Exploratory Analysis
The purpose of this project proposal is to introduce a possible approach and solution to address inequality in the United States public education system. As such, it presents evidence to support the claim that overall educational outcomes improve when children participate in school-readiness programs prior to entering primary education. Moreover, the emphasis of this project proposal is to present the process for an exploratory analysis using the constructionist approach and basic framework of the social problem process by Joel Best (2008, pp. 33-40). First, it introduces the claim that educational outcomes are dependent on socioeconomic status and advocates for mandatory and compulsory early childhood education, ultimately requiring a
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According to the Office of the Administration for Children and Families (2015), former President Lyndon B. Johnson was compelled to implement policy to address concerns about child development after consulting with expert researchers as part of his “War on Poverty” program. Specifically, the aim was “to help disadvantaged groups, compensating for inequality in social or economic conditions”. As a result, the proposed solution is a government program titled “Head Start”. Although the program is noble, it is targeted for low-income families who qualify according to each state’s guidelines and is federally funded (ECLKC, 2013). Unfortunately, gaining access to the Head Start program is difficult for families whose income exceeds the poverty guidelines, yet insufficient to afford private early education services. This, in turn, creates a gap in the low-middle and middle income range families, and the need for fully-funded, compulsory early childhood education. Ensuring children in the public school system have an equitable opportunity to achieve success at the start of their education should be available to every family within the low, low-middle, and middle income standards, not simply for families at or below the poverty …show more content…
According to a report by Jeanne Reid (2012), “children in low- and high-SES classrooms were, on average, a full standard deviation apart in receptive language development when they began Pre-K” (p. 90). Additionally, children in low-socioeconomic status experience a higher rate of school absences when compared to middle-income and high-income SES classes (p.90). Consequently, this research suggests that gaps identified in early education, when left unaddressed, persist and expand as children progress in their primary education and high school years.
Proposal: Compulsory Early Childhood Education Policy
The final area of focus for this proposal is the suggestion for policy changes within the public school system. The evidence presented within this preliminary proposal supports widely reviewed research and is best summarized by Jeanne Reid (2012).
“The finding that low-SES and minority children in Pre-K learned less, on average, than high-SES and white children is an urgent policy concern, given the near-universal goal of using Pre-K to help close the wide readiness gaps among these children that are apparent in kindergarten” (p.
According to the Office of the Administration for Children and Families (2015), former President Lyndon B. Johnson was compelled to implement policy to address concerns about child development after consulting with expert researchers as part of his “War on Poverty” program. Specifically, the aim was “to help disadvantaged groups, compensating for inequality in social or economic conditions”. As a result, the proposed solution is a government program titled “Head Start”. Although the program is noble, it is targeted for low-income families who qualify according to each state’s guidelines and is federally funded (ECLKC, 2013). Unfortunately, gaining access to the Head Start program is difficult for families whose income exceeds the poverty guidelines, yet insufficient to afford private early education services. This, in turn, creates a gap in the low-middle and middle income range families, and the need for fully-funded, compulsory early childhood education. Ensuring children in the public school system have an equitable opportunity to achieve success at the start of their education should be available to every family within the low, low-middle, and middle income standards, not simply for families at or below the poverty …show more content…
According to a report by Jeanne Reid (2012), “children in low- and high-SES classrooms were, on average, a full standard deviation apart in receptive language development when they began Pre-K” (p. 90). Additionally, children in low-socioeconomic status experience a higher rate of school absences when compared to middle-income and high-income SES classes (p.90). Consequently, this research suggests that gaps identified in early education, when left unaddressed, persist and expand as children progress in their primary education and high school years.
Proposal: Compulsory Early Childhood Education Policy
The final area of focus for this proposal is the suggestion for policy changes within the public school system. The evidence presented within this preliminary proposal supports widely reviewed research and is best summarized by Jeanne Reid (2012).
“The finding that low-SES and minority children in Pre-K learned less, on average, than high-SES and white children is an urgent policy concern, given the near-universal goal of using Pre-K to help close the wide readiness gaps among these children that are apparent in kindergarten” (p.