New Study Finds California's Local Control Funding Formula Presents Challenges and Opportunities for Expanding Early Childhood Education
MENLO PARK, Calif., March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report on early implementation of California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) finds that early childhood education (ECE) was not among school districts' priorities in the first round of LCFF budgeting. Few districts added new ECE programs or dollars. Yet, the study also reveals that the authority and flexibility the LCFF gives districts to determine how to allocate their education resources creates a potential opening for expanding pre-school offerings for the state's three- and four-year-olds.
SRI Education and J. Koppich & Associates conducted the research and produced the report, Early Implementation of the LCFF: Staking Out the Ground for Early Learning. The study found that advocates for expanding ECE under the LCFF face both challenges and opportunities.
ECE is one of California's few remaining categorical programs. The state allocates targeted dollars to fund pre-school for low-income children who qualify, and LCFF regulations neither preclude nor require districts to expend added dollars on ECE. The study found that districts currently have no incentive for including ECE among their competing budget priorities.
Moreover, study findings show that educators disagree among themselves whether ECE is part of the K-12 mission. Some see pre-school as necessarily connected to K-12, while others see it as a separate system with different responsibilities and goals.
As Julia E. Koppich, lead author of the report said, "It is clear from our study that those who favor expanding early childhood education must grapple with these twin challenges. If they hope to see more dollars going to ECE, they must convince districts that increasing these early learning programs is in their interest and brings them educational dividends."
The report points to opportunities such as an LCFF requirement for parent engagement in district budget building. As pre-school parents bring their children's needs to the LCFF arena, ECE can begin to receive a fuller hearing, increasing the possibility that districts will consider these programs as they develop budget priorities.
In addition, study findings suggest the state's new Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program, which represents recaptured learning time between pre-school and kindergarten, could serve as a bridge between advocates for added ECE dollars and proponents of more programs and services for K-12 students.
Ashley Campbell, SRI Education researcher and one of the study's authors, noted, "Transitional Kindergarten opens the door. ECE and ECE parents would seem to be natural allies."
The report concludes by lauding California's strong policy commitment to early childhood education. This year's state budget increased the number of state-funded pre-school slots, with the promise of more to come. In addition, a recent public opinion poll found significant majorities of Californians agree on the importance of high-quality pre-school. The LCFF provides an opportunity to translate existing policy and public opinion to expanded ECE options.
The report was funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.
About SRI Education
SRI Education, a division of SRI International, is tackling the most complex issues in education to help students succeed. We work with federal and state agencies, school districts, major foundations, nonprofit organizations, and international and commercial clients to address risk factors that impede learning, assess learning gains, and use technology for educational innovation. SRI International, a research center headquartered in Menlo Park, California, creates world-changing solutions to make people safer, healthier, and more productive.
About J. Koppich & Associates
J. Koppich & Associates is a San Francisco-based education consulting firm. Julia E. Koppich serves as the firm's principal. J. Koppich & Associates conducts research and program evaluation principally in the areas of teacher effectiveness, including teacher evaluation and compensation, and public sector labor-management relations. Clients have included the National Governors Association, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, U.S. Department of Education, Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools, Memphis City Schools, and the National Center on Performance Compensation.
SOURCE SRI International
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