Opinion: The Missing Link in Education Reform

(Dec. 9) -- No longer can we "wait for Superman" to fix America's education system.

As politicians, researchers, educators and even filmmakers continue to debate why the United States has dropped to number 25 in educational achievement in the world, the role of high-quality early childhood education in closing America's achievement gap needs to be a bigger part of the reform conversation.

While the Obama administration's Race to the Top program and the creation of common core state standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics are rightfully lauded as major victories, these national reform efforts start too late in children's lives. Have we destined reform -- and our children -- to fail because we've ignored the critical importance of early childhood education in preparing young people to succeed in the K-12 system?

A new national teacher poll shows that early childhood education should be a priority. More than three-quarters of kindergarten and first grade teachers surveyed in the Knowledge Universe "Early Childhood Education: A Benchmark for Long-Term Success" survey, agreed that children who attend early learning programs not only have a distinct advantage throughout their academic careers, but are more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not.

These findings are consistent with a recent report from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which revealed that children who receive high quality early childhood education perform better academically and cognitively at age 15.

Why do the benefits of early childhood education extend so far beyond kindergarten? The answer is backed by science and experience: much of the development that influences achievement throughout life occurs before children even set foot in school.

Dr. Jack Shonkoff of Harvard's Center on the Developing Child has shown that experiences in early childhood impact the very architecture of the brain. Kindergarten teachers will tell you they are not molding fresh pieces of clay. And Nobel Laureate economist, Professor James Heckman, has shown that investments in high quality early childhood education yield significant economic and societal returns through increased productivity, as well as reductions in crime, welfare dependency, teenage pregnancy, emergency room use, and the need for academic remediation and mental health specialists.

Although "kindergarten ready" may not yet have the same panache as "college and career ready," early learning is the cornerstone of long-term success for America's children. We know that children who start behind, tend to stay behind.

Today, the performance gap between the most- and least-proficient students in the U.S. is among the highest of all the developed countries, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education. As we work to ensure that America's education system prepares children to succeed in school and beyond, the stakes are too high to ignore children's most important period of development.

Collaboration will be key, but we know we can help to level the playing field for America's children even before they enter school. Building on the new K-12 core common standards to develop consistent and developmentally-appropriate early learning standards for our youngest learners is a place to start.

We can also encourage school districts to partner with local early learning and care providers to ensure a smooth transition for children into the K-12 system. Professional development for teachers and principals in the area of early learning and childhood development will also make a difference.

If we are to achieve the vision of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that "all students regardless of background have access to a high quality education," we have to challenge educators, policymakers, administrators and parents to think beyond K through 12 and make "cradle to career" education a national priority.

We cannot afford to wait until kindergarten -- when for many children, it is already too late.

Dr. Elanna Yalow, PhD, MBA, is executive vice president of Knowledge Universe-US, the nation's largest private provider of early childhood and school-age education and care, serving approximately 250,000 children across the U.S. through its KinderCare Learning Centers, CCLC and Knowledge Beginnings early learning centers.