ARRA Early Childhood
Every Child. Ready to Learn.
The ARRA provides unprecedented levels of support across the education spectrum from pre-K through grade 12. The goal of the ARRA – to increase educational outcomes for all students and stimulate the economy – can only be realized when there is a meaningful connection from pre-K all the way through high school to ensure that every student is prepared for success. Early Childhood funds are included in the Title I, Part A and IDEA portions of the ARRA allocation each state and district will receive.
Data show that investments in high quality, research-based early childhood programs can have persistent and far reaching benefits for students and for society as a whole. Effective preschool programs have been shown to have short term benefits for students – closing the achievement gap, diminishing the impact of poverty on student achievement – as well as long term benefits to society – reducing crime rates and incarceration. Clearly, devoting funds to improving the quality of early childhood education is a wise investment.
Sample Teachscape Solutions
There is a national shortage of highly qualified early childhood educators. And with many states raising the bar on credential and degree requirements for early childhood educators, the need for effective professional learning for these teachers is growing even more urgent. While schools need to ensure that early childhood educators are well trained and able to meet the needs of the children in their classes, another essential ingredient for high quality early childhood programs is effective leadership.
Simply developing the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators is not enough to ensure that all students benefit from high quality early childhood programs. Principals, early childhood mentors, and other leaders must also be included so that they too can expand their understanding of research-based early childhood education, and learn how to support early childhood educators as they adopt research-based classroom practices.
Solutions for Early Childhood
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