Early Childhood Education

The future economic strength and power of Texas will be largely dependent on the educational attainment of the state's population. A child's academic advancement depends on the development of a strong and high-quality educational system beginning with a solid Pre-K start and the completion of a post-secondary education. The need to create, develop and implement a seamless system of education is critical to achieving our goals for "Closing the Gaps."

Current Efforts in Pre-K Through 16 Initiatives

Efforts to improve the Pre-K through 16 system are being made at the federal and state levels. At the federal level, the newly enacted "No Child Left Behind Act" will allow programs within the Pre-K through 16 system to be created and enhanced. The $1 billion in 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants will help community learning centers that provide extended learning opportunities for students and related services for their families. An additional $385 million in state grants for Innovative Programs helps states and school districts implement strategies to improve student achievement. The Advanced Placement Test Fee Program is a program designed to make grants to state educational agencies to pay test fees for low-income students, and the Advanced Placement Incentive Program Grants are programs designed to expand Advanced Placement Test offerings. Other programs include Funds for Improvement of Education ($5.8 million), Parental Assistance and Local Family Information Center, and the Rural and Low-Income School Program ($8.5 million).

At the state level, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's "Closing the Gaps" report states that by 2015, it is a state goal to increase participation rates across Texas by adding 600,000 more students and increase by 50 percent the number of degrees, certificates and other identifiable student success from high quality programs. To help accomplish these goals, local institutions and school districts have developed their own Pre-K through 16 initiatives to improve retention and college preparation.

The Need for Change

Because of the focus on improving K-12 education over the past decade or so, institutions of higher education have developed programs to work more closely with the K-12 system in a variety of areas. These programs fall under the umbrella of what we call P-16 initiatives. But these programs are a hodgepodge of initiatives that lack coordination or review and are not widespread. The state needs to encourage the expansion of these initiatives and focus on the best practices wherever possible.

Governor Perry's Plan to Achieve a Pre-K Through 16 Seamless System

The ABC's of providing a strong academic education for the children of Texas are like building blocks. The following recommendations are building blocks for a seamless system:

• P-16 Council. Through the P-16 council, the state should identify collaborative programs between public and higher education which can create a stronger link between middle and high school curricula and the knowledge base which is required by institutions of higher education for entering students. By providing students with a stronger understanding of what will be required of them in higher education, public school educators can challenge their students to pursue the demanding curricula required under the recommended or advanced high school diploma and reduce the number of students required to take remedial education upon entering higher education.
• College Readiness. A key element for success in achieving a post-secondary education is the readiness of a student to tackle college level work, while for others it's the ability to accelerate their college course work by completing post-secondary work during their high school years. Two areas that address these issues are earlier remedial education and clarification of the concurrent enrollment guidelines.
• Concurrent Enrollment. Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to earn college credit without paying the full expense for the course. Many times there is no cost to the student or parent, which ultimately lowers the cost of a post-secondary education for the student, the parents and the state. A secondary benefit to concurrent enrollment is the ability for colleges to help high schools offer the recommended curriculum -particularly in science and math. Local school districts should be encouraged to adjust accountability and local grading systems to encourage concurrent enrollment.
• Enhance the Virtual College of Texas. The Virtual College of Texas (VCT) contributes toward increasing access to and participation in higher education. VCT makes it possible for students to enroll at their local two-year college, while taking distance education courses provided by other two-year colleges throughout the state. Member colleges are able to offer more than 253 on-line courses by leveraging resources, such as faculty, support services, and technology.