Understanding Hawaii’s early-education initiative

Overview

Early childhood education centers around pre-school and programs like Head Start. The majority of studies — especially those which focus on the development of a child’s brain from ages zero to 5 — suggest that most of these programs are highly effective at producing improvements in test scores, social interaction and productivity.

“Children are born ready to learn,” a study on brain developent begins. “They cultivate 85 percent of their intellect, personality and skills by age five. The first months and years of life set the stage for lifelong development. Because of the importance of early brain development, what happens in the early years has serious implications for public policy.” Because of this, “the quality of an infant’s relationship with his or her primary caregivers has a decisive impact on the architecture of the brain, affecting the nature and extent of adult capabilities.”

Another study on pre-kindergarten education’s effects on the development and future success of children reinforces the point that the quality of these pre-K interactions matter a great deal. Programs with small class sizes and highly educated and well-paid teachers that undergo regular review processes will create measurable and lasting benefits for children that participate.

These children experience “higher achievement test scores, lower rates of grade repetition and special education, and [a] higher [level of] educational attainment. Some preschool programs are also associated with reduced delinquency and crime in childhood and adulthood,” concludes the second study.

These programs have been shown to be most effective with middle to low income children who may be otherwise deprived of effective childcare and safe, constructive environments in which their curiosity is allowed to flourish, stimulating brain development during the early years of their life.

The same studies also suggest, however, that ineffective pre-K programs can do more harm than good—placing children in environments that are actually less conducive to development than their homes.

Ensuring the effectiveness of Hawai‘i’s pre-K programs will be the challenge for Governor Abercrombie’s administration. The governor called for pre-K program expansion in his state of the State address.
The second study suggests that increased subsidies under current federal (and most state) laws will be “particularly unlikely to produce any meaningful improvements,” while “Increasing public investment in effective preschool education programs for all children can produce substantial educational, social, and economic benefits.”

The Abercrombie administration’s plan is to “build and strengthen Hawai‘i’s mixed-delivery system of early learning programs. Community-based preschools are now, and will be, a key component. To expand access for 4-year-olds, we are proposing direct services in 32 classrooms across the state, half of which are on the neighbor islands.”

The administration estimates that the cost of the expansion of services to middle and low-income families and improvements to the mix of programs will be approximately $8 million.

“Our plan is targeted, aimed at helping those who otherwise have little or no options,” the governor said. “These initial investments will serve an additional 1,040 children and their families.”

Fiscal Challenges

It is especially important that these programs be well thought-out and well-executed because of the cost of implementing them. Legislators like Rep. Sylvia Luke, who chairs the House Finance Committee, and Sen. David Ige, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee (and is running against Governor Abercrombie in the upcoming gubernatorial election) will be in charge of finding the money to pay for them. It’s the job of these two committees to act as gatekeepers for the state’s supply of funds, and it will be the Abercrombie administration’s job to convince them that the money will be well-spent and provide positive results.

The administration does have allies on this issue in the legislature, however, such as Senator Jill Tokuda. Tokuda, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, was instrumental in the passage of a bill last session that will introduce a constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot, letting the community vote on whether to allow public funds to go toward quality private early-ed programs.

“Early learning makes a difference and is the most powerful equalizer we have as we work to give every child the opportunity to succeed,” said Tokuda after the passage of Bill 1084.  “Passing this measure out of conference and getting it that much closer to the ballot will allow the people of Hawai‘i to stand up and show their support for the creation of a high quality, publicly funded early learning system.”

Now, Gov. Abercrombie hopes to add public programs to the mixed-delivery system of early learning programs, and it is likely that Tokuda and her committee will support these efforts as well.