Foundations and Current Issues of Early Childhood Education/Chapter 9/9.4

Universal Preschool: All for one and one for all

What is it?

Jennifer Robusto

Universal Preschool is a nationwide program that replaces the private preschool system with a taxpayer funded system (Snell, 2006). Several states have implemented a universal preschool plan and more are likely to follow their lead (Snell, 2006).

Support for Universal Preschool

Universal preschool can create equal opportunity for success for all students because all receive the same quality education regardless of family income available (Doyle, 2005). Universal schools diminish the achievement gap (Doyle, 2005). Quality preschool programs result in higher academic performance (Doyle, 2005). Students who go through these types of programs are better prepared for school (Doyle, 2005). They are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to be put in special education classes through out their educational career (Doyle, 2005). Problems in school readiness and educational failure are not strictly problems existing only to children living in poverty (Barnett, 2004). Preschool increases early reading and math skills in kindergarten and the first grade (Barnett, 2004). These increases are even higher for disadvantaged American children (Barnett, 2004). These same at risk students are less likely to be retained if they have attended a quality preschool (Smith, 2004). Universal preschool has the potential to make great long term benefits because it includes everyone (Barnett, 2004). At risk children who receive a high quality preschool education are less likely to commit crimes in adulthood (Doyle, 2005). Those who do not receive this type of early education are more likely to become career criminals of more violent crimes (Doyle, 2005). The universal programs that also provide support services for the entire family reduce child neglect and abuse which also impacts future criminal behavior (Doyle, 2005).

Sidebar:The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. Robert M. Hutchins

Research has found a monetary return to society (Doyle, 2005). For every one dollar invested in preschool approximately seventeen dollars are saved by society (Doyle, 2005). This money is saved by cutting crime, welfare, and other public costs (Doyle, 2005). This return is not even including the higher wages and contributions that the adult is able to gain from their participation in a preschool program (Doyle, 2005). Universal preschool is one of the best public investments a state can make (Smith, 2004).

Opposition to Universal Preschool

The current preschool system includes a diverse group of public and private preschools (Snell, 2006). Creating a universal preschool would eliminate that system and create a state controlled monopoly on preschool (Snell, 2006). The government preschool creates a “one-size-fits-all approach” to teaching students (Snell, 2006). Different students have different educational needs that can all be met in the same way (Snell, 2006). Taxpayers would have to help pay for education the wealthy as well as the poor children (Snell, 2006). The economic benefits to society may be skewed (Snell, 2006). All of those programs used for research had intense family and school interventions (Snell, 2006). There were home visits, nutritional and medical services provided, and tutoring available until the third grade (Snell, 2006). It is hard to say which of the factors benefited the disadvantaged children (Snell, 2006). States that have had universal preschool programs for years are not improving (Snell, 2006). Their scores are among the lowest in the country and they are making the worst gains overall (Snell, 2006). None of the top ten states had universal preschool programs (Snell, 2006). Studying test scores world wide does not give evidence to support universal preschool (Snell, 2006). American students perform among the highest through the forth grade in reading, science, and math (Snell, 2006). After the forth grade students scores begin to decline (Snell, 2006). By the twelfth grade, American students are among the lowest in the world (Snell, 2006).

Universal vs. Targeted Programs

Targeting programs are said to have three advantages. They are more efficient with less cost to the public, they have a higher quality, and they receive greater support from the public (Barnett, 2004). Because at risk students show a higher benefit from early education the government should spend the education money on them and not on students whose parents can afford early education (Barnett, 2004). Because these targeted programs serve a smaller population of students they can focus on quality for the children with the greatest needs (Barnett, 2004). Targeted programs are more likely to be fully funded by the public because all of the money goes towards families who need it (Barnett, 2004). There are many targeted programs available from federal policy (Barnett, 2004). The biggest of these programs are Head Start and preschool special education. Forty states fund preschool initiatives that are targeted programs (Barnett, 2004). Most of these programs are targeted towards children who come from low income families (Barnett, 2004). These are the children who need to get the most help (Silverman, 2005). They do not have access to computers and educational family trips (Silverman, 2005). Targeting programs provide these opportunities (Silverman, 2005).

Seeing so much evidence from research that says the foundations for literacy and other academic achievements begins before age five leads people to question why government schooling does not begin earlier (Barnett, 2004). One answer to this question would to be implementing a universal preschool (Barnett, 2004). Advocates for universal preschool say the three advantages of targeted programs are incorrect (Barnett, 2004). Targeted programs do not always serve the people they seek, and they sometimes serve those they are not supposed to (Barnett, 2004). In addition to not reaching all the desired students, it costs a great deal of money to search for the targeted students (Barnett, 2004). Targeted programs also tend to be of a poorer quality than originally thought (Barnett, 2004). Universal programs have better quality because they are not viewed as charity, and they also include the disadvantaged children in a more diverse setting (Barnett, 2004). Including all children helps everyone. Universal preschools seem to require a higher budget because it serves everyone, however, the program is perceived as more fair (Barnett, 2004). If the public perceives the program to be fair they are more likely to support it (Barnett, 2004). A high quality universal program would cost more, but it would also shift the costs away from middle income parents to taxpayers (Barnett, 2004).

Conclusion

Long waiting lists show there is obviously a high demand for preschool (Doyle, 2005). The government can solve the problem of having to turn away students by implementing a universal preschool program (Doyle, 2005). Giving equal opportunity to high quality early education is key to helping many basic problems in the United States (Doyle, 2005).

References

Barnett, W.S., Brown, K., and Shore, R. (2004). The universal vs. targeted debate: should the

United States have preschool for all? Preschool Policy Matters, 6. 1-16.

Doyle, R., Sanchez, C., Paulson, D., Salarno, H. (2005). Public safety can’t wait: California’s

preschool shortage. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. 1-20.

Silverman, J. (2005). Universal preschool trend has critics. The Seattle Times.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002691690_preschool19m.html.

Smith, R. A. (2004). A call for universal preschool. Educational Leadership, 62(3). 38-39.

Snell, L. (2006). The case against universal preschool in California. Reason Foundation, 42.

1-11.

Essay Question and Response

Decide which program you like best: targeting or universal. Explain your choice.

Preschools should be fair. Universal preschools provide the only opportunity to serve everyone equally. Most schools that are available to poorer students are of a lower quality. These are the students who need high quality preschools the most. They benefit more than other students. Middle income students are also in great need of universal preschool. They struggle to pay for preschool, but do not receive any help from targeting programs like Head Start. There are many students who fall into this category. Including all students in the same program leads to more diversity within the classroom. This means all students will have more to learn from each other in an equal setting. More students will be prepared for kindergarten and the first grade. The achievement gap can be diminished with universal preschool. Higher achievement leads to better lives. More students will graduate from high school resulting in higher incomes. Less students will be retained and less will be put in special education. Retaining less students will save society money. In fact, universal can save society more money than it costs. There will be less serious crimes and less repeat offenders. There will be less people depending on welfare. Universal preschools also supply support for the student’s family. With all the support the schools supply to the families there are less reports of child abuse and neglect. So much research has shown the importance of schooling before the age of five. If the government knows how important it is to lay educational foundations at an early age it should supply access to preschool for everyone. Universal preschool has the best opportunity for society. It will save money in the long run for everyone. It is the fairest way to provide a true quality early education for all students.

Multiple choice questions

1. The following are all the claimed advantages of targeting programs except

a. are more efficient with less cost to the public

b. they have a higher quality

c. they find all available people who need schooling

d. they receive greater support from the public

2. The following are all benefits to universal preschool except

a. more fair opportunities for all

b. are more efficient with less cost to the public

c. a diverse classroom setting

d. shift cost away from middle class to the taxpayers

3. All of the following are ways universal preschool can save society money except

a. less students attend the schools

b. less retention means the student does not have to be paid for twice

c. less people are career criminals

d. less people dependent on welfare

4. Which socio-economic group most benefits from universal preschool?

a. upper class

b. Upper middle class

c. Middle class

d. Lower class

5. People who oppose universal preschool say the money saving statistics may be skewed because the research programs had all of the following except

a. home visits

b. tutoring into elementary school

c. nutritional and medical services

d. free psychological counseling

Answers 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. d 5. d