to adapt and learn.  While we continue to learn throughout life, at no time after the period from birth to age 5 is the brain as capable of absorbing as much new information.  You can see an example of this difference in the rate at which a young child is able to learn a foreign language, versus a teenager or adult. 

             In addition to a preschooler’s predisposition toward learning, experts say her brain is forming connections that will determine how well she can learn in the future.  At an early age, the brain determines which connections (synapses) to form based upon what areas of the brain are being used.  Anything it deems a wasted connection is shut off permanently.  An example of this is the phenomenon of ambylopia, or “lazy eye” (referenced in the January 2010 Treasure Valley Family Magazine article on vision, archived at treasure valleyfamily.com), where the muscles in one eye aren’t functioning properly, leading the brain to shut down signals from the otherwise healthy eye completely and permanently.

        With the proper stimulation, however, new synapses in the newborn to 5-year-old brain form at a rate that exceeds any other developmental period.  In fact, scientists say, by the beginning of kindergarten, the brain has already developed approximately 90 percent of an adult’s capacity and architecture.  This rate of development combined with the high level of plasticity has led experts to conclude that the preschool years constitute a critical period of brain development. 

        The more scientists understand about this crucial period, the more they emphasize the years preceding kindergarten as critical to developing the ability to process information, adapt to new experiences, learn, and succeed in school. 

        Furthermore, there may be more to gain than the benefits to the individual child and his family.  Advocates for universal preschool reference economic reports indicating that states implementing public preschool programs have realized such benefits as lower dropout and teen pregnancy rates, reduced crime, and increased earning potential.   These benefits impact the community economically: they reduce the need for remedial and special education, welfare, and criminal justice services. It is estimated that California’s public preschool programs, for example, have saved taxpayers an average of $7 for every $1 spent.

        Nationwide, state funding for and participation in preschool programs have increased rapidly over recent years.  Although there is strong support in Idaho for funding and programs aimed at enhanced early childhood education and childcare options, according to a Boise State University Public Policy Center report, Idaho is one of ten states that does not provide funding for preschool programs.

        The lack of consensus on the proper model for preschool is one of many obstacles Idaho advocates say they have encountered.  There is some concern that a public preschool program would be structured very much like traditional elementary school, which would be an inappropriate setting for younger children.  Advocates counter that the structure of the preschool program would vary from the standard elementary school program to be specific to the developmental needs of preschoolers.

        “We are advocating that young children be in some sort of program where learning standards are applied,” says Linda Jensen, executive director of Idaho Kids Count.  “There are so many different types of programs where the kids are actually learning and taking advantage of the brain potential specific to their age.”

        Some opponents to state-funded preschool, including those in the Idaho State Legislature, also say that implementing public preschool programs is expensive, impractical, and may even undermine the family structure by superseding the role of the parent in early childhood development.

        “I believe those formative (preschool) years need to be spent with family, not somewhere in a canned environment,” says Idaho State Senator Russell Fulcher of Meridian’s Legislative District 21.

        The Senator is opposed even to optional publicly funded preschool programs, saying that parents will take advantage of state-funded educational programs “if it’s fiscally advantageous to do so,” sometimes over the best interests of the child and family.

        “Those years are best invested in a parent-child relationship,” he said.

        But Jensen says statistics show many Idaho families are already financially unable to provide full-time, hands-on parental oversight of their child’s preschool development, even if they want to do so.

        “Half of [Idaho] kids live in low income families, so having a parent home during the day isn’t an option,” she says.  “Presenting parents with some sort of program where learning standards are applied isn’t about invading families.  It’s about supporting them.”

        The Boise State University survey shows that only one in four Idahoans feels that children in their communities have access to high quality pre-kindergarten, nursery school, or Head Start programs to help them become ready to succeed in school. 

        Idaho Voices for Children (IVC) is an advocacy organization focused on legislative policies that impact children’s health, education, safety, family, and economic security.  It collaborates with various other organizations, promoting a state-wide unified policy agenda focusing on child health and safety, early learning, and family economic security. 

        Beginning two legislative sessions ago, after advocating for various failed proposals that would have supported early childhood education in some form,  IVC and their collaborators set their sights on establishing a “Blue Ribbon Committee” consisting of legislators, appointees, advocates, and others who would “review, shape and seek consensus regarding early childhood learning policy and a future direction for Idaho.” If this group were formed it would develop specific proposals to address early childhood development in some form, identifying and building consensus on what the best resources are for Idaho families.

        Even before the 2010 legislative session began, however, pundits and state agency representatives expressed serious doubt that any legislative action having nothing to do directly with balancing the budget will have a chance. This would include the formation of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

        Nevertheless, advocates aren’t calling off efforts to educate and build consensus on the issue.

        “If we can get business leaders, education and religious leaders, and others to sign a pledge agreeing to a baseline level of goals and principles that should govern every child in Idaho,” says Dr. Chris Loucks, “then we’ll have a foundation upon which to start the discussion about options for preparing Idaho children to enter school.”  Loucks is a Boise State University professor and co-chair of the IVC education committee.

        There are opportunities to continue the community discussion outside of the legislature as well.  IVC has been invited by Idaho’s Department of Education to participate in crafting a proposal for stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The aim of the Race to the Top Grant is to fund “high quality and impactful programs to improve education in the states,” including incorporating improvements in standards and assessments and more robust tracking systems that will show a child’s progress through his school career.

        Loucks says IVC is advocating to include kindergarteners and first graders in these assessments to give policy makers information about how children with preschool experience perform in relation to their peers.  

        “Our area of focus is on assessment at the point a child enters the education system,” Loucks says, “so we can begin to track, quantify, and collect data for public policy makers to improve our educational system in Idaho based on the data.”

        Another opportunity stimulus funding would provide is the ability to streamline and standardize a quality rating system for early learning centers so parents will have more information on which to make decisions for their child, Loucks said.

Beth Markley is a Boise area freelance writer and consultant specializing in providing support for nonprofits in fundraising, communications, and legislative advocacy.  For a complete list of sources for this feature go to treasurevalleyfamily.com.

Who Are Idaho’s Children?

Idaho Kids Count 2009 Data Book shows:

–   Idaho’s 407,700 children age 0–17 represent 27 percent of the state population.  Young children age 0–5 make up 29 percent of all children.

–   73 percent of Idaho children live in two-parent families.  Idaho’s 50,798 single working mothers cared for 89,000 children in 2007.

–   42 percent of Idaho children live in low income families. This is an increase from 2000, when 36 percent of Idaho’s children lived in low income families.

Resources for Parents

–   Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, idahoaeyc.org. Includes parent resources and referrals.

–   IdahoSTARS, idahostars.org. Includes information on childcare resources and training.

–   Idaho Public Television, idahoptv.org/kids/parents.cfm. Information on children’s broadcasting, including “Ready to Learn” children’s educational television programming.

–   Idaho State Library Commission, http://libraries.idaho.gov/landing/every-child-ready-to-read. Includes a series a series of parent and caregiver workshops “to help prepare parents for their critical role as their child’s first teacher.”

–   Early Childhood Information Clearinghouse, http://www.earlychildhood.dhw.idaho.gov. Includes information on childhood development from birth to age eight, including links to Idaho programs, worldwide information, current practice and research, and child development information.

–   Zero To Three, http://www.zerotothree.org. Offers training in early literacy and child development.

–   American Academy of Pediatrics, http://www.aap.org  or http://healthychildren.org.  Includes advice on health and safety for parents as well as developmental benchmarks. 

–   National Center for Learning Disabilities, http://www.ncld.org/in-the-home/supporting-learning-at-home/especially-for-young-children. Offers tools and advice for parents of children with disabilities.

The Race to the Top Grant

            Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s office recently concluded a statewide series of open houses to collect public input on Idaho’s application for Race to the Top funding.  This grant, according to a presentation provided on the Idaho State Department’s website, “is the only way we will get more money into public education in the next two to four years.”  The grant is due to be awarded in April.  For more information, visit sde.idaho.gov/site/race.

            But, as an indicator of just how complicated the issue of public funding for education can be in general, several of Idaho’s largest school districts have opted to not sign on to the grant because of concerns regarding both a stipulation within the proposal to pay teachers based upon performance in certain areas, and also that school districts would have to stray from their strategic plans and develop additional, short term programs.  Treasure Valley school districts opting out of the Race to the Top grant include Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell.

Priorities in Idaho’s Race to the Top proposal include:

–   Improved standards and assessments
–   More robust data systems at the state, local, and classroom levels
–   Focused, in-depth professional development for   teachers and principals
–   Incentives for teachers and principals
–   Enhanced school improvement efforts
–   College and career readiness starting in middle grades
–   Dual credit opportunities for juniors and seniors