Preschool for All Children A Community Discussion

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Preschool for All Children?A Community Discussion
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Purpose of the Community Forum

• Share information about the benefits of early
  care and education
• Explain the current preschool programs in New
  Haven and the states proposed universal
  preschool program
• Get input from parents and community members
  about what a universal preschool program should
  look like

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Universal Preschool

• Universal means that preschool would be available
  for all three- and four-year-old children.
  Attendance would be voluntaryfamilies would
  choose whether or not to send their children.

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Quality early care and education is good for kids

• Children who have had quality early care and
  education experiences are
• Less likely to drop out of school
• More likely to graduate from high school
• More likely to be responsible citizens
• More likely to avoid criminal justice system and
  welfare

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Quality early care and education also makes good
economic sense

• It costs
• 10,000 per student per year to repeat a grade
• 13,000 per student per year for special
  education
• 35,000 per inmate per year for incarceration
• For every 1 spent on early childhood
  development, can save 4 to 7 in these later
  costs

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What does our community need?

• There are 3,769 children ages 3 4 in our town.
• 74 of children come to New Haven Public Schools
  kindergarten with preschool experience.
• This means 1 out of4 New Haven children does not
  have a preschool experience before entering
  kindergarten (same as statewide percentage).

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Preschool has Lots of Different Names. . .
Nursery School
Child Care
Pre-Kindergarten (PreK)
Head Start
Day Care
School Readiness
Early Care and Education
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All programs for young children should

• Provide a learning experience that is fun,
  interesting, and gets them excited about
  learning.
• Help prepare them to succeed in school.

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The State Department of Educations Vision for
Universal Preschool

• All children will have high quality preschool
  services available beginning at age three.
• Services will promote the educational, social,
  emotional, artistic/aesthetic and physical health
  needs of every child.
• All children will enter school succeeding and
  build on their preschool success.

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Why is the State proposing to offer universal
preschool?

• Early years form foundation
• Issue of fairness
• Address the preparation gap
• Increasing access to early care education
• Improving quality of early care education

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CTs Plan of Action

• Who would UPK serve?
• Three- and four-year-olds
• Would include children with special needs
• Participation would be voluntary--families decide
  whether or not to enroll their child.

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CTs Plan of Action (contd)

• When and where would UPK programs be offered?
• Available a minimum of 2.5 hours per day for at
  least 180 days per year (the length of the school
  year).
• Programs offered in schools and community-based
  settings. Families choose the location that
  works best for them.

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CTs Plan of Action (contd)

• Key aspects of UPK
• Require programs to be of high-quality and to
  share common expectations about what children
  should be learning.
• Increase the number of early care and education
  professionals who have early childhood teacher
  certification.
• Encourage programs to offer expanded hours and
  comprehensive services (health services,
  referrals, etc.).

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CTs Plan of Action (contd)

• How will UPK be paid for?
• Through a combination of state funding, local
  funding, and families.
• Families would contribute to the cost of care
  based on their ability to pay.
• The Governor has appointed a group to study the
  issue of how to pay for universal preschool.

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CTs Plan of Action (contd)

• Who would manage the UPK program?
• Local Boards of Education would play an increased
  role
• providing access to programs
• developing a more professional workforce
• accounting for student progress.

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Small Group Discussion

• What aspects of the proposed universal preschool
  system excite you the most and why?
• What aspects of the proposed universal preschool
  system concern you and why?
• How would universal preschool affect you?
• What would you like universal preschool to be in
  New Haven?
• Length of day
• Needs of working parents
• Location
• Cost and who pays how much
• Transportation
• Do you support universal preschool in CT? Why or
  why not?

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Taking action Next steps

• Timeline
• November
• Council gives SDE feedback about community
  reactionlikes and dislikes
• Financing report completed for Governor
• January
• Statewide summary of community forums on
  universal preschool distributed
• Legislative Session Starts

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How to Stay Involved?

• Complete the survey so we can stay in touch
• Get involved with the School Readiness Council
  (meets 1st Wed. of the month from 3 5 p.m. at
  Early Learning Center, Blake Street)
• Read more at the State Department of Educations
  website (www.state.ct.us/sde)
• Sign up to be a Friend of Young Children
  (www.readysetgrowctkids.org)
• Attend local Board of Education meetings
• Contact Mayor, Board of Aldermen, Legislators
• Learn what other Connecticut communities are
  doing for young children (www.discovery.wcgmf.org)