Showing papers by "W. Steven Barnett published in 2004"
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the important differences and shed light on how income, education, ethnicity, family structure, maternal employment and geography relate to preschool program participation and find that the increase in enrollment has not reached all segments of the population equally and there are variations in participation rates regionally within the U.S.
Abstract: In a world shaped by global competition, preschool programs play an increasingly vital role in child development and school readiness. And, there is growing awareness that early learning’s impacts persist across children’s lifespans, affecting educational achievement, adult earning and even crime and delinquency. Preschool education has come to be seen as a middle-income essential. 1 By 2002, two-thirds of 4-year-olds and more than 40 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool education program. This represents a substantial increase over earlier decades. The evidence indicates the increase in enrollment has not reached all segments of the population equally and there are variations in participation rates regionally within the U.S. This report seeks to identify these important differences and shed light on how income, education, ethnicity, family structure, maternal employment and geography relate to preschool program participation.
62 citations