Funding Alert

Amidst a grim picture of growing child poverty rates, the Association for Children of New Jersey has found rays of hope in the educational progress linked to Abbott reforms. The findings come as the State considers expanding NJ's model urban early childhood programs to more districts and children.

ACNJ's latest report, New Jersey City Kids Count 2006, documents a 17 percent increase in child poverty in 10 cities from 1999 to 2005. "The child poverty rate of 34 percent in these cities is nearly three times higher than the statewide average of 12 percent. Child poverty rates ranged from a high of 58 percent in Camden to 26 percent in Jersey City," the report said.

By far the brightest news for these children is an increase in available child care and preschool, significant gains in the percent of students passing state achievement tests and a substantial increase in graduation rates.

According to the report, "The percent of eligible children enrolled in state-approved pre-k increased 10 percent from 2001 to 2005, while test scores improved at all grade levels tested by the state, ranging from an 8 percent increase for 8th graders and an encouraging 38 percent jump for 4th graders. Graduation rates increased 44 percent, although some of this may be due to more students taking alternative tests to earn their diploma."

"Clearly, our sustained public commitment to improving education in our poorest, urban school districts is reaping very real returns," said Ceilia Zalkind, ACNJ executive director. "We must continue this commitment to provide supports to these children so they can succeed in school."

This dramatic evidence of the link between school investment and child welfare comes at time when the state is considering expanding the exemplary Abbott early childhood programs to other districts.

On November 15, the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform made prekindergarten expansion and support for full-day kindergarten major recommendations in its final report. The Committee urged the State to expand the nationally acclaimed Abbott Preschool program to all preschoolers in an additional 71 low income school districts, providing high-quality early childhood educational opportunities to thousands more unserved children. Low-income children in all other districts in the State should also be given access to the state-funded preschool program, according to the committee report.

In addition, the Committee is recommending state funding of full-day kindergarten as an incentive for districts throughout the state to offer the program. Only the State’s Abbott districts are currently required to provide full day kindergarten.

The Joint Committee is one of four convened this past summer in a special session to propose measures to reduce New Jersey’s local property tax burden. Its final report recognized the enormous gains made by urban children enrolled in the Abbott Preschool program, citing research undertaken by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University (NIEER). NIEER research shows that attending Abbott preschool programs at age four leads to "statistically significant and meaningful impacts on children’s language, literacy, and math development." Attending the program for two years was expected to produce even more impressive results.

According to the Committee, increased investment in early childhood education has "considerable long-term benefits for all New Jersey children, regardless of income, ... far outweigh[ing] the costs." Attendance in similar programs alleviates the need for special and remedial education, boosts overall academic achievement, increases income and employment rates (and consequently taxes paid), lowers welfare rolls, and decreases crime.

The Committee is recommending expansion of the Abbott Preschool Program to all preschoolers residing in low-income school districts not covered by the Abbott v. Burke rulings. That would add 71 districts to the 31 Abbott districts, making the high-quality program available to thousands more children. The Committee also recommends state funding to support prekindergarten programs for low-income children -- those eligible for the federal lunch program (family incomes less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level) -- in all other districts statewide.

Finally, recognizing the success of full-day kindergarten in the Abbott districts, and the "vital" importance of early childhood education to later success in school, the Committee recommends state support for full-day kindergarten in districts statewide

Education Law Center’s legal advocacy in the landmark Abbott v. Burke education equity case resulted in the nation’s first court mandate for state funded, high quality pre-k and full-day kindergarten as an element of a "thorough and efficient" education under the State’s constitution. Continued advocacy and legal action by NJ preschool advocates have also been instrumental in fast-tracking program implementation, and maintaining program quality, access and accountability.

The Committee attributed New Jersey’s move to the national forefront in providing high quality preschool programs to the Abbott v. Burke rulings. "The Committee’s encouraging recommendations demonstrate the effectiveness of a multi-pronged strategy for establishing state funded, high quality pre-k programs. It also underscores the importance of a sustained advocacy effort in expanding out these programs to serve more children," said Ellen Boylan, ELC senior attorney and pre-k advocate.