Indiana

When we consider that education begins at age three, the question we have to ask, no matter what state you live in, is how do we regard a three year old child, and what do we expect of him or her and those who teach her? It’s the song that never ends; it just keeps going on my friends; some people started singing it not knowing how it sung, and just keep singing it and going on and on … Now stop singing it and do something beginning with early childhood education.

Very young children WANT to learn. They don't want to wait three years to begin learning what they can learn at three. Leave a child behind at three, and he will be running to catch up all his life.

Journal Gazette Fort Wayne.Com

Education Remedies

Connecticut. Utah. Colorado. Maine. Minnesota. Nevada. Virginia.

The list of states resisting the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act
grows as educators and state lawmakers alike struggle to meet requirements
without the assistance of federal dollars.

But the tug-of-war over minute details of the law ignores the sweeping
needs of U.S. schools.

Fortunately, a new study neatly frames those needs and offers a plan to
address them.

“Getting Smarter, Becoming Fairer,” is the report from two Washington-based think tanks, the Center for American Progress and the Institute for America’s Future. In spite of the organizations’ liberal leanings, the study rejects outright criticism of No Child Left Behind in favor of a thorough examination of where U.S. schools are, where they need to be and how they can get there.

The study deftly points to two achievement gaps that must be closed:
the one that results from race, income, language and geographic differences
among students; and another resulting from newly competitive economies across
the globe.

“Other nations are increasingly realizing the relationship between knowledge and economic progress,” the report states. “They are encouraging learning and … Too many of supporting its application to develop ideas and spur innovations. Our students are not prepared to thrive in this increasingly competitive world.”

There’s nothing new or controversial about the study’s
recommendations:

•Children must begin learning earlier and spend more time
learning.

•Set high standards and demand accountability. Establish a consensus on what students should know; provide effective assistance to help low-performing
schools.

•Demand highly qualified teachers and effective school leaders.

•Connect schools with families and communities. Address the out-of-school problems of health care, housing, hunger and parental support to give disadvantaged children a chance to succeed.

If the price tag sounds like too much money, consider that by the end of September what has been spent on war in Afghanistan and Iraq. If the war continues for another five years, the cost is expected to reach $1.4 trillion.

As long as the administration fails to provide the necessary support for its landmark education law, the burden falls to the states to pay for improvements. A companion report to the new study, fortunately, details where each state falls in addressing needs.

Indiana fares well in meeting math and reading proficiency, but its efforts in early childhood education are abysmal.

The state ranks 48th for participation of 4-year-olds in preschool. In preparing – it ranks 49th among the states students for college, Indiana fares even worse for academic readiness of high school graduates.

The state’s budget picture promises no quick infusion of cash to address problem areas. But efforts to put the framework in place and to implement it as soon as money is available should be top priorities. Indiana can do its part in closing achievement gaps by not becoming mired in a battle over No Child Left Behind and instead investing in efforts that truly improve schools.