Transforming Public Education: Pathway to a Pre-K-12 Future

By: PEW

Posted: December 8, 2011

Pew's Pre-K Now campaign report explains that by starting public education with pre-k more children will develop the foundational skills for learning and achievement that will carry them through school.

“For decades, policy makers and school reform leaders have been working to ‘fix’ K-12 education at tremendous expense and with limited success.

Two common flaws in those efforts have been the focus on closing student achievement gaps long after they surface and an indifference to pre-kindergarten education. For instance, third grade reading has been identified as a critical benchmark, yet many of the prominent education reform efforts today pay little attention to the early grades.

As Pew completes its 10-year commitment to the Pre-K Now campaign, our final report (PDF) (http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewcenteronthestatesorg/Initiatives/Pre-K_Education/Pew_PreK_Transforming_Public_Education.pdf) challenges the nation’s policy makers to transform public education by moving away from our current K-12 system. The future of public education is Pre-K-12.”

Read how starting with pre-k, not kindergarten, can transform public education (click here).

About PEW:
The Pew Center on the States (PCS) works to advance state policies that serve the public interest. PCS conducts credible research, brings together diverse perspectives, and analyzes states’ experiences to determine what works and what does not. We work with a wide variety of partners to identify and advance nonpartisan, pragmatic solutions for pressing problems affecting Americans.
www.pewcenteronthestates.org/about.aspx