Plan would let kids hit ground running

A Keiki First proposal would provide preschool for more of Hawaii's children

STORY SUMMARY »

When Samantha Miguel moved to Hawaii from her home in the Dominican Republic, she enrolled her first child, David, in a preschool to help him learn English.

On the Net » Keiki First proposal: House Bill 2973

Preschool also guaranteed her middle child, Tanya, a smooth transition into kindergarten. Miguel's youngest daughter, Sarae, a tall and energetic 5-year-old who likes to pretend she is a teacher, can't wait to graduate from Na Lei Preschool this summer.

But many families in Hawaii cannot afford preschool, and 40 percent of children who enter the public school system lack any early education, causing them to fall behind, educators say.

Now, lawmakers are considering a proposal to provide quality, affordable preschool for all 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and at-risk children in the state.

Miguel, who works in the deli section at Costco, said she was able to send her three children to preschool only because of tuition assistance.

"Financially it is very difficult for us. We almost thought about pulling out," she said. "But to us I think it is more important to find the money somewhere so that our child is academically and socially prepared."

» 85: Percentage of brain developed by the time a child is 5. » 61: Percentage of the 510 teachers working with 4-year-olds in the state who have a bachelor's degree or higher. » 22: Percentage of licensed preschools in Hawaii that are nationally accredited. » 12,000: The number of words a child will know by third grade if he/she has well-educated parents. » 4,000: The number of words a child will know by third grade if he/she is from a less privileged background. Source: Early Learning Educational Task Force; Act 259 Report to the 2008 Legislature

---

FULL STORY »

ON HER FIRST DAY in kindergarten, Jasmine I'i didn't know the alphabet, the names of colors or shapes, and her little fingers couldn't hold a pair of scissors or grip a pencil straight.

So, it was no surprise Jasmine also failed to keep up with classmates at Ala Wai Elementary who had attended preschool and were eager and ready to learn.

"She only could count one through 10 because she only had 10 fingers," said her mother, Jan I'i. "She wanted to go to school, but she couldn't handle the work."

The challenges faced by Jasmine are not rare in Hawaii, where four out of 10 students enter the public school system without preschool experience, causing them to immediately fall behind and require extra help, educators say.

Hoping to enroll more children in early education, Hawaii is considering offering preschool for all 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds and at-risk children. The voluntary Keiki First program would cost the state $10.5 million in its first year, most of it to train and recruit teachers, before evolving into a $170.4 million undertaking expected to draw 80 percent of eligible children in a decade. These estimates were based on a plan for 4-year-olds only. It is unclear how much it would cost to cover the additional children.

The initiative, which promises to boost reading and math test scores, eventually land graduates better jobs and help prevent problems like crime and homelessness, enjoys bipartisan support. Nationally, the argument that preschool is a wise investment has led 40 states to launch some type of publicly funded early-learning project, advocates say.

But isle lawmakers are unsure they will be able to fund the Keiki First proposal this year because of declining projections in state revenue.

Its chief goal is to increase subsidies so parents like I'i can choose from a variety of early care settings that would allow them to drop their children off, join them at a preschool or send them to the home of a licensed worker.

I'i formerly worked in a fast-food restaurant, could not afford preschool for her daughter and did not qualify for state or federal aid.

Another objective is to provide teachers with incentives such as better pay and scholarships so good preschool programs can hire qualified employees, build more centers and reduce long waiting lists for parents like Hanalei Ahn.

WHEN AHN'S SON, Haven, turned 1 1/2 , there were many parents ahead of her on a wait list that averages two years at Laura Morgan Preschool, but their children were either too young or old to join, so Haven squeezed in.

Ahn's other son has not been as lucky. At age 2 he is still looking for an opening.

"Most people call me right at birth or a little bit after birth," said Mike Tanimoto, the preschool's center director. "A lot of people call me when they are pregnant."

Laura Morgan is one of seven KCAA preschools in the state. But even with high demand, expansion is not an option for the nonprofit organization because of a teacher shortage rooted in low salary, said President Christina Cox.

On average, a preschool teacher in Hawaii makes $26,300, discouraging people from joining a field that pays much less than the $43,260 average salary of elementary school teachers, according to a study by Aloha United Way and the University of Hawaii. The estimated 100 students who graduate from UH with preschool credentials annually are not enough to meet demand, officials have said.

Cox said she relies on foundation money and grants to recruit employees from high schools and even the mainland to maintain low teacher-student ratios.

"We are bringing in entry-level people and growing them," she said.

Haven cried on his first day at Laura Morgan. Now, at age 3, he begs to come to class even when he is sick.

"Any kid will cry in the beginning, but they get used to it and they get better," Ahn said on a weekday morning as Haven joined a group of classmates in a play sword fight. "Now I just say bye, and he runs off to play with his friends."

Ahn qualified for financial aid to help pay the $645 monthly fee.

Besides having fun, Haven also does collage, sits quietly in a circle during story time and raises his hand before asking questions -- skills that, according to teachers, will ease his transition into kindergarten and prepare him for an educational system that begins to test kids early.

"Now with (the) No Child Left Behind (Act), the children need to meet all these standards, and if they don't have the basic skills, then there are more challenges that they face," said Liane Dakujaku, a kindergarten teacher at Palolo Elementary School.

In a school where many children qualify for lunch subsidies, a measure of poverty, Dakujaku can count on one hand how many of her 22 students came from preschools. The 5-year-olds who join her class struggling with numbers, letters or how to scribble their name will require more attention. Dakujaku will group students based on their needs and encourage parents to use strategies at home to help them catch up.

By semester's end her students will be expected to know all their letters and sounds, common words and count to 50. By fourth grade they will sit down to take a standardized test, an exam in which last year only 26 percent of Hawaii fourth-graders proved they could read at grade level and just 33 percent of them could solve math problems.

THE NATION's preschool push has been driven by research equating the brain of young children to tiny sponges thirsty to absorb knowledge, and studies showing that for every $1 spent in early education, states can save up to $7 in addressing social problems.

Parents whose children attend preschool also tend to be more involved in their education, becoming a sort of ally for teachers, said Nalani Galariada, Oahu partnership coordinator with the Good Beginnings Alliance, a nonprofit group that advocates for young children.

"If we start with the parents there, when their children are young, it makes it much easier for the DOE (Department of Education)," she said. "It's just an exciting time to have early learning strengthen the foundation of K-12."

If Hawaii adopted its Keiki First proposal, it would join West Virginia, New York, Iowa and Illinois as states that have recently passed similar legislation to phase in preschool programs, said Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now, a Washington, D.C-based public group advocating for high-quality preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in the country.

Doggett also praised a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, in Congress to set aside $1 billion in federal funds each year to back states' early-education efforts.

"It's exciting to hear that Hawaii has moved from 'Should we do this?' to 'How can we do this?' That's a great step," she said. "There's a tight budget in many states, there's even a huge budget deficit, but states are prioritizing their children because children can't wait."

State lawmakers, expecting moderate economic growth in coming years, might need to scale back the Keiki First plan, said Senate Education Chairman Norman Sakamoto, who said he would like to at least see approval of an early-learning council that would eventually govern the envisioned system.

"The odds that it is going to be fully funded are probably slim to none," said Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Rosalyn Baker. "But I know this program has a lot of interest from the Department of Education and lots of folks. ... I'm sure this is one we will take a look at it and see if there's a way for us to move it along."

MEANWHILE, Jasmine I'i, the young girl from Palolo Valley who missed preschool, is doing better in first grade. Her younger sister, Tina, participated in a child-care program last year where parents met to sing songs, do art and teach their children the basics.

Their mother, Jan, works as a peer mentor with the project, called Play Groups, hoping to keep it alive after the grant that started it about a year ago ended this month.

"It made a big difference that I can see between the two girls," she said, smiling, with tears in her eyes. "I feel that if Tina has benefited from Play Groups, that the children in my community will, too."

CORRECTION Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Jan I'i's first name was misspelled in this story. Also, the plan would initially target 3-year-olds and at-risk children, not just 4-year-olds, as was reported. The estimated $10.5 million cost cited for the program's first year and $170.4 million in 10 years was based on a plan for 4-year-olds only. It is unclear how much it would cost to cover the additional children.