Why Pre-K Is Critical to Closing the Achievement Gap (U.S. Article)

Why Pre-K Is Critical to Closing the Achievement Gap (U.S. Article) - High-quality, universal pre-K can impact the nation’s international ranking - "The recently released results of the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) comparison of educational achievement across 65 countries has brought renewed attention to the achievement gap and recommended changes to improve U.S. performance. The U.S. was well down in the middle of the pack for reading, math, and science while Shanghai, a Chinese city with a population equal to that of New York, was at the top of the leader board. One might think recommendations on how the U.S. could gain ground might start with an analysis of education policy in Shanghai or the European nation with top scores: Finland. For example, we might consider emulating Finland’s universal access to high-quality early care, education starting in infancy, and requirement that every public school teacher earn a master’s degree. Or, we might replicate Shanghai’s universal pre-kindergarten, in which all teachers must have at least a bachelor’s degree, or China’s 251-day school year."