State to overhaul pre-K

School officials say many students entering kindergarten unprepared

State education leaders are about to announce plans to revamp Louisiana’s sprawling pre-kindergarten programs.

“The ultimate aim is to have a greater number of kids ready for kindergarten when they walk in the door,” said Jessica Baghian, deputy chief of staff for the state Department of Education, on Monday.

However, just what the plan will look like is sparking concerns, including whether classroom standards will be standard for public and private classrooms.

The changes stem from a bill called the Early Childhood Education Act that was one of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s priorities and breezed through the Legislature earlier this year.

It is supposed to overhaul a system that critics contend is a confusing array of classes with varying standards, costs and successes — and too few students entering kindergarten ready to learn.

“Now, only 52 percent are entering kindergarten ready to engage in kindergarten material,” Baghian said.

State Superintendent of Education John White, who is set to unveil a proposed framework of the new system Oct. 17, said last week that the large number of ill-prepared 4-year-olds entering kindergarten “is not a tolerable situation.”

He said that trend sheds light on the large number of third-graders who struggle with math and English on iLEAP, a skills test in which the bar for achievement is set at modest levels.

Even with pre-K classes, state officials have said, about one in three public kindergarten students fails to reach the fourth grade on time.

White is set to spell out the plans to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is supposed to play a major role in crafting the changes.

Under the law, BESE also is required to hammer out a definition of kindergarten readiness.

The panel is required to establish performance targets for children younger than 3 and academic standards for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds.

BESE also will set up an accountability system for publicly funded early childhood education programs, including state-assigned letter grades on how students are faring.

Several advisory groups also are involved in crafting the new pre-K rules, including the Child Care Association of Louisiana.

“In general, we are a strong supporter of overhauling the complete early childhood sector in Louisiana,” group President Wyatt Graves said.

But Graves said he has not been told about details of the plan, including whether association recommendations will be followed.

He said that, among other things, the Child Care Association favors using the same standards at all age levels whether the schools are public or private.

“Right now, the public schools providing care for 4-year-olds receive more money and less restrictions than the private child care system, which serves the same children,” said Graves, who lives in Denham Springs.

The association includes about 600 members, including about 300 programs and 300 individuals who work in the field.

About 45,000 4-year-olds are enrolled in public pre-K programs. The state has about 65,000 4-year-olds.

Education experts have known for years that pre-kindergarten programs have a huge impact on how students fare in kindergarten and beyond.

Conversely, children who enter kindergarten behind their peers often never catch up.

The issue sparked controversy at BESE last year amid a report that showed seven state and federally funded pre-K programs operate in Louisiana, spending $1,726 to $7,200 per child.

Exactly what the state expects children to learn in the classes is unclear, as well as how much value taxpayers are getting from their investments, according to figures provided by the state Department of Education.

Chas Roemer, a member of BESE who lives in Baton Rouge, said nearly $350 million a year was spent in state and federal funds on pre-K classes.

BESE is set to vote on the proposed new prekindergarten system in December. The plan is due to lawmakers March 1.

Comments

1) Comment by redstickhornet - 03/10/2012

Thanks for responding Noel! I like your 10 steps a lot. The only other thing I would add is: take time out during the day to listen to children talk, and to tell them that you care. I do notice that many fine and outstanding people in our community talking time to read to children. They are the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), and they are true heroes in our neighborhoods who don't often receive much praise. @ Deutsch29: I am pretty sure that you are right about the media reading and reacting to our comments. I see how commenting is sometimes cut off on certain stories. I know for a fact that there are some orgs out there that reward their members/followers for commenting on certain news stories just to repeat "talking points" or to launch personal attacks on readers expressing certain views. Sad.

2) Comment by nimby? - 03/10/2012

I remember a line from a Chocolate Milk(70's soul group) song , "Mr. say is nothing , Mr. do is the man" ...

3) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

Danke Schon deutsch29! Well said! How do we determine an "ineffective" Superintendent? Would failure to effectively communicate be grounds for dismissal? Now don't blame Dastugue for this letter. She clearly didn't write it. It bears all the hallmarks of a professional, ... nope, can't use those words... or a bull.... nope, can't finish that one, a professional spinner! That should be able to slip by the word police!

4) Comment by deutsch29 - 02/10/2012

Penny Dastugue

5) Comment by deutsch29 - 02/10/2012

I realize that the media are reading these comments and using them to inform subsequent news releases. I am very happy to know this. Please investigate the number of former Teach for America individuals John White has in his employ at the expense of truly qualified educators. Also, please put the pressure on Penny Dastudue and her decision to "reschedule" John White's evaluation (a privilege I do not have as a teacher) and her push to promote/hire those connected to TFA and place them in BESE-related positions. I want this house of cards to fall as soon as possible, and the media is just the wind needed to knock it down. Thank you.

6) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

@redstickhornet: Sorry, was busy responding to another busy responding to another post. The following was in response to someone who kept arguing that we needed to do something about failing schools. I kept pointing out to her that there is NOTHING in the state's failed accountability system that measures teacher effectiveness, or "school" effectiveness. She finally said, well, what can we do to improve the quality of our schools. I realized that instead of point out the deficiencies in our "accountability plan" I should just answer her question. Here is how we can improve our schools. Guaranteed to improve them! And it doesn't cost a thing! This is TRULY early childhood education! Do You Want Better Schools in Your Community? 1. Read to children from birth (and even before). Every day. If you don't know how to read, learn, or help others read to children. Smile with them! 2. Talk to infants, and with children as often as possible. Use lots of words. Good words. Have nice conversations with other adults when children can hear. And smile. 3. Have books in all homes. They don't have to be expensive, or new. Build bookcases and have them displayed prominently. And smile at the books! 4. Do not yell at children, unless they are about to have a dangerous accident. Yelling at children is not good for their brains. This is true. Better to smile. And teach them. 5. Grow some plants with your young children, or a real garden. Watch things grow! Smiles make them grow sweeter, and healthier. Works for the plants too! 6. Help children avoid fast foods, carbonated beverages, caffeine and sweets for children and infants. We do not need any of these. They can be expensive, and they damage neurological development and create obesity. Pick fresh vegetables and fruit. Children will love you for it! And their smiles will be prettier! 7. Turn off televisions! Children who watch more television do worse than those who watch less, no matter what kind of shows. No digital games before age three or older. Smile and make faces instead! Laugh with children, not at them. 8. Run, walk, and bicycle with children! And if they cannot, carry them! Get out in a park, along the back yards, climb a tree, and explore. Smile! Enjoy nature. 9. Listen to classical music, folk songs, or spirituals with children. All are calming and help children develop patterning and connections in the brain. Smile and sing along! 10. Help others do these things with, or for, their children. Teach all the children in your community to help others! And watch them smile! Warning: May not result if improved schools overnight, or even in a year. It will help create a lifetime of great experiences for children; and happier homes, and a better community, and perhaps even a better world. It will definitely improve schools. Guaranteed! Thanks for reading. Noel Hammatt

7) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

@tradewinns: You are correct about the research on Head Start programs, but Head Start was not designed to be an academic program. It was actually designed to foster social skills in young children who had not had the kind of early childhood experiences middle class families take for granted. On social skills scales, the students do advance, quite a bit. There is actually no reason to expect them to advance on academic skills that are not taught in these programs. In recent years, because of these earlier (in my mind misguided) studies, Congress pushed for more academic content in the Head Start Programs. The effect of those changes really has not been measured yet. In West Feliciana, where the school system ran Head Start & Early Head Startand designed academic components, there is evidence that students entered school ahead of their peers from similar backgrounds who did not get Head Start, and that they carried those advantages forward into higher grades. I guess I should explain the "misguided" comment I made earlier in this post. If you and I design a program to improve the climbing skills of young students, and @Being_Stupid comes along and measures the degree to which students in our program have improved their swimming, we would likely think that @Being_Stupid is an idiot. Measuring academic gains for a program that was designed to foster social skills.... just as stupid. Climbing skills MAY impart some advantages in swimming, but that would be incidental, not intended. Now, you and I agree about the ridiculous idea of "farming out" schooling to the private or parochial schools. I dare say we agree on that, but for different reasons. I shall give three of my reasons. First, there is NO EVIDENCE from large-scale studies that private or parochial schools do a better job of educating students (when looking at students from similar backgrounds, obviously private schools and public selective schools have better school scores, but that is what I call the "duh" factor at work.). Second, I believe that the use of these vouchers for religious schooling (and I believe there is only ONE public school in the mix) is a violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and the lack of safeguards in our state that were quoted in other Supreme Court decisions makes out own law (and, if we knew actually how the school were selected we might have even more reasons to believe it was unconstitutional, however they are carefully hiding the implementation, perhaps for legal reasons, not the garbage they gave for excuses). My third reason is a bit more pragmatic. The costs of vouchers are going to come close to bankrupting local districts, because there are no savings when a few students leave each school, but very difficult decisions are going to be made in those schools. Additionally, the scores on the very accountability system that was used (falsely) to claim that the sky is falling, are actually going to get worse, since the voucher schools are not going to be taking in many special needs students, or students from extremely low income households. And yes, Virginia, these things very much impact school performance scores and "Letter Grades." Finally, remember that there is powerful evidence that schools alone cannot overcome the gaps that exist when children arrive at school. No schools do this. There are no miracle schools. See http://miracleschools.wikispaces.com/

8) Comment by redstickhornet - 02/10/2012

Ok Noel. What are your 10 simple steps? Like many on here, I enjoy your comments even when I don't agree. I'm interested in your 10 steps....

9) Comment by timesright - 02/10/2012

Nancy Carlsson-Paige is an expert in early childhood education. I wonder how much of her work has been read and studied by Ms. Jessica Baghian. Here is something that she has recently written about reforms taking place in early childhood education....."Sadly, the worst of the restrictive, standardized, drill-based education is happening in our poorest communities. More often the teachers in these underfunded schools have less training. They are more dependent on the standardized tests and scripted curricula and more willing to impose them. These teachers haven’t learned what they could do instead of the drills and tests, and they haven’t learned how harmful these approaches are for kids. I wish you could see the faces of kids in the low-income communities I visited this year. They are scared, sad and alienated. I see on them an expression that says, “School is not fun, and it is not for me. I want out of here.” To read more of her current comments here is the link.......http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/29/my-view-obama-romney-need-to-know-one-thing-about-early-childhood-education-start-over/

10) Comment by ultimateliberal - 02/10/2012

Let us not lose sight of the necessity (IMPERATIVE) to let children PLAY. Playing is VITAL to their development as civilized people who give and take, respect other people's talents, and learn about their unique gifts and interests. First, children PLAY in parallel (near, but not WITH each other); then they play with each other, usually with a great deal of grief--throwing, screaming, accusing, pushing, snatching. They must learn to deal with all of this before they start "academic" work. Early play is children's work--if a child does not learn to PLAY fairly, peacefully, and with enthusiasm, the child is lost throughout the academic growth. Let's teach reading when children are ready: around 6-7 years old. FIRST, they must learn to PLAY and use their IMAGINATIONS.

11) Comment by tradewinns - 02/10/2012

NH; there are studies which show that pre-K (head start) programs work, but only for a while. by the third grade the HS students have fallen back to the statistics of the non HS students. i believe it is because the parents do NOT do their duties of parenthood-if they even know what their duties are. while i am a conservative republican, i also do not believe in farming out education. if the parents can afford to send their kids to a private school, bully for them. if you have to go to a public school, as i did, you should receive a good education with the opportunity to continue your education, IF YOU QUALIFY. if you can not qualify by either grades or CE exams, you are not college material as of yet. hit the books and try the college entrance exams again. if you have the intelligence to be in college, the test will be passed with your efforts. only by MAKING the parents of children follow up on their kids to ensure they are attending classes and behaving as well as doing their homework every day will public education advance.

12) Comment by deutsch29 - 02/10/2012

JESSICA TUCKER BAGHIAN

13) Comment by deutsch29 - 02/10/2012

Jessica Tucker is another Molly Horstman-- expired Level I teaching certificate (expired 08/10), no degree in education, graduated from LSU in 2006 (mass communucations, it looks like); possibly a law degree. Once again, a young lady placed in a leadership position in education but with no experience to justify to any sane person her placement there.

14) Comment by phil - 02/10/2012

It's basically tax-funded day care and it should be called exactly that and not included under taxes for schools and education. I say call it what it really is and stop trying to fool the public.

15) Comment by NewsReader - 02/10/2012

Letting politicians decide on education these days is like letting the inmates run an asylum. I suspect their results will be about as effective as if we let the pre-K kids decide on political matters.

16) Comment by timesright - 02/10/2012

One needs to look further than the Brookings Institute for studies and research done on early childhood education. One needs to look further than those that Supt. John White has put in charge of creating a plan to improve early childhood education in Louisiana. How can someone who has no experience in working with children and teachers of this age group know what best practices to use? Check out this reference.....http://neatoday.org/2012/04/04/what-does-high-quality-early-childhood-education-look-like/ There are many more. Just too busy to list them. You can Google if you wish. Thanks to Noel Hammett for providing the information that he does.

17) Comment by iluvbtr - 02/10/2012

I find in interesting that The Advocate published BESE President Penny Dastugue's defense of John White's PR hire in today's Opinion section, but chose to exclude it from the online edition. Perhaps it's because someone doesn't want us to be able to comment on her letter.

18) Comment by nimby? - 02/10/2012

until there are consequences holding parents accountable nothing will change ; generations living under the same roof not learning from the previous mistakes .

19) Comment by Attila - 02/10/2012

The Brookings Institute has published DHHS studies that show that head start programs have little to no demonstrable impact on the children's academic, socio-emotional, or health status at the end of the first grade. Seems as though we have been predictably throwing money down a black hole for nearly 50 years. What is that old saying; insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Seems like that surely applies here.

20) Comment by healthjunkie - 02/10/2012

I agree the first years of a child's life is the most important time to build a foundation for the rest of their lives. In an ideal world all parents would be teaching their children the basics inorder for the schools to build on that foundation. However, in this day and age of our tech savvy world we have parents who would rather allow their children to learn from the TV, while they are spending more time with their tech gadgets in the world or texting and email. Communication has become a thing of the past. Things that should be taught at home have now become something educators must teach in the schools. Respect and manners are a big thing- teaching children how to treat each other, teaching them what it means to be first in line. Teaching them basic colors, numbers, letters. All of these things that "should" be started at home has now become something that is taught in the schools. Parents should be held accountable to assist their children by spending time going over lessons that were taught in the classroom and reading communication that comes home. Recently a study came out showing that students had the lowest SAT scores in 30 years- perhaps the tech gadgets have impacted our children in more ways- whats wrong with reading a book instead or watching a movie. Perhaps more children should try that!

21) Comment by bourbon-soda - 02/10/2012

Completely ignored is the possibility that children's development may be truncated by premature intellectual regimentation.

22) Comment by bourbon-soda - 02/10/2012

@ tball - if your experience can be verified through statistical analysis, you should write it up. Otherwise it's just another anecdote. @Noel Hammett - how can they grow government if they don't make people think it is essential to the solution of problems? This applies to both sides of the left- right spectrum. Public schools were instigated on this premise.

23) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

I am so embarrassed by my spelling and grammatical errors in my post below. I was getting ready to proof when I accidently hit the "Submit Comments" button. Here is the "edited" version of what appears below.... Those first few years are vitally important, and I remember sitting with Paul Pastorek right after he took over the Department of Education, and offering to help him organize a statewide, low cost (very low cost or no cost, actually) campaign to help inform parents of the important role they play in the education of their children. I could see the gears turning in his head as he realized that such a campaign would actually point out that the schools were not entirely responsible for the "failing" scores, and once he realized that, he totally dismissed the idea. Why? It threatened his agenda of tearing down public schools in order to privatize them. He had already decided to play a major role in that agenda, hence his coming back to Louisiana to take over. He, like most of our current "leaders" in education had little to no knowledge of research, history, and data related to education. Which meant for Pastorek, and our current latest, greatest TFA 45-day wonders that they are easily led around by the profiteering prophets of privatization. They are guided not by research and facts and data, but by an ideological ring through their noses. It IS time for teachers to strike back at this idiocy. And for parents to realize that "choice" for a few chosen (in some secret methodology that has not yet been revealed) ones will result in incredibly painful choices in public schools across the state. We haven't even begun to see evidence of these tough choices.

24) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

@tradewinns: Those first few years are vital, and I remember sitting with Paul Pastorek right after he took over the Department of Education, and offering to help him organize a statewide, low cost (very low cost) campaign to help inform parents of the important role they play in the education of their children. I could see the gears turning in his head as he realized that such a campaign would actually point out that the schools were not entirely responsible for the "failing" scores, and once he realized that, he totally dismissed the idea. Why? It threatened his agenda of tearing down public schools in order to privatize them. He had already decided to play a major role in that agenda, hence his coming back to Louisiana to take over. He, like most of our current "leaders" in education had little to know knowledge of research, history, and data related to education. Which meant for Pastorek, and our current latest, greatest TFA 45-day wonders that they are easily lead by the profiteering prophets of privatization. Easily lead by an ideological ring through their noses. It IS time for teachers to strike back at this idiocy. And for parents to realize that "choice" for a few chosen (in some secret methodology that have not yet been revealed) ones will result in incredibly painful choices in public schools across the state. We haven't even begun to see evidence of these tough choices.

25) Comment by tradewinns - 02/10/2012

i think NH and i agree the parents are the most important factor in a child's education ("...the most important teacher..."). we already spend millions to support pre-k education for our poorest students (welfare), what's next? more millions to support pre-pre-k education?

26) Comment by Chucky - 02/10/2012

Well, in about another 40 or 50 years (after my life time) someone may get it close to right, but not now,

27) Comment by spqr - 02/10/2012

Another incompetent in charge of education administration. Madness. Teachers need to walk Chicago-style.

28) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 02/10/2012

What is absolutely amazing in this piece is that not one of those in charge of this effort have ANY training at all in early childhood development! None. Zero, Zip. Nada. And they are going to be developing and running a multi-million dollar program. Want to know the greatest travesty? NOT ONCE WAS THERE A MENTION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL EVER ATTEND. OR THE MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER THEY WILL EVER HAVE! What is wrong with our "leaders" in this state? Are they brain-dead? What about a major public awareness initiative aimed at letting young parents know the basics of early childhood development, the important role they play as a child's first, and most important teacher. The role of books, conversations, and not using televisions and electronic media as baby-sitters. THESE are the most important steps. But, alas, I guess it is too hard to make money off this one. To pay off benefactors. Sad. If anyone asks on here, I will post 10 simple steps we can use to improve our schools. And they don't cost any taxpayer money. And they don't create bureaucratic bloat and require more six-figure salaries. And they don't even require the schools to do anything, except support parents, and we will improve the schools, guaranteed!

29) Comment by tball - 02/10/2012

Educators and government created head-start programs, pre-K, and Kindergarden! 40 years ago they did not have any of the above mention. Over half of my class received college degrees and are very successful. What has happen and what is so different??

30) Comment by realworker - 02/10/2012

Mr. Sentell, guess who else doesn't have a valid teaching certificate? Jessica Baghian. And surprise -was TFA? and has limited classroom experience as a middle school math teacher? And yet is the policy advisor on Pre-K? When are the legislators and superintendents going to stand up for teachers and put an end to this nonsense?