from
CONGRESSMAN JOHN BOEHNER`S WEEKLY E-BULLETIN for MAY 30, 2003
[Congressman Boehner is the Republican Chair of the U.S. House Committee
on Education and the Workforce]
Last week, in response to President Bush's call for action to improve
early childhood education, many of my colleagues on the House Committee on
Education and the Workforce and I unveiled legislation that would
strengthen the academic components of the federal Head Start program for
disadvantaged children and encourage states to maintain or increase
funding for early childhood education. The bill - entitled the School
Readiness Act of 2003 - focuses on reducing the "readiness gap" that
exists between Head Start graduates and their more affluent peers when
they reach kindergarten.
The simple truth is that children in Head Start are learning, but they
aren't learning as much as they deserve to be learning. Head Start
children deserve the chance to enter kindergarten at the same level as
other children their age do, but that isn't happening. The current system
is giving these children a head start, but it isn't giving them the best
start possible.
Studies show that while children in Head Start show improvement, they
still leave the program with skills and knowledge levels far below
national averages for U.S. children. As a result of this "readiness gap,"
Head Start children are not being adequately prepared for school in key
areas of cognitive development that have been shown to be critical for
later school success.
Make no mistake, Head Start is a great program that is capable of
achieving even greater results. But we should not be content with giving
these children anything less than the best this nation can offer. If we
simply settle for the status quo in Head Start, we'll be leaving the job
unfinished for hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children.
To close the readiness gap and strengthen Head Start, the School Readiness
Act would:
- EMPHASIZE WHAT WORKS IN PREPARING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL. The
proposal would strengthen Head Start's academic standards by emphasizing
cognitive development and the results of scientifically-based research in
topics critical to children's school readiness (including language,
pre-reading, pre-mathematics, and English language acquisition). The
changes would be similar to those adopted with strong bipartisan support
for President Bush's Reading First and Early Reading First initiatives,
established in the No Child Left Behind Act for K-12 education.
- REQUIRE NO NEW TESTING. The proposal would maintain current law with
respect to regular local assessments of the academic progress being made
by children enrolled in Head Start. No new testing would be mandated under
the bill. Local Head Start grantees would be subject to the same
three-year review ("triennial review") process as they are under current
law, but would be evaluated based on criteria that are more
straightforward and reflective of the progress being made in preparing
children for school.
- ENSURE THAT LOCAL HEAD START CENTERS ARE FAIRLY EVALUATED ON THEIR
PERFORMANCE. The bill would eliminate "performance measures" in current
law that are arbitrary and do not adequately gauge children's progress.
These flawed measures would be replaced by a more straightforward system
that takes into account a child's progress in key areas relating to school
readiness, better enabling parents and teachers to know how each child is
progressing.
- IMPROVE TEACHER QUALITY IN HEAD START. The bill would ensure that a
greater number of Head Start teachers are adequately trained and educated
in early childhood development, particularly in teaching the fundamental
skills of language, pre-reading, and pre-mathematics. It would require all
new Head Start teachers to have at least an associates degree in early
childhood education or a related field within three years, and 50 percent
of Head Start teachers nationwide to have at least a bachelors degree by
2008. These provisions will help to meet a goal set recently by the
National Head Start Association, which called for 75 percent of all Head
Start teachers to have at least an associates degree by 2005, and for all
Head Start teachers to have at least an associates degree by 2008.
- PRESERVE ALL CURRENT HEALTH AND NUTRITION SERVICES FOR HEAD START
CHILDREN. While the academic components of Head Start would be
strengthened, all existing health and nutrition-related components of Head
Start would be preserved and extended.
- KEEP HEAD START IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
- PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR STATES TO MAINTAIN OR EXPAND FUNDING FOR EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. As many states confront budget difficulties, some are
reducing (or considering reducing) their spending on early childhood
education programs. To provide an incentive for states to continue
investing in early childhood education, the School Readiness Act would
create a limited demonstration project by which a limited number of states
could voluntarily apply for and receive the option of coordinating Head
Start programs with their own early childhood education programs, in
exchange for an agreement to maintain or expand funding for early
childhood education. The "state demo" would be limited to states with a
demonstrated investment in early childhood education and an established,
pre- existing preschool system. Participating states would be barred from
making funding cuts to early childhood education programs as a condition
of their participation. In addition, a "hold harmless" provision is
included guaranteeing funding for Head Start centers in participating
states during the first year of implementation of the demonstration
project.
- SHIELD HEAD START AND OTHER EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AGAINST STATE BUDGET CUTS. The bill would
effectively "wall off" early childhood education funding in states that
choose to participate in the state demonstration program. Under the bill,
a state participating in the demonstration project would be required to
maintain or expand its financial commitment to early childhood education
to qualify for participation. Participating states would not be permitted
to use early childhood funds for anything other than Head Start and early
childhood education.
- INCREASE HEAD START FUNDING. The bill would authorize a $203 million
increase in funding for Head Start - to $6.87 billion, meaning Head Start
funding will have nearly doubled in the past seven years. Funding for Head
Start in FY 1996, the first fiscal year under a Republican-led House, was
approximately $3.8 billion. The bill would also authorize a separate $5
million to provide additional administrative support to states who are
selected to participate in the state demonstration program. This money
would be a one-time allotment to help such states coordinate Head Start
with their state initiatives.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee and in the
full House as we work to reauthorize Head Start this year. We've got a
solid measure to work with, and I expect a productive and spirited debate. |
