 | Early Investments, Fall 2009
EARLY INVESTMENTS BRING GREAT RETURNS
Talking points for use by school leaders in presentations about important issues related to public education.
By Shari Prest, Ark Associates
Minnesotans have always known how
important teaching and learning is in and for the lives of our children. We
have known that our economic and social success rely on a sound, comprehensive
system of public education. Now, with the accelerating speed of change in our
world, it is clearer than ever that our responsibility is not limited by
calendars or clocks. Research confirms that it is important to the future of
kids and our society that we support high-quality educational opportunities in
early childhood.
Invest early…
- “High-quality early childhood education is more than an
admirable goal; it is fundamental to making sure all children have the
opportunity to succeed.” 1
- “Every
child needs a good early childhood education. That’s an ethical principle that transcends
what the data says.” 2
- A
child’s first few years are a sensitive period for brain development and set a
trajectory for his or her success in school and later in life.3
- Well-focused
and -funded investments in early childhood development programs produce
substantial returns for disadvantaged children and, for the public.” 3
- A child who receives support from birth to
age five for development in cognition, language, motor skills, adaptive skills,
and social/emotional function, is more likely to succeed in school and in the
workplace.” 4
- Three
significant studies on the economic impact of high quality preschool programs
(High/Scope Perry Preschool Project, Abecedarian Project, and Chicago
Child-Parent Centers) reveal a high personal and public return on each dollar
spent. The personal and public benefits range was from $3.78 to $10.15 for each
dollar invested in 2002 dollars.
- “What
happens in the earliest years not only matters to children and their families,
but to the neighborhoods they live in, the schools they will attend, and the
communities they will contribute to.” 6
COST/BENEFIT FACTORS OF HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION5
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|
Targeted
program serving 3- and 4-year-olds from families in the lowest quarter of the
income distribution; costs & benefits in Minnesota5
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Projected
costs and benefits for a universal voluntary high-quality pre-K program
serving all 3- and 4-year old children:5
|
|
When
the program would start paying for itself
|
3
years
|
9 years
|
|
Annual
cost if the program had been fully phased in 2008
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$32
million
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$567
million
|
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Total
benefits in 2050
|
$4
billion
|
$16.8
billion
|
|
Costs
in 2050
|
$146
million
|
$1.7
billion
|
|
Ratio
of total benefits to costs in 2050
|
$27
to 1
|
$10.2
to 1
|
- Dr. Vincent Ferrandino, executive director of the
National Association of Elementary School Principals
- Larry Schweinhardt, head researcher, High/Scope Perry Preschool Study
- Arthur Rolnick, Ph. D. and Rob Grunewald, Achieving a High Return on Early Childhood
Investment
- C.T. Ramey, F.A. Campbell, M. Burchinal, M. L. Skinner,
D.M. Gardner, S. L. Ramey, Persistent Effects of Early Childhood Education on High-Risk Children and Their Mothers, “Applied
Developmental Science”
- Enriching
Children, Enriching the Nation,
Robert Lynch, professor of economics, Washington College
- Ready 4 K
Early childhood care and education in Minnesota, A status report, Wilder
Research Center, March 2003
InvestMN_Fall_09_Early_Investments_final.pdf
Complete print-ready version of the above Fall 2009 Early Investments presentation/article. Yours to copy and use.
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