Preschool touted as vital for poor kids
Education for students as young as 4 could help fix societal ills, a new study contends
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Expanding high-quality preschool programs in Hawaii would help students land good jobs and ultimately prevent social problems like homelessness and crime, according to a new study.
The report, "School Readiness in Hawaii," prepared by Aloha United Way and the University of Hawaii, is being released this week.
It says preschool teachers need to be paid more and that families, especially poor families, should be informed about the importance of early learning programs for their children.
Research has shown that children who participate in preschool are less likely to drop out of high school, become teenage parents or turn into criminals, according to the study, and supporters say the state could save about $7 for every $1 spent in early learning programs.
The recommendations are in line with those included in a legislative proposal calling for affordable, quality preschool for all children in Hawaii through an early learning program that would start with 4-year-olds.
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The state should invest in high-quality preschools to get parents involved in their child's education early on and ensure all students succeed, especially those from poor families who are more likely to fall behind and get stuck with low-paying jobs, according to a new study.
Statistics class
A study analyzing whether Hawaii youngsters are ready to learn found that 40 percent of public school students lack preschool experience when they enter kindergarten. Other findings:
» Twenty percent of kindergarten teachers in public schools took extra college courses on early education.
» Sixty-two percent of kindergarten classes met Department of Education benchmarks for appropriate instructional practices.
» About 1 in every 120 children has been abused or neglected.
» Eleven percent of children live in poverty.
» Seven percent of children have no parent in the work force.
» Children up to age 5 make up 15 percent of sheltered homeless and 13 percent of those receiving homeless outreach services.
Source: School Readiness in Hawaii
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Aloha United Way President Susan Doyle, whose nonprofit organization conducted the study with the University of Hawaii's Center on the Family, said early education is a crucial tool to prevent social and economic problems.
"If the child has the right kind of early learning experience, they are going to be more successful in school and successful in life," she said. "It's good for the whole society to have these kids ready for school."
The findings and recommendations of the report, "School Readiness in Hawaii," mirror those listed in a legislative proposal calling for affordable, quality preschool for all children in Hawaii through an early learning program that would start with 4-year-olds. The Keiki First plan is seeking $10.5 million in its first year to train and recruit teachers and expand services.
Four in every 10 children in Hawaii enter the public school system without attending preschool, causing them to immediately fall behind and require extra help, advocates for the bill say. They also say that only 26 percent of fourth-graders in the state currently read at their grade level.
Low pay for preschool teachers -- $26,300 on average -- is among the key barriers to recruit and retain qualified workers needed to serve more children, the study found. That is below the wages of elementary teachers -- who make $43,260 -- telemarketers, school bus drivers and secretaries, it said.
"I was shocked at that," said Sylvia Yuen, director of UH's Center on the Family, "because you think, 'Well they are teachers, they are getting paid teachers' pay.' But they are not."
Many university students are reluctant to become preschool teachers because of low benefits and poor working conditions, creating a work-force shortage, said Linda Buck, coordinator of Early Childhood Programs at Honolulu Community College. Each year, the school graduates about 30 teachers with an associate's degree in early childhood education.
"At this time we cannot turn out enough graduates to meet the demand," Buck said, saying that as a whole, UH graduates about 100 preschool teachers yearly. "It's a real struggle. For people to commit to this profession as a career is really difficult."
Buck said state support will be critical for Hawaii to add 370 lead preschool teachers and 470 associate teachers in 10 years, as outlined under the Keiki First plan. Nationally, staff turnover in the field ranges from 25 percent to 40 percent annually, according to the report.
Lawmakers have said they need to weigh the measure -- whose cost would balloon to $170.4 million in a decade -- against needs such as fixing aging public infrastructure and providing more affordable housing to ease the state's homelessness crisis.
Research has shown that children who participate in preschool are less likely to drop out of high school, become teenage parents or turn into criminals, according to the study, and supporters say the state could save about $7 for every $1 spent in early learning programs.
"If you take care of the kids on this end, eventually down the road we won't have the homeless," said Kathy Murphy, executive director of the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children. "It is about the families, and that's who we are trying to help."
