New Report: Using Stimulus Money to Support Proficiency by Third Grade

Posted by on June 22, 2009

An urgent suggestion for stimulus funds

In a policy brief, Sara Mead of the New America Foundation writes that the unprecedented federal investment in education by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act is a huge opportunity, but holds the danger that states and districts “may squander these funds on ill-conceived projects or use them simply to maintain the status quo.” It is critical, she says, that stimulus funds be used for lasting reforms that yield ongoing gains in student achievement, as well as for maintaining educational services and jobs during the downturn. A crucial investment would be putting stimulus funds into PreK-3rd reforms to ensure that all students get a solid foundation in math, literacy, and social/emotional skills by the end of third grade. “Research shows that third grade marks a critical turning point in children’s education: Children who cannot read or do math on grade level by third grade are unlikely ever to achieve proficiency.” States and school districts must therefore strengthen their PreK-3rd systems so that all children receive a high-quality, aligned, early-educational experience. The funding influx is a chance to “move beyond the past decade’s narrow focus on pre-K expansion to a broader focus on building PreK-3rd systems that not only prepare children for learning, but also sustain those gains through the early elementary school years.”

Read more: http://www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/building_solid_foundation