The forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine is a reminder of the role innovation plays in improving the health and well-being off all Arkansans and strengthening our economy. Yet despite the well-known importance of the state’s innovative capacity, Arkansas is failing to...
It’s Wednesday, July 24, 2019 — 91 days after the legislative session officially adjourned on April 24, 2019. What’s so special about today? All bills passed by the state legislature become laws 91 days upon adjournment (unless they contained...
Note: This blog is second in a series of posts covering the findings in the Annie E. Casey Foundation 2019 KIDS COUNT® Data Book. To read the first blog post on economic well-being, click here, and read our press release here. Each...
Study shows all states need faster expansion and greater investment in early childhood education In The State of Preschool 2018 annual report, the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University found that Arkansas preschool state-funded enrollment increased, but funding...
We can close the educational achievement gap for low-income students by spending more wisely.
Statewide, many people think of Northwest Arkansas as a place where poverty is rare, where families and communities thrive in a booming economy. But as our updated Northwest Arkansas Child Poverty report explains, thousands of families struggle to get...
When do children begin to learn? Believe it or not, school readiness begins in the womb. Research show the first few years of life, including the prenatal months, are the most important for healthy brain development. Unfortunately, too many...
One thing business leaders, philanthropists, parents, child advocates – and even Hollywood – can agree on: The critical importance of quality early childhood education to our nation’s future. At the Bentonville Film Festival on Friday night, Arkansas Advocates for...
This May the Fourth, awaken the force … of quality early childhood education in Arkansas. Our little Wookiees’ earliest experiences form the foundation for all of their future learning. During a high-quality early childhood education, they learn to regulate...
Arkansas needs to focus its state poverty (NSL) funding where it belongs: in education programs that are proven to remove barriers for kids living in low-income families. The way to do this is by investing in the “Golden Three:”...