Strategies for Financing Quality Preschool: The Wisconsin Model

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Strategies for Financing Quality Preschool The
Wisconsin Model

• Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public
  Instruction
• Elizabeth Burmaster

Governors Forum on Quality Preschool Presented by
NGA Center for Best Practices December 15-16,
2003 Orlando, Florida
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Topics

• History of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K)
• Children Served
• Financing Model
• Program Requirements
• Community Approaches
• Issues and Benefits
• Political Considerations

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History A Constitutional Commitment to Early
Education

• Wisconsin made a constitutional commitment to
  early education in 1848
• Article X of the State Constitution called for
  school districts to be as nearly uniform as
  practicable and free to all children between the
  ages of 4 and 20 years
• Wisconsin is one of three states that maintains
  state funding for 4K

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History of Wisconsins Four-Year-Old kindergarten

• 1856 First private kindergarten (two-, three-,
  four-, and five-year-olds)
• 1927 State financial aids established for 4K
• 1957 State funding for 4K programs repealed
• 1984 State funding for 4K renewed
• 1991 4K allowed 20 time for parent outreach
• 2003 42 of school districts operate 4K

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Wisconsin 4K in 2003

• Universal but optional
• Shared commitment
• two-thirds state funding
• one-third local funds
• Promotes community approaches

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Recent Legislative Action

• 2001 Legislature voted to reduce funding for
  districts operating 4K programs. Former
  Republican Governor McCallum vetoed these
  provisions.
• 2003 Legislature again voted to cut funding for
  districts operating 4K programs. Current
  Democratic Governor Doyle vetoed these provisions.

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Children Served

• 23 of four-year-olds attend 4K in 42 of states
  school districts
• 16,000 children served by 180 of Wisconsins 426
  school districts
• 1,000 children are served by approximately 80
  private schools in Milwaukee Parental Choice
  Program
• 250 children are served in nine Milwaukee charter
  schools

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Kindergarten Availability

• When offered, kindergarten must be available to
  all children who meet state age requirements (4
  years old by September 1).
• Public schools are required to offer at least
  half day to all 5-year-olds.
• Over 90 of Wisconsin public schools offer
  full-day 5K.
• School districts have the option of offering 4K.

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Revenue Estimates 2002-03

• Wisconsin school districts generated an
  estimated 65 million in state revenues
  for 4K programs
• 44 million in state revenue
• 21 million in local revenue

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State Funding Formula

• Based on student enrollment
• State formula counts a pupil as 0.5 full-time
  equivalent in membership aid if program operates
• a minimum of 437 hours per year
• or
• 175 days, 2 1/2 hours per day

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Wisconsins FormulaIncludes Family Best
Practices

• A school district may receive 0.6 FTE in
  membership aid if it provides 87.5 additional
  hours of family activities in addition to the 437
  hours of center-based programming (per year)

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Program Requirements

• All 4K teachers must have a bachelors degree and
  an early childhood level license from the
  Department of Public Instruction

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Wisconsin Statutes Require

• Reading and language arts
• Mathematics
• Social studies
• Science
• Curriculum specials music, physical education,
  art, etc.
• Transportation
• Special education and related services

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Wisconsin A Local Control State

• 4K is universal but optional
• Local school boards determine
• Class size
• Student-teacher ratio
• Early entrance policies
• Curriculum

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Community ApproachEngaging the Stakeholders

• Business and civic organizations
• Schools
• Child care
• Head Start
• Parents
• Recreation
• Other programsTitle I, special education, etc.

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Community Approach

• Families and their children may have options
  from a variety of settings
• School buildings
• Community sites
• At-home support

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• Program Delivery
• Traditional School-Based Model
• School district 4K teacher
• 2.5 hour program
• Four or five days a week
• Potential for wrap-around services or
  transportation to after-school programs

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• Program Delivery
• Community Models
• Community sites must have licensed teacher
• School district hires and pays the teacher in the
  community setting
• A private program can hire and provide the
  teacher under a district contract
• Statutory school requirements apply

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• Community Approach
• At-Home Support
• When parents want their four-year-old to stay at
  home
• Parents are linked to educational activities
  and/or parenting programs
• Children are not counted for state
  reimbursement

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Issues

• Competition between programs
• Stand-alone programs result in children moving
  from program to program
• Half-day programs may not meet the needs of
  working parents

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Ongoing Needs for Collaboration

• Quality of curriculum in all settings
• Quality of teachers
• Developed model early learning standards
• Improved access to preservice programs

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Benefits ofWisconsin 4K Funding

• More stable funding source
• Community perspective common school for the
  common good
• Provides equityavailable to all children in a
  community
• Affordable to parents

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Additional Benefits

• Teachers with a bachelors or higher degree in
  early childhood education
• Constant/stable workforce better for children
• Increased access to support services and resources

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Political Considerations

• Competition 4K vs. child care centers
• Conflicting values on role of family and
  government
• Investment in early education as budget priority
• Strong educational leadership by governor