LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
For this project, our assignment was to construct a persuasive essay. We were allowed to write about any subject and were told to construct a well-researched argument pursuading the reader to side with our argument. I choose to research and compose an essay documenting the importance of preschool in a child's education. Research shows that preschool could hold the key in closing the American education gap between socioeconmic classes and could aid in improving our overall rankings on the global scale. I hope you enjoy reading and are persuaded to believe in the power of preschool.
Leveling The Playing Field: Preschool’s Lasting Effects
By: Meghan Yizzi
“Money makes the world go round.” This common phrase has been incorporated into almost all aspects of life; it’s the title of songs, a well-known quote, an attitude and most unfortunately a way of life. However, money does not make the world go round; education does. Education equips individuals with the necessary tools to conquer our problems and create a better future. Unfortunately, many students are not being provided with sufficient educations causing poor school performance rankings, increased unemployment and poverty rates, and a decline in a thirst to learn (Kirp). Experts working to reform the American school systems have found that enforcing a preschool education is vital in providing a satisfactory education. Children who acquire a preschool education enter kindergarten well ahead of their peers, creating an achievement gap that does not significantly change over the course of their academic careers (Lamy). In an attempt to improve the American education system and close the achievement gap, the United States’ government should enforce a law stating all children must attend preschool. The achievement gap must be addressed and closed to improve the education American students are receiving and to improve their performance on global tests. Preschool is vital in doing this as it levels the playing field and teaches children irreplaceable lessons. To pass this law, the American government must find a way to fund these programs to make preschool available to all citizens.
CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Making preschool available to all citizens helps level the playing field. It provides a more equal opportunity for all children to succeed. Many students do not go to preschool because their families do not have the necessary resources to fund such schooling. This results in an achievement gap across socioeconomic lines. On average, children from poor families score far below their peers from higher-income families in early vocabulary and literacy development, math, and social skills (Lamy).
Closing the achievement gap is necessary in improving America’s performance ratings and in providing all children a proper education that will guide them through life. Currently, America holds the 14th spot on the global performance scale (Rice). This number is the result of an expanding achievement gap which has negatively affected America’s ratings. According to the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, the achievement gap is defined as, “The disparity in academic performance between groups of students, which appears in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates, among other success measures.” The achievement gap is usually found between low-income students and their middle and upper class counterparts (Ochshorn). The National Assessment of Education Progress, which assesses and provides statistics on what American students know, uses their resources to try to answer where the achievement gap comes from and how to close it (NAEP). Their statistics and countless research studies show that this gap actually starts before kids even get to school (Ochshorn). Children who come from well off families attend preschool, while their counterparts do not, giving them an edge before they even step foot into the kindergarten classroom. This creates a gap, which begins in kindergarten, and does not change much throughout students’ academic careers (Shalby). The performance gap in mathematics for economically disadvantaged students begins in early childhood (Kirp). Students with fewer resources at home begin school with significantly less mathematical knowledge. This suggests that the preschool experience is a mechanism to level the playing field and fully prepare students to succeed in kindergarten.
PRESCHOOL AND BEYOND
Preschool has been found to significantly impact students’ academic careers all the way up to joining the workforce (Langham). According to renowned education expert, David Kirp, “Early education embeds a set of capabilities, orientations to the world, and expectations about how things and people will behave that affect how new experiences are selected and processed.” Receiving a good preschool education will provide children with a concrete foundation with which their academic career can be based upon. The Perry Preschool Study, famous in this field of research, conducted in the 1960s shows the lasting effects of attending preschool. Two groups of identical students, both of which were made up of poor children, were followed for forty years. One group attended preschool and the other did not. The children who attended preschool were more likely to have graduated high school and attend college. The study findings state that, “A stream of subsequent reports have shown that, for forty years later, preschool attendees are more likely to own their own home, own a car, and have a savings account; and are less likely to have used drugs, been in prison, or gone on welfare” (Kirp). Numerous other studies have been done that replicated these results showing the long lasting affects of a preschool education on a child’s future.
Another interesting finding from these studies was the socioeconomic groups that benefitted the most from preschool programs. Poor children who attended preschool versus those who did not had the largest achievement gap upon entering kindergarten (Lamy). Students enrolled in preschool programs achieved significantly higher than their counterparts in mathematics and reading. In a particular study, the groups were followed from preschool until third grade, and the difference in the number of students whose performance was up to the national standard was higher every year for the children who attended preschool than those who did not (Kirp). These studies show that by providing a free, or very inexpensive preschool education, the playing field was in a sense leveled. Poor children were able to learn and perform in the classroom and pass state administered standardized tests. By providing all children with equal opportunities, specifically a chance to attend preschool, the achievement gap between socioeconomic lines can be closed (Lamy).
EARLY EDUCATION: WELL WORTH THE MONEY
Although research shows preschool is vital in improving students’ cumulative education, many families cannot afford preschool, and many states do not offer public programs. Critics argue that education budgets are already tight, so providing public preschool programs is not possible. However, investing in a child’s future from the earliest stage possible, truly heeds the best returns. After the Perry Preschool study researchers found that offering high-quality preschools actually saved the school system money. Economic analysts calculated the overall return on the investment in preschool education by factoring in adult earnings, increased income tax and sales tax revenue paid to government, and savings from decreased crime and use of social safety net programs. After crunching these numbers economists found the Perry Preschool study had a 17:1 ratio of lifetime returns to initial investment (Perry Preschool Project). This was the most substantial return ratio with similar programs called the Abecedarian and Chicago Child-Parent Centers Study returning 3:1 and 10:1 results, respectively (Lamy). Although these ratios vary, the overall conclusion is the same; investing in early education heeds great results. The idea is that by teaching children earlier and enhancing their literacy as early as possible and building on that knowledge, less children will need to be placed in special education programs (Lamy). Special education is very expensive and by reducing the number of students who use these programs, school districts will save money. Research also shows that keeping kids in school reduces crime rates and the overall expenses the government spends on correctional facilities (Perry Preschool Study). Savings also come from fewer individuals using social safety net programs, as they are able to provide for themselves. Educational psychologist, Cynthia Lamy states, “Analysts estimate that when high-quality programs reach most children in a school district, these programs will save about 3 percent of the overall school district budget each year through decreases in grade retention and special education services, along with increase in positive peer effects that lift overall school efficiency.” Ultimately, by investing in a child’s future by providing them with a good preschool education, schools will save money and form better-educated students.
A CHILD’S EDUCATION: THE BEST INVESTMENT
To many, preschool is just glorified baby-sitting, however, this is far from true. Preschool is essential in closing the achievement gap between socioeconomic lines. Closing the achievement gap is imperative in improving the United States’ global education rankings and to enhance the education of all American citizens. The achievement gap is most visible between the lower and middle to upper classes. Research shows this gap does not fluctuate much throughout the course of students’ academic careers. Public preschool programs would help close the achievement gap by making preschool available to all. By making preschool available to all, the playing field would metaphorically be “leveled” as upper-class students wouldn’t approach the kindergarten classroom with an advantage. Although it might seem as though making preschool available to all is out of reach to many budget conscious districts, creating quality programs actually saves money in the long run. By reducing the amount of special education programs, school dropouts, crimes and government dependent individuals preschool actually saves money. Regardless of money saved, investing in a child’s future truly pays the best interest. As the great American children’s activist, Marian Wright Edelnman said, “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.”
Works Cited
Kirp, David L. Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System and a Strategy for America’s Schools. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Lamy, Cynthia E. "How Preschool Fights Poverty." Educational Leadership:Faces of Poverty:. N.p., n.d. Web.
Langham, Barbara A. "What Early Child Educators Need To Know." Theachievementgap (2009): n. pag. Texas Child Care Quarterly. Web.
"NAEP - Overview." NAEP - Overview. N.p., n.d. Web.
Ochshorn, Susan. Squandering America’s Future: Why ECE Policy Matters for Equality, Our Economy, and Our Children. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
"Perry Preschool Project." Social Programs That Work. Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF), n.d. Web.
Rice, Mark. "Education." Ranking America, a Site for Information about the U.S. N.p., 6 Jan. 2015. Web.
Shalby, Robert. “”Schools Closing The Achievement Gap”” PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Educational Leadership and Administration. Web.
