Pre-K Now works with members of Congress and the executive branch to strengthen the national commitment to expand and improve the education of our youngest students. In this section, you can learn about our vision for a federal role in pre-k education and our positions on key legislation and issues pending before federal policymakers.

This session of Congress provides a unique opportunity for national policymakers to make a commitment to high-quality pre-k – a vital part of a strategy to build America’s human capital and prepare the next generation of students to compete in the global economy.

Thirty eight states across the nation have embraced the need for state-funded pre-k. In the last three years, governors and legislatures have increased funding for pre-k by 66 percent, for a total of nearly $2 billion in new funds for pre-k programs. In spite of these increases, the vast majority of four year old students – 78 percent – are not currently served in a state-funded program. Enrollment levels among three year olds remain even lower. To ensure that states and school districts continue to invest in early education quality and access, the federal government must provide both leadership and resources.

• Quality: Of the 38 states that sponsor some form of pre-k, only two meet all ten benchmarks of quality established by the National Institute for Early Education Research.

• Access: While the amount of state support for pre-k has increased overall, discrepancies persist between state programs and among individual programs within states. Leading states, such as Oklahoma, have enrolled more than 70 percent of the state's four year olds in state-funded programs, while others serve fewer than five percent. Some states have yet to establish any publically funded pre-k programs.

• Funding Disparities: Per pupil funding is too low for many states to improve the overall quality of programs and there is a growing disparity in funding between states – in five states total spending per pupil (local, state and federal dollars) reaches over $18,000, while in five other states it is lower than $3,000.

Amidst a national economic crisis, the new Administration and the 111th Congress invested nearly $100 billion in education in the economic recovery package – the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Among these investments (PDF) are $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, $2.1 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as $10 billion for Title I grants, which school districts could use for pre-k. Unfortunately, these funds will largely serve to fill in gaps left by state budget shortfalls and years of federal underfunding.

At a time when states are facing record budget deficits, a strong federal commitment can help them to invest in what works by strengthening pre-k program quality and building capacity to prepare all children for success in school and life.

Congress and the executive branch must ensure the long-term economic health of our nation by investing in programs that provide a demonstrated return on investment. Pre-K Now will work with policymakers to move decisively on President Obama’s early learning platform and deliver a data-driven, quality-oriented investment in our nation’s youngest learners, preparing them for success in school and life. 

Congress can:

• Amend major education laws to include pre-k for three and four year olds as an integral part of federal support for public education;  
• Advance the notion that education reform for the 21st century must be based on a commitment to an integrated system that addresses the needs of students at every level – pre-k through college;
• Establish and fully support a pre-k incentive grant that encourages state efforts to expand the capacity and improve the quality of publicly funded pre-k programs. This goal could be accomplished by the President’s proposed Early Learning Challenge Grants, amendments to ESEA or through stand-alone legislation.

Without a federal commitment tied to quality programs, children in underserved areas will continue to fall behind those who are able to benefit from early education opportunities. Working together, the 111th Congress and the new Obama Administration have an unprecedented opportunity to advance high-quality pre-k for all our children.

Recognizing that high-quality, voluntary pre-k is integral to building America’s human capital and preparing the next generation of students to compete in the global economy, Pre-K Now recommends action in the following areas:

• President's Early Learning Council
• Early Learning Challenge Grants
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• Higher Education Act (HEA)
• Head Start
• Child Care and Development Block Grant

On the campaign trail, President Obama called for the creation of a Presidential Early Learning Council to increase collaboration on early childhood efforts across programs and levels of government. A Presidential Early Learning Council would drive the leaders on the federal, state and local levels to work together on building a high-quality, cohesive, birth to five system. Pre-K Now urges the creation of the Council and the appointment of a strong leader as a White House point person on early education and the convener of the Council.

President Obama also advocated for the creation of Early Learning Challenge Grants to stimulate and help fund state zero-to-five initiatives. These grants must include incentive funds for states to improve the quality of pre-kindergarten programs, with the goal of providing high-quality voluntary pre-k to all three and four-year-old children, starting with those most at-risk.  

The reauthorization of ESEA/No Child Left Behind should include pre-k in sections that provide federal funding for schools and teacher training. We recommend that Congress:

• Create a federal incentive grant program to support and improve the quality of state pre-k programs;
• Include high-quality pre-k programs as an allowable instructional intervention available to states and local education agencies identified for improvement in Title I;

• Modify Title II provisions to encompass pre-k teachers in academic training and professional development; and
• Help states include pre-k in their longitudinal data systems designed to measure students’ progress from pre-k through college.

The Higher Education Act provides important support for teacher training and recruitment. With HEA reauthorization completed in 2008 pre-k teachers are, for the first time, covered by the Act’s provisions. Pre-K Now recommends that:

• Title II teacher quality partnership grants be fully funded in the FY2010 budget, allowing colleges and universities to partner with school districts to improve teacher qualifications. 
• Title IV loan relief provisions be fully funded in the FY2010 budget, allowing pre-k teachers to benefit from student loan relief provisions that have not been available before.

The 2007 reauthorization of Head Start adapted this landmark education program to serve the present needs of low-income children. As the Department of Health and Human Services prepares to implement the refurbished Head Start law, Pre-K Now recommends that:

• The departments of Education and Health and Human Service share in the responsibility to oversee coordination between federal and state programs that support pre-k and child care;
• Policymakers continue to look for opportunities to recruit and retain teachers with bachelor's degrees in all Head Start programs, including by requiring that at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers in each state hold a bachelor's degree and certification in early childhood education.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 made an unprecedented investment in Head Start, amounting to $2.1 billion, $1.1 billion of which is dedicated to the expansion of Early Head Start. Congress and the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services should use this opportunity to begin building a coordinated system of early learning services by:

• Providing funding for State Advisory Councils;
• Creating imperatives and incentives for collaboration; and
• Removing barriers to blending and braiding various early childhood funding streams.

The upcoming reauthorization of CCDBG legislation provides an opportunity to reform child care, dramatically improving quality. Child care programs are critical to the ability of states to deliver pre-k in diverse settings. States need federal leadership and resources to develop the capacity of the child care system to provide pre-k. Child care centers need the resources to improve the quality of services for all children.

Congress can play a role in helping states to provide pre-k for children living in difficult-to-serve areas and to those faced with the unique challenges of having a parent serve in the military. To ensure that every child in America has access to a consistent, high-quality pre-k experience, Pre-K Now recommends that Congress:

• Provide funding to support the growth of quality pre-k in rural America; and
• Help states provide access to high-quality pre-k for military-connected children.