Why is Preschool Essential?
Importance of Early Learning
Indiana educators have been waiting for the Indiana legislature to provide sustainable and supportive funding for early childhood education. Indiana is one of only six states in the United States that does not provide funding for early childhood education regardless of parents’ employment status (1). MCCSC leaders and community members decided that the children of Monroe County can no longer wait for the state to provide this essential funding and brought a family-centered referendum to local voters in November of 2023. With the passage of this tax referendum, MCCSC is now able to provide free or subsidized Pre-K education to all of MCCSC’s students who are four years old by August 1st, starting with the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, four-year-old Pre-K will be offered to students and families in the students’ districted MCCSC elementary school (as well as approved community programs), building a connection between early childhood learning and elementary education. This relationship has been shown to have great benefits to students (2), including establishing, alignment between early learning curriculum and the skills needed during the primary elementary years. Participation in early learning programs increases creativity, supports development of social skills, and brain development. Additionally, research shows increased reading and math scores for students who attend full-day early learning programs in elementary schools (3), and that they are more likely to attend college (4). MCCSC will continue to use a research-based approach to early learning that provides a balanced, age-appropriate, and student-centered curriculum. This curriculum will focus on research-proven benefits to early childhood education, including an approach that develops a love of learning, helps students learn cooperation and teamwork skills, and helps students grow interpersonal skills such as listening and expressing emotions. Teachers will use a curriculum that embeds instruction and play in alignment with Indiana’s early learning standards. MCCSC will begin offering free preschool for students three-years-old to all income eligible families in MCCSC’s buildings starting with the 2025-2026 school year. More details will be provided on the expansion of the three-year-old early childhood education in the fall 2024.
References: (1) https://nieer.org/2023/08/24/back-to-school-2023-top-states- for-preschool-education (2) School Performance in Third Grade After a Full-Day vs Part- Day Preschool Program. JAMA. November 20, 2023. (3) https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/a-new-study-shows- how-schools-can-maximize-full-day-pre-ks-benefits/2023/11 (4) https://news.mit.edu/2023/study-preschool-gives-big-boost- college-attendance-0208
10 • MONROE COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION
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