According to the 2000 census, there are 186,640 children under the age of five in the 11 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2014 -- the deadline the federal government has set for full compliance with the new "No Child Left Behind" Act -- the oldest of these children will be ready to graduate from high school.
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| | | Dr. Karen McIntyre is president of the Education Policy and Issues Center. The 2002 State of Education Report is available at www.epi-center.org. | |
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What does "full compliance" mean? Quite simply, that all students -- every graduate -- will have demonstrated proficiency in reading and mathematics as measured by the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams. All students will have mastered the academic skills they will need to be successful in the global marketplace.
But if the class of 2014 follows in the footsteps of this year's class, it is unlikely we'll meet the goal. According to our 2002 State of Education Report, almost 40 percent of the class of 2003 are not proficient in reading, and almost 50 percent are not proficient in math.
The percentages are the same for the classes of 2006 and 2009. Over 11,000 6th and 9th graders are not proficient in reading, and over 13,000 are not proficient in math. Even more troubling is the proficiency gap between white and African-American students.
Across all grade levels, fewer than one in five African-American students are proficient in mathematics. The math skills of over half of these students are below basic, which indicates a major deficiency in their understanding of math concepts. Their performance is only slightly better in reading, with roughly one in four demonstrating proficiency.
Nearly half the African-American students have below basic reading skills. Part of the problem is that many of these students entered school without the basic skills they needed to be successful. They started behind, and they are staying behind. And unless we see a dramatic shift in state policy regarding early education, the classes of 2014, 2015 and beyond will follow a similar pattern.
Pennsylvania remains one of nine states in the country that provide no direct funding to early care and education centers. There are only 748 early care and education centers in the region that are licensed by the state, with space available for just over 51,000 of the over 186,000 children under age 5. And many of these slots are filled by school-age children who are in before- or after-school care.
As a result, full-time licensed care is available for only about one out of four preschoolers. And it is important to note that licensing does not provide a guarantee of high quality. In fact, licensing only ensures that the center meets minimal expectations in terms of program, staffing, health and safety requirements.
A better predictor of quality is accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a distinction that has been earned by less than 10 percent of the region's licensed centers. For many children, kindergarten is their first classroom experience. But in Pennsylvania, even kindergarten attendance is optional.
Despite countless studies underscoring the importance of early education, children in Pennsylvania are not required to attend school until age 8. Full day kindergarten, considered a "leg up" for most children and a near necessity for those considered "at risk," is available in less than half of the communities in our region.
Virtually none of our school districts have formal, active plans for transitioning youngsters into the kindergarten classroom. But it will take more than an emphasis on early education if the class of 2014 is to meet the "No Child Left Behind" challenge.
Curricula, approaches to instruction, and assessments must be aligned to the skills included in the state's standards. Students must be taught by highly qualified teachers. The schools themselves must be safe, orderly and well-equipped. But the schools cannot do it alone. Each of us must do our part.
As individuals, we must get involved -- at home and in the classroom. In our own communities, we must elect school board members who are committed to student achievement. We must demand that our Legislature recognize the importance of early education by lowering the compulsory school age to 6, investing in pre-school and pre-kindergarten education, and funding full-day kindergarten for all public schools.
In 1999, when the Education Policy and Issues Center issued its first State of Education Report, we saw it as both a benchmark and a bellwether. We identified where we were and set ambitious targets for where we should be. We called on the community to accept nothing short of excellence in every school, for every child. It is discouraging that this year's report indicates that we've made so little progress in reaching those targets.
Granted, some schools and school districts in our region are doing a remarkable job. But it is not enough that a fortunate few are prepared for future success. As the law so aptly states, no child should be left behind.
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