High quality early learning experiences are important for Wisconsin. Early education is good for kids, good for parents and good for the economy.
Facts and Data:
Early learning prepares children for success in school and life.
- The early years are learning years. 85% of a child’s intellect and personality is formed by age 5.
- Children with high-quality learning experiences develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests, and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school.
High quality early learning settings support parents in their roles as caregivers and breadwinners.
- Wisconsin’s parents of young children want their children in nurturing settings that help them learn, develop, and get ready for school.
- 68% of Wisconsin’s children under age six have working parents. Those parents want programs where their children are cared for and prepared for school.
Early education is a wise investment for the economy.
- Wisconsin’s preschoolers are tomorrow’s workforce. Investments in early learning yield long-term positive impacts on school achievement and employment readiness.
- Investments in high-quality early education programs are cost effective, with the highest rate of return of any social investment, according to Nobel Laureate James Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago. [back to top]
2007 Agenda:
What is the Early Learning Coalition recommending for the
2007-09 state budget to improve early learning:
- Enhanced professional development and technical assistance for teachers and providers working with young children.
This proposal focuses on a key to quality: the qualifications of adults providing care and education to young children. Research shows that well-qualified teachers and providers form warm, nurturing relationships with children and establish effective early learning opportunities, providing the foundation for later school success. This proposal provides scholarships and training opportunities for teachers and providers, combined with technical assistance/consultation, with a particular emphasis on children with disabilities. Research shows that coursework in child development combined with technical assistance enhances the skills of those working with young children.[back to top]
- Establishment of a child care quality improvement system.
This proposal establishes a statewide quality improvement system for child care programs to help improve early learning in child care programs, particularly those serving low-income children, in order to help children become ready for school and for life. This proposal establishes a quality rating system combined with fiscal incentives and efforts to improve staff qualifications will help raise the quality of Wisconsin’s child care programs. Research from other states that have established quality rating systems tied to resources to improve quality shows promising increases in child care quality on a broad scale. Quality rating systems provide a benchmark to measuring progress in improving early learning settings for children, both at state and local community levels.[back to top]
- Expand 4K Options.
This proposal provides greater access to four-year-old kindergarten by providing incentives for community-based 4K approaches and assisting districts with start-up costs. Research shows that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and community-based approaches to delivery lead to positive gains in children’s learning and development, with larger benefits for children from lower-income families. [back to top]
