NEA Draws Roadmap to Better Preschool Education

Policy recommendations urge program
development, small class sizes, teacher training

Washington, D.C. -- Full-day kindergarten. Universal preschool. Well-trained teachers and teaching assistants.  These recommendations are front and center in the National Education Association (NEA) policy on educating the nation's youngest students.

In a new publication, "NEA on Prekindergarten and Kindergarten," ( PDF, 748 KB, 16 pages ) NEA draws on the expertise and commitment of its 2.7 million member-educators to produce this roadmap to a better start for all children.

NEA believes that all children ages three and four should have access to prekindergarten programs that are high quality, universal and publicly funded. Research shows that a child exposed to good preschool programs before age five will reap lifetime benefits. Quality preschool also increases the chances of a student doing better in early grades, closing the achievement gap and graduating from high school.

In a comprehensive, but reader-friendly guide to shoring up preschool education, NEA addresses class size, teacher training, parental involvent, child development and other topics. Policy recommendations include:

• Mandatory full-day kindergarten
• Universal prekindergarten
• Small class sizes of no more than 15 students
• Parental visits to school programs
• Comprehensive lessons that foster problem-solving, social skills and academic basics
• Age-appropriate assessment of children"s skills instead of large-scale standardized testing

NEA urges you to read more about quality prekindergarten and kindergarten in the Early Childhood section of our Web site.

September 10, 2004

Contact:
Anjetta McQueen, NEA Public Relations,  202-822-7251

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.