Reports by issue topic
Early Childhood Education
The Public Policy Forum has embarked on a ground-breaking project to establish through economic analysis the costs and benefits of high quality early childhood education in southeast Wisconsin. A gap exists in our region between our current system of child care and a best-quality system. This gap is unfortunate, because high quality child care is associated with several short- and long-term economic benefits for both the children and society as a whole. The project promises to provide policymakers, the business community, parents, and taxpayers with the information necessary to develop a new public policy of early childhood care and education in the Milwaukee region.
| The Price of Quality |
December, 2009 |
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| full report |
| early childhood education are seen by community leaders as a strategy for improving outcomes in areas such as K-12 education, workforce development, and economic development. Indeed, many research studies conclude that high quality early learning environments produce social, educational, and economic benefits for children and the communities in which they live. As a result, many state and local governments around the country are seeking to capture these benefits by investing in quality improvement efforts. Wisconsin is no different; the 2009-2010 state biennial budget calls for the Department of Children and Families to create a strategy for improving the quality of publicly-subsidized child care.
While policymakers increasingly are looking to maximize the benefits of high-quality early childhood education, budget realities often dictate that they do so while minimizing the expenditure of public funds. Thus, this report seeks to inform these decisions in Wisconsin by estimating the costs of achieving improved quality in child care and early learning programs in southeast Wisconsin and analyzing policy options associated with quality improvement initiatives.
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| MPS teachers link preschool to better performance in Kindergarten |
July 24, 2009 |
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| research brief |
| A survey of Milwaukee Kindergarten teachers finds nearly all (97%) report they can generally tell early in the school year which children attended preschool and which did not. Teachers also feel that those who attended preschool typically perform much better in Kindergarten and at least somewhat better after that.
The survey of 77 teachers of five-year-old Kindergarten (K5) in the Milwaukee public school district (MPS) also finds that most teachers (93%) feel children with preschool or four-year-old Kindergarten (K4) backgrounds are somewhat to much better prepared to enter K5 than their peers. In addition, the majority (83%) feel spending time in preschool or K4 is very important prior to entering K5. These findings hold true for teachers in schools with higher-than-average enrollments of low-income children, as well as teachers in schools with fewer low-income children.
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| The Economic Impact of the Child Care Industry in Southeast Wisconsin |
May, 2009 |
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| full report |
| In the latest report from its three-year research project on early childhood care and education, the Public Policy Forum conducts a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of southeast Wisconsin's child care industry. The aim is twofold: to provide policymakers and economic development officials with a sense of the economic magnitude of this industry, and what its condition means to the economic well-being of the region; and to lay the groundwork for a follow-up report - to be released later this year - that will enumerate the costs and benefits of a potential high quality early childhood care and education system in southeastern Wisconsin. Taken together, these reports will provide insight for policymakers as to the scope of investments that would be required to achieve a high quality system, and the returns that might be generated should those investments materialize.
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| Neighboring states see economic value in early childhood education |
January 31, 2009 |
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| research brief |
| As the push for economic stimulus has states contemplating economic development in new and different ways, Wisconsin may find it helpful to note the unconventional efforts of its neighbors. Minnesota and Illinois have positioned themselves to reap potential long-term economic benefits from high quality early childhood care and education. Interestingly, business leaders in those states joined with advocates for children to raise the visibility of the issue and to make the policy link with economic development. For Wisconsin policy and business leaders looking for new tools to grow our economy and effectively educate the future workforce, the experiences of Illinois and Minnesota may be instructive. |
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| When business gets involved: A case study of business community involvement in Illinois' early childhood education policy |
January, 2009 |
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| full report |
| As the first state to offer universal preschool to three‐year‐olds, Illinois’ experience with early childhood
education (ECE) policy reform efforts offers valuable lessons about how such change takes shape. The
confluence of factors includes well‐organized advocacy groups, the endurance to continue efforts over
decades, a supportive governor, and an engaged business community.
The description below details Illinois’ ECE activities from 1992 to the present, with a particular focus on
the business role in ECE policy. Chicago Metropolis 2020 was the main business group involved in ECE
efforts, but, significantly, advocates and politicians also continuously cast the issues in language that
would motivate economic and business interests. |
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| When business gets involved: A case study of business community involvement in Minnesota's early childhood education policy |
January, 2009 |
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| full report |
| Minnesota experienced significant advancement of early childhood education (ECE) issues in the past
five years, integrating contributions from researchers, corporations, advocates, foundations, education,
public officials and government entities. It appears that this high level of corporate engagement in what
is usually termed a “social” issue is unprecedented for Minnesota.
The description below details Minnesota’s ECE activities from 2003 to the present, with a particular
focus on the business community’s role in ECE. The timeline illustrates how fact‐based information,
mixed with passionate and well‐connected people and organized task forces, creates change. That
being said, components of Minnesota’s ECE reform plans that some thought would be statewide by
now, like scholarships for low‐income children to attend high‐quality child care, remain in pilot phases. |
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| Child-care Provider Survey Reveals Cost Constrains Quality |
June 6, 2008 |
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| research brief |
| A survey of 414 child care providers in southeastern Wisconsin reveals that cost as well as low wages and lack of benefits
for workers can constrain providers from pursuing improvements to child‐care quality.
High‐quality early childhood care and education has been found to produce short‐ and long‐term educational, cognitive,
and social benefits for children. Consequently, we sought to measure whether our region’s child care providers
have the capacity to supply that type of beneficial care and we wanted to learn from providers where barriers to quality
exist.
We surveyed licensed and/or certified providers in the seven‐county region, about half of whom are family (homebased)
child care providers and half are center‐based (group) providers or preschools. Of our survey respondents, 13%
have at least three of five structural factors often associated with highest quality care. In addition, over three‐quarters
of our sample is neither accredited nor seeking accreditation. |
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| Toward High Quality Early Childhood Education: An Imperative for the Regional Economy |
April, 2008 |
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| full report |
| A gap exists between the current status of child care in the U.S. and best quality child care. This gap is unfortunate, because high quality child care is associated with many short- and long-term economic benefits for both the children and society as a whole. A growing body of research indicates that high quality early childhood care and education can be one of the best economic development investments a local or state government can make. |
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| Parents pleased with child care options and quality |
April, 2008 |
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| full report |
| A recent survey of 430 parents in southeastern Wisconsin finds the vast majority are satisfied with the quality of their
child care arrangements and their options for child care. In fact, most say they would not change anything about their
child care arrangement if they had the chance, and nearly two‐thirds report a willingness to pay more for their current
child care.
The high rates of satisfaction may contradict other research on child care quality in the region which, using more
empirical methods, has found that the majority of child care providers are of mediocre quality.* Parents’ general
satisfaction with the quality of their child care providers also may explain why legislative efforts to improve child care
quality in Wisconsin have found little grass roots support. Parents may be satisfied with what experts may deem lower
quality child care either because they are not aware the quality is not optimal, or because they value different aspects of
quality than do researchers and policymakers. |
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| Early childhood education outcomes |
July, 2007 |
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| full report |
| The Public Policy Forum has produced a map of existing research on early childhood education. The information is presented in matrix format so that outcomes can be easily compared across studies. Overall, we find that existing research largely supports the connection between higher quality early childhood programs and long-term benefits including improved school-readiness, improved social skills, higher IQ scores, higher standardized test scores, decreased crime and delinquency, and greater earning capacity. Parents of children in high quality child care also benefit as they are better able to find and keep work. Societal benefits from higher quality child care include reduced crime costs and reduced welfare use. Further, increased earnings by early childhood program participants once they reach adulthood will result in increased income tax revenue. |
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