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Witnesses Testify on Improving Results, Ensuring Accountability in Early Childhood Education Washington, D.C. - The House Subcommittee on Education Reform, chaired by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), today heard testimony on the impact of the Head Start program in preparing disadvantaged children for school. Promoting school readiness and improving results for children served by Head Start will be top priorities as Congress prepares to reauthorize the Head Start program this year. “Recognizing the important relationship between the quality of a child’s early experiences and their readiness for school, states and schools are focusing greater attention on the cognitive and social development of young children before they enter kindergarten,” said Castle. “Head Start and other early childhood education programs are often the first line of defense in ensuring that children attain the fundamental skills necessary for optimal reading development and overall school readiness.” “While the resources spent have been significant, results have sometimes been mixed,” continued Castle. “Research shows that children who participate in Head Start are better prepared to enter school than similar children who do not participate in this program. This is evidence that Head Start is working, but I believe we can do better.” Dr. Wade Horn, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, outlined the Bush Administration proposal to improve results and promote school readiness in early childhood education. “The bottom line for the President is school readiness - improving learning experiences and accountability for outcomes of those experiences,” said Horn. “Research tells us a great deal about the skills and knowledge children need to be successful in school. And success in school is a strong predictor of success in life, as reflected in lower delinquency rates, less teen pregnancy, higher incomes, fewer health issues, less suicide, and so forth.” John Rowland, governor of the state of Connecticut, testified on the successes his state has seen in early childhood education programs, saying that, “In all, Connecticut’s Early Childhood Initiative has brought many benefits to thousands of families in our poorest and neediest communities, and has helped thousands of children begin their academic careers on the right foot. By providing quality preschool services, we are helping students - who otherwise would not have access to learning resources in the first years of life - to enter kindergarten vastly better prepared to become successful students, citizens, and members of the community.” Rowland embraced the Bush administration’s proposal to strengthen Head Start programs by partnering with states, saying, “I commend the President for this initiative and I would like to announce that Connecticut wants to be the first state to accept the challenge.” Ron Herndon, chairman of the National Head Start Association (NHSA), described the significant role Head Start and other early childhood education initiatives play in the lives of disadvantaged children. “Head Start remains as important today as it was 38 years ago, helping children in poverty get the learning opportunities, nutritious meals, health care, and social and emotional support they need to enter school ready to learn. The founding principles of Head Start - that disadvantaged children need comprehensive, quality early education to start school ready to learn along with their more advantaged peers - are no less critical today.” Herndon also acknowledged concerns about the need to improve results for children, saying that, “Despite the impressive accomplishments of Head Start, NHSA and the entire Head Start community are the first to say that we can do an even better job on behalf of this nation’s neediest children.” In particular, an area being explored for improving school readiness is a focus on incorporating a language-rich curriculum into Head Start Programs. Nell Carvell, director of the Language Enrichment Activities Program and Head Start Initiatives at Southern Methodist University, testified to the potential benefits of such curriculum. “I am gratified to discuss how incorporating a language-rich curriculum into Head Start could result in significant educational gains for America’s children from low-income families,” said Carvell. “Among preschoolers, vocabulary, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness - in addition to social and emotional factors - have a significant impact on later success in school. A language-rich preschool curriculum focuses on developing these crucial pre-literacy skills.” Quality early care and education is critical for children, parents, the business community, and the success of welfare reform. Every day, approximately 12 million children and their families utilize some form of early childhood service. Head Start is the largest federal program with early childhood development and school readiness as its primary focus, and is the centerpiece of the federal government’s efforts to prepare the nation’s most disadvantaged for school. # # # # # |