After dominating the news cycle for months, President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) bill is finally dead. One of its key provisions was a plan for universal pre-K, a policy that resonated after two years of school disruptions and concerns about learning loss.
Ensuring that young kids get off to the best start possible is an important goal. But, fortunately, states need not rely on federal legislation to help prepare kids for success. In fact, the most effective solutions come from the state level, and as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, now is the time for states to lead the way in setting up kids to succeed.
Although states may be tempted to create their own versions of a universal pre-K system, they should be skeptical. A new study published in the journal Developmental Psychology, which analyzed Tennessee’s state-funded pre-K program, found that participants’ initially positive achievement effects faded and non-participants were outperforming them on a host of academic and behavioral benchmarks. While there is some evidence that targeted and intensive early childhood education programs can help disadvantaged kids, the case for universal programs is much weaker.
Instead, states should focus on policies that nurture the development of “soft skills”—skills that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform optimally, and achieve their goals. A growing consensus of economists has identified these skills as the key building blocks that enable cooperation and self-regulation, allowing kids to work well with others and succeed both early and later in life. Understanding both the shortcomings of universal pre-K programs and the significance of developing soft skills at an early age, state policymakers should look to solutions that are more likely to help kids gain these essential skills.
Continue reading at Inside Sources.
Ben Wilterdink is the former Director of Programs at the Archbridge Institute. Follow him @bgwilterdink.
Economics of Flourishing
After dominating the news cycle for months, President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) bill is finally dead. One of its key provisions was a plan for universal pre-K, a policy that resonated after two years of school disruptions and concerns about learning loss.
Ensuring that young kids get off to the best start possible is an important goal. But, fortunately, states need not rely on federal legislation to help prepare kids for success. In fact, the most effective solutions come from the state level, and as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, now is the time for states to lead the way in setting up kids to succeed.
Although states may be tempted to create their own versions of a universal pre-K system, they should be skeptical. A new study published in the journal Developmental Psychology, which analyzed Tennessee’s state-funded pre-K program, found that participants’ initially positive achievement effects faded and non-participants were outperforming them on a host of academic and behavioral benchmarks. While there is some evidence that targeted and intensive early childhood education programs can help disadvantaged kids, the case for universal programs is much weaker.
Instead, states should focus on policies that nurture the development of “soft skills”—skills that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform optimally, and achieve their goals. A growing consensus of economists has identified these skills as the key building blocks that enable cooperation and self-regulation, allowing kids to work well with others and succeed both early and later in life. Understanding both the shortcomings of universal pre-K programs and the significance of developing soft skills at an early age, state policymakers should look to solutions that are more likely to help kids gain these essential skills.
Continue reading at Inside Sources.
Ben Wilterdink
Ben Wilterdink is the former Director of Programs at the Archbridge Institute. Follow him @bgwilterdink.
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