Roy E. Barnes, Co-Chairman

Contact: Jennifer W. Adams
Phone: 202/736-3858-o or 202/285-4268-c

Commission Hears Importance of Properly Supporting Early Childhood Education within NCLB
Solid Early Childhood Education Needed for Success

Washington, DC- The Commission on No Child Left Behind continued its summer roundtable series yesterday on the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on Early Childhood Education.  Participants invited by the Commission to speak gave their personal and professional opinions on the challenges and successes schools face with implementing NCLB in Early Childhood Education.  Yesterday’s discussion centered on how NCLB has impacted early childhood education and whether the law can be a catalyst for improving and expanding high quality early childhood programs.

The roundtable was chaired by Commissioner Eugene Garcia who opened the meeting with discussing the importance of Early Childhood Education and the need to better understand how it fits into NCLB. "As you know early childhood education is defined as grades pre-K thru grade 3 and NCLB does not really touch on these grades” said Garcia.  "We must learn how early childhood education connects with NCLB and make sure improvements are made to strengthen this tie."

The Commission heard from a panel of individuals representing state and local administrators and organizations who work directly with early childhood education issues.  The comments of the participants touched upon all aspects of NCLB, including its assessments and accountability.  "In NCLB accountability is targeted to grades 3-8," said Marsha Moore, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.  "Not focusing on the younger grades leads to a lack of focus for these children."

The panel also included Sam Meisels, the President of the Erikson Institute in Chicago Illinois, who discussed the work he has done regarding the assessment of young children.  He argued that the development of young children varies so greatly that testing can not accurately chart their progress.  "There are no easy answers," said Dr. Meisels when asked about how to assess young children.  He went on to offer that a system of evaluations should be implemented to determine the effectiveness of programs as well as to improve program offerings and instruction.

Libby Doggett, the Executive Director of Pre-K Now in Washington, DC, emphasized the importance of high quality early childhood education and the integral role it plays in the future development of a child.  She also expressed concern over the possibility of adding provisions to the NCLB Act that pertain to early childhood education. 

Jim Hinson, a local superintendent from the Independence School District in Independence, Missouri, gave an overview of the work that his district has done to deliver the comprehensive early childhood services to young children and support services to their parents.  Superintendent Hinson talked about his success in and the challenges of, coordinating multiple Federal and State funding sources to provide these services.  He went on to recommend greater coordination between the requirements of different Federal and State programs. 

Jim Lesko with the Delaware Department of Education in Dover, Delaware, talked about the challenges of complying with federal law when it comes to children with disabilities in early childhood programs such as section 619 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  He stressed the need for states to monitor programs to ensure that students receive services from people who are highly qualified deliver them.

The Commission will continue its summer roundtable series on Wednesday, August 2 with a discussion on the impact of NCLB on children with disabilities. This roundtable will focus on how NCLB is currently supporting and impacting children with disabilities and how the law should be modified to improve results for these children.
 
The Commission on No Child Left Behind is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Spencer Foundation. This document is published to communicate the results of the Commission’s work. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in the Commission’s documents are entirely those of the author(s) and should not be attributed in any manner to the donors.

***