Trista Kendall
Office 202.862.9873
tkendall@preknow.org

(Little Rock, AR) – Executive Director of Pre-K Now, Libby Doggett, today issued the following statement on a study from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) which verifies that high-quality pre-kindergarten positively affects language and math abilities for Arkansas children:

“Once again, the academic benefits of high-quality pre-k have been proven to make a positive difference in children’s lives.  This report echoes what we have found across the country, that children who attend high-quality pre-k, like the Arkansas Better Chance Program, are gaining the math, vocabulary, and early literacy skills they need to start kindergarten prepared to succeed. Governor Beebe and the state legislature have made quality a priority for pre-k, and this commitment is clearly paying off.

“With all the recent talk in the education community about preparing our students to compete in a global economy, NIEER’s study demonstrates that Arkansas’ pre-k students are building the foundation they need to become productive citizens. Business leaders across the country support pre-k as a workforce development solution and an investment with an impressive return. According to a Pre-K Now report by economist Clive R. Belfield, Ph.D., for every dollar Arkansas commits to provide high-quality pre-k for all children, taxpayers will save $1.58 in welfare, criminal justice, and remedial education costs.

“Equally compelling as the empirical evidence we have of the academic and economic benefits of pre-k are the stories we hear about the social and emotional growth of children who attend pre-k. Teachers and parents around Arkansas can tell you that children who attend pre-k are excited about learning and confident in their abilities as they begin kindergarten.

“Thanks to a funding increase in FY06, the Arkansas Better Chance Program now serves nearly 25 percent of children. I applaud Governor Beebe for committing an additional $40 million to fully implement the program in his State of the State address. With his support and the support of other key state leaders, Arkansas’ pre-k program is poised to become a model for states around the country.”

Click here for the full NIEER report

Pre-K Now collaborates with state advocates and policymakers to lead a movement for high-quality pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds. The following funders contribute to making this important work possible: The Pew Charitable Trusts, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, RGK Foundation, CityBridge Foundation, and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

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