Quality Pre-K educational opportunities should be available and accessible for every child. Investment in early education provides a foundation for improving educational outcomes for all children. Arkansas Advocates actively supports research, policy and legislation to increase the availability of quality Pre-K programs for all children in the state.
News release (March 2, 2010): Southern States’ Budget Cutting Endangers Pre-K Gains
Publications
Education in the Post-Lake View Era: What is Arkansas Doing to Close the Achievement Gap? (February 2008)
This examination of what Arkansas has done in recent years to improve its education system and how that has affected the education achievement gap among students finds that while many improvements have been made, the state still has a long way to go. Several suggestions are offered in the report for taking our education system in this direction; however, it proposes that a concerted effort will be needed on behalf of policymakers, parents and citizens to make these changes happen.
Among the findings: Arkansas needs a major public communications effort to promote participation in early childhood education. If all the families of 3- and 4-year-olds who are eligible for free preschool put them in quality pre-K programs, it would dramatically reduce the achievement gap.
Full Report
Executive Summary
Full Report: Spanish version
Executive Summary: Spanish version
An Economic Analysis of Pre-K in Arkansas (November 2006)
According to Dr. Belfield's economic analysis, Arkansas' pre-k investment to date will yield $2.32 for every $1 state leaders have allocated for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-k program for at-risk children. If the program were extended to all children, Arkansas would conservatively yield $1.58 in future cost savings. The analysis focused on the returns to Arkansas taxpayers in terms of public sector benefits and did not address the direct gains to the participating children and families or the economic growth produced by the pre-k sector itself in local economies (such as new jobs, revenues to educational suppliers, etc). Arkansas' potential savings mirrors that of similar pre-k economic studies conducted in Wisconsin, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York.