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The report by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) also reflects the major investments Connecticut has made in the critical preschool years under Governor Rell’s Administration, ranking the state second in the nation in total spending per enrolled child and No. 3 in the nation in state spending per enrolled child. “There is only one answer to the endless cycle of poverty, drug abuse, violence and crime: It is education,” Governor Rell said. “And we know – there is hard, scientific evidence to back it up – that early childhood education makes a world of difference in the way a youngster learns and succeeds in kindergarten and the first three grades of elementary school. In turn, doing well in those early grades is the single best predictor for future academic success, professional success, social success – for life success. “Our choices are simple but stark,” the Governor said. “This report puts the return-on-investment at $17 for every dollar spent on early childhood education. We can spend the money now on education or we can spend it later on prisons and poverty programs. I think the choice is obvious, even before the human costs are calculated.” The NIEER report ranked Connecticut 9th among all states for access for 3-year-olds and 18th for access for 4-year-olds, based on the numbers of children enrolled in pre-K programs. Previous editions of the report did not rank total spending, but report authors said it was appropriate to establish a separate category that includes funding from all sources – state, federal and local (if any). The report also noted that Connecticut meets six of the authors’ 10 quality criteria, including comprehensive early learning standards, requiring teachers to have specialized pre-K training, class sizes of 20 or below and a student-to-staff ratio of 10:1 or less. Governor Rell is already working to meet other standards, such as requiring teachers to have bachelor’s degrees. NIEER is based at Rutgers University. The report was funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The entire report can be viewed at http://nieer.org/yearbook. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: Mystic Seaport announces Annual Education Award winner - May 10, 2008 - 1:33:26 AM May 10 proclaimed as Student Innovators’ Day - May 9, 2008 - 2:00:05 PM Expanded program to help reduce the number of missing children - May 9, 2008 - 1:54:17 PM Workshop helps parents keep kids safe on the Internet - May 9, 2008 - 1:31:55 PM Westport Country Playhouse symposium discusses “The Role of Media and Theatre: Creating the Social Environment of Our Lives” - May 8, 2008 - 10:00:15 AM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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