Reading, Writing and Hungry

A new report by the Partnership for America's Economic Success highlights the importance of food security and nutrition for early learning; Reading, Writing and Hungry: the consequences of food insecurity on children, and on our nation's economic success.

From the summary:

Food insecurity during a child’s earliest years can cause potentially significant physical, mental and psychological damage to the individual. Furthermore, the impact on the successful healthy development of these children has long-lasting negative implications for the national economy. Food insecurity imposes indirect costs in a variety of ways. For example:

• Food insecurity increases the likelihood that a child will be judged to need special educational services; children who are not only food insecure but are classified as hungry are twice as likely as those who are not hungry to be receiving special education services. By the third grade, children who were food insecure in kindergarten experienced a 13 percent drop in their baseline reading and math test scores, compared to their food-secure peers.
• Children whose families experienced food insecurity while the child was a toddler are 3.4 times more likely to be obese at age 4 ½, which itself carries a number of costly health outcomes.
• Food insecurity impairs proper physical growth and development in young children and creates pathways for poor health. Poor health limits children’s ability to grow and learn, thus reducing adult earnings and increasing adult health costs.

Research shows that prevention is cost-effective and federal nutrition programs that mitigate early childhood food insecurity, such as WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and the Food Stamp Program, offer far greater returns than many remedial programs. For example, WIC saves between $1.77 and $3.13 in Medicaid costs for each dollar spent, and every five dollars of food stamps benefits creates nearly double that amount in local economic activity. Investment in alleviating early childhood food insecurity helps family budgets today, and it is one important factor in creating the workforce we need for the future.

Check out the brief and learn more at www.PartnershipforSuccess.org.

Have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic new year!

Other media reaction to the Minnesota budget deficit

A variety of media outlets are commenting on the newly announced $5.2 billion deficit between now and the end of 2011 (not counting inflation). A few to note:

Dane Smith, president of Growth and Justice, wrote an editorial for the StarTribune: Three fundamental facts for Minnesota, where he questions the notion that small government is best for our economic woes.

The StarTribune also had an editorial, State shouldn't spurn federal aid, criticizes Governor Pawlenty for recent comments indicating unwillingness to take federal money to help the deficit and quotes an economic adviser to John McCain that “extending unemployment insurance benefits, food stamps and aid to state government would be the most effective spurs to economic growth.”

Minnesota Budget Bites is a great resource for understanding the logic behind the deficit numbers.

Long story short, this deficit cannot be fixed by the shell-games of the past. This is a long-term problem that requires a long-term solution. While it is important to examine all options, why not strategically spend in areas what will actually save money down the road? Early care and education is critical to building the foundation for our future.

Ready 4 K Comments on State Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ready 4 K says during poor economy it is the wrong time to dump state’s ‘best earning stock’ – early childhood care and education

St. Paul – With the state facing a major budget shortfall, the governor and legislative leaders have indicated that every spending area is on the table for cuts as they look to solve the state’s budget shortfall. But Ready 4 K President Todd Otis urged state leaders to use a ‘scalpel’ rather than a ‘meat cleaver’ as they move through the budget process.

“A bad economy is exactly the wrong time to dump the best earning stock in your portfolio. If the Governor and legislators want to get Minnesota on the right track, they should continue investing in high quality early childhood education and care.”

Research by economists has shown that the public return on strategic investment in quality early childhood education and care can return up to $12 for every $1 invested. This research also demonstrates that at-risk children who participate in high quality early learning are more likely to graduate from high school, earn higher wages as adults, and are less likely to need remedial education, use public assistance or be involved in crime.

“Minnesotans know the incredible return on investment they receive by investing in quality early care and education, and if there’s one budget area that should be off limits for cuts, it should be early care and education,” Otis continued.

The state faced an over $5 billion deficit in the 2003-04 biennium. Despite accounting for merely one percent of the state budget then, early childhood care and education was cut by sixteen percent. Funding for children in the early childhood area still has not fully recovered from those cuts.

Ready 4 K is a non-partisan non-profit organization, building the foundation for our future through quality early care and education. More information on Ready for K is available at www.ready4k.org.

The challenge of assessing early learning

As news of a down-turning economy continues to fill the media, early childhood has been brought forward as a solid, long term investment. This has been a key point for Ready 4 K as we move forward in Minnesota to ensure that every child starts kindergarten, supported, encouraged and fully prepared for learning success. Ready 4 K board member Art Rolnick has gained national attention for framing increasing access to quality early care and education as an economic investment.

Like any investment, we need to be sure it is generating the returns we expect. It's a complicated question to answer. Early learning is, of course, about bright, creative and unique individual children, not stock options or 401(k)s. One tool that is used in Minnesota is the Minnesota Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. (View a previous post to learn more about the Assessment and the most recent result.)

Currently, the Assessment is done with only a representative sample of children in Minnesota. Expanding the Assessment for all children has been part of Ready 4 K's legislative agenda in recent years and is still part of a larger vision for creating an early childhood system that supports all children and families.

Minnesota 2020, a nonpartisan think tank, has recently published an article on Assessing an Early Investment. Ready 4 K President Todd Otis and Early Childhood Systems Specialist Zoe Nicholie have much to say in the article about the Assessment and how it should be used.

Creators and supporters of the assessment remain vocal that it should not be viewed as a test.

Todd Otis, President of Ready 4 K, an organization that promotes school readiness initiatives in the state, phrased it this way, "Instead of thinking of it like the SATs, think of it like a check up with your doctor."

Trained teachers observe children's behavior as they participate in regular activities, rather than administer an actual test. The assessment's purpose is to review overall progress, not create specific skill mandates that define passing or failing grades. The MDE is not saying that by the time a child enters kindergarten he/she must be able to recite the alphabet, tie his/her shoe and solve basic arithmetic problems. Instead, the assessment outlines a range of behaviors and skills that demonstrate progress in a variety of areas deemed important for later success.

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Otis and his colleague Zoe Nicholie of Ready 4 K warn against mutation of the assessment into a high stakes testing system. The logic of high stakes testing such as that mandated by NCLB is that schools should be held accountable for their test results, and by linking progress to funding levels schools will be more motivated to improve. One of the problems with this logic, however, is that it fails to account for the myriad of outside influences that impact young people's ability to learn and be successful. Health, parental involvement, and early education exposure are only a few of the factors that, according to Nicholie and Otis, influence a child's early development. If assessment results are directly tied to kindergarten or preschool funding, they ignore the complex web of influences shaping children's growth.

It's important that we know how are kids are doing so that we can create early learning opportunities that work best for them. It is also important for communities to understand how well their children are prepared so that the entire community can work together to ensure their success in school and in life.

What do you think? Share your thoughts on how to best determine the success of our early learning investment in the comments below.

photo by FrancoisRoche

Looking for something to do?

After all the excitement around the election (and then some time to digest all the results), it's time to begin looking ahead and answering the question, "Now what can I do to support young children and their families?" One important thing you can do it be in touch with your newly elected officials.

Write a letter or make a quick phone call to congratulate them, thank them for serving their community in this way and encourage them to make early childhood a top priority. Ready 4 K has a Guide for Policy Makers that outlines why early care and education is an important investment and what Minnesota needs to do about it.

You can find out the results of your local elections by visiting the Minnesota Secretary of State website. For the new members of the Minnesota House, there is a roster of the new membership. (To write a letter to a new House member, look up their name on the roster, use the room number listed and complete the address for the State Office Building in St Paul, MN. For example, Room xxx State Office Building, St Paul, MN 55155-1298. For newly elected members without room numbers, simply send your letter to the State Office Building.)

The most effective advocates are those who develop a personal relationship with their elected officials. It's never too early or too late to start building that relationship. It's important to keep open and respectful communication with our leaders. Remember, advocacy is a marathon and not a sprint. Keep it up and over time we will continue to see policies made that benefit our youngest citizens.

It's almost time!

The big day is fast approaching. That's right... election day 2008! Over the past couple of months, we've outlined the early childhood policy positions of the presidential candidates and encouraged you to get to know your own local candidates. But soon, all the talk will be over.

First, the most important thing is to vote on November 4. If you live in Minnesota and don't know where to vote, check out the polling place finder. If you want to know who will be on your ballot, the League of Women Voters has a tool to help you find out.

If you haven't registered yet, don't worry! In Minnesota we have same-day voter registration. You just need to go to your polling place on election day and provide proof of residence. Just just need to provide one of the following as proof (from the Secretary of State website):

• A valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, Minnesota ID card, or receipt for any of these
• A valid student ID card including your photo, if your college has provided a student housing list to election officials
• A Tribal ID card that contains your picture and signature
• A valid registration in the same precinct under a different name or address
• A notice of late registration sent to you by your county auditor or city clerk
• A voter registered in the same precinct as you who can confirm your address with a signed oath
• An employee of the residential facility where you live who can confirm your address with a signed oath

Alternatively, you may provide both 1) a photo ID from the list below, and 2) a current bill with your current name and address in the precinct.

Photo IDs (may be expired)	Bills (delivered electronically or by mail)
Minnesota Driver's License Minnesota ID Card United States Passport United States Military ID Card Tribal ID Card Minnesota University, College, or Technical College ID Card	Utility bill due within 30 days of election day: Telephone (landline, cell, VOIP, etc.) TV (cable, satellite, etc.) Internet services Electric Gas Solid Waste Sewer Services Water Rent statement dated within 30 days of election day that itemizes utilities Current student fee statement

If you have problems getting to, registering or voting at the polls, call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Second, help us Get Out the Vote! Ready 4 K is part of the Election Day Community Coalition to do voter turn out in North Minneapolis. We will have three four-hour volunteer shifts from 8am-12pm, 12pm-4pm, and 4pm-8pm. Volunteer activities include phoning, door knocking, giving rides to the polls, and being poll watchers. No experience necessary. Contact Kat for more information.

This is such an exciting time for our community and our country. Join us in this historic occasion and VOTE!

photo by Vaguely Artistic via flickr

Early Childhood gains national attention

If you missed the final presidential debate, early childhood and education received attention in the final question. Here is the transcript of that portion of the debate.

Question: The question is this: the U.S. spends more per capita than any other country on education. Yet, by every international measurement, in math and science competence, from kindergarten through the 12th grade, we trail most of the countries of the world.

The implications of this are clearly obvious. Some even say it poses a threat to our national security.

Do you feel that way and what do you intend to do about it?




Question: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in the schools? And I mean, more federal money?



The election is fast approaching. Check back soon for nonpartisan volunteer opportunities to Get out the Vote in Minnesota.