Requiring “highly qualified early educators,” dedicating existing federal funds for an early-education matching-grant program, and giving districts more flexibility to use Title I money for pre-K-3 programs are some of the major recommendations in a report on revamping the federal No Child Left Behind Act to improve schooling for younger children.
The report, released May 21 by the Washington-based New America Foundation, says that even though state-financed pre-K programs are growing, “there is little alignment of program characteristics or teacher-entry standards across states.”
“For PK to be most successful, it is best followed with a high-quality elementary school education that draws on the teaching and learning that is provided in the PK classroom,” the report says.
“The Key to NCLB Success: Getting It Right From the Start” is posted by the New American Foundation.
