| School readiness needs to be a priority |
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Original Source | Statesman Journal Early education should be at top of state, local to-do lists Educational experts recognize two important factors about children and their readiness to start school: -Their behavioral skills on Day One of kindergarten may be as important as their ability to repeat the alphabet. -How well they do in kindergarten may be an indicator to future academic success. Tracking school readiness, i.e. how prepared youngsters are to start school, is more myth than science these days.Gov. Ted Kulongoski has taken the right step in creating an ad hoc council to coordinate early childhood policies, which are split among agencies. But is enough being done to make school readiness a priority for Oregon's growing population? There seems to be growing sentiment and research to show that a child's ability to behave around others, patiently stand in line or keep quiet while someone else speaks are imperative to starting school - and getting through kindergarten successfully. A recent two-day "Raising a Community" series in the Statesman Journal revealed bureaucratic and leadership gaps in many areas of school readiness. In the Mid-Willamette Valley, school readiness efforts are hampered by the lack of quality early childhood programs, little money for these programs, inconsistent efforts in developing assessments for incoming students, and no clear policy "champion" at the state or local levels. By no means has there been a lack of interest in getting children prepared to start school. But the good intentions by state lawmakers and, to some extent, local organizations have lacked follow-through and ongoing funding. In Marion County, poverty and a large number of non-English-speaking students factor into the readiness challenge. The problems affect the quality of life here and are significant enough to explain why improving literacy needs to be at the top of this community's to-do list. A learned populace becomes a prosperous, connected community. The problems are exacerbated by the governmental grip on funding, and the sense of "pilot-itis," where programs are launched but not continued. Once children fall behind - even in kindergarten - their challenges and frustrations grow just trying to catch up with better-prepared students. The governor's council is an important first step in getting state agencies and advocates to coordinate efforts. Research shows that getting children ready for educational success needs to start well before the first day of school. |