Commentary: New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership (NMECDP) launched the Expand NM PreK Tour in Las Cruces this week. Our tour included a visit to NM PreK site Alpha School and a lunch and community conversation with policymakers, providers and Head Start staff. NMECDP is focusing on a multi-year initiative to expand the state-funded, voluntary PreK program to every 3-and 4-year-old who wants it. Currently, 35,000 three and four year olds lack access to early learning opportunities.
More than a third of children in New Mexico grow up in poverty. More than half of our working families live on an annual income of less than $19,000.
NM PreK provides choices for parents and distributes PreK resources equally between public and private sectors. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) evaluated NM PreK, using a set of 10 regulatory benchmarks. Based on kindergarten entry assessment scores, NIEER evaluators concluded that NM PreK produced significant impacts in language, literacy and mathematics. NM PreK received an 8 out of 10.
Children who attend a high-quality program earn higher marks in school, are less likely to repeat a grade, are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. They go on to earn better salaries as adults and more likely to stay out of prison and off public assistance.
By reducing costs to schools and society, NM PreK can save $3 million from reduction in special education placement and grade retention.
The time is now to expand NM PreK – a successful, high-quality program proven to make dramatic impacts in the lives of our children and families.
NMECDP will hold community conversations in Farmington on October 13, Española on October 20, and Hobbs on December 1. A statewide summit will be convened in Albuquerque on January 12, 2017. For more information, please visit www.nmecdp.org.