THE EVIDENCE SHOWS 'SUCCESS' FADES

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Date published: 6/24/2007

WASHINGTON--The senator who wrote "It Takes a Village" apparently believes it takes the federal government to decide how American families prepare their 4-year-olds for kindergarten.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) recently unveiled a proposal for a new $10 billion federal program to offer government-subsidized preschool for all children across the country. Under her plan, states that offer such programs would be eligible to receive federal funding if they agree to follow federal guidelines on matters such as teacher training requirements and curriculum guidelines.

For years, advocacy groups have been working to expand early education programs and secure universal preschool across the country. So far, only Georgia and Oklahoma offer universal government-subsidized preschool, while 40 states and the District of Columbia offer preschool for targeted groups of students. Senator Clinton's plan is to use the lure of billions in federal tax dollars to expand the number of states offering universal preschool.

Parents and taxpayers should read the fine print before embracing the latest federal initiative geared to help children. The Clinton plan is based on two flawed assumptions--first, that preschool is an essential component of all children's early education; second, that it's the federal government's responsibility to promote and manage it.

On this first issue, parents and taxpayers should be skeptical of promises from politicians that universal preschool will solve the problems in American education. Supporters of universal preschool tout studies that show how at-risk students have benefited from early intervention programs and argue that all children would benefit from early education.

But a careful look at the available research evidence casts doubt on these claims. Evaluations of early education interventions have shown that while participating students may yield gains in the short-run, these benefits typically disappear over time. Other academic studies, such as a 2005 study published by Stanford and University of California researchers, have reported that students who attend preschool may be more likely to exhibit negative social behaviors.

Even if the research evidence supported the advocates' claims, it wouldn't justify a universal program that includes subsidies for children from middle- and upper-income families. Today, families provide for their children's needs in a number of ways, including private preschool and child care and in-home family care. In addition, 40 states have state-funded preschool programs, the majority of which are targeted at children with financial need.

Date published: 6/24/2007