With the Every Student Succeeds Act, virtually replacing NCLB, the push for free universal pre-school will expand. The goal by the left, once again supported by Establishment Republicans, seeks to institutionalize 4-year-olds with the feel good argument of being the Holy Grail to solving academic woes. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families reported,
“There were initial positive impacts from having access to Head Start, but by the end of third grade there were very few impacts found.”
After reviewing 10 ‘scientifically-based’ studies used to support the expansion of Early Child Development Programs, former director of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, Grover J. Whitehurst concluded,
“The best evidence raises serious doubts that a large public investment in the expansion of pre-K for 4-year-olds will have the long term effects that advocates tout.”
The truth is that a very small group of disadvantaged kids may benefit from a preschool program but, most kids are better off without it.
