Governor Dayton, Lt. Governor Smith meet with students, teachers, and parents to discuss the successes of PreKindergarten at the school
Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith are proposing $25 million to allow 3,700 more Minnesota four-year-olds to attend quality, affordable early learning programs
ST. PAUL – Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith today are visiting Kaposia Education Center in South St. Paul to meet with students, teachers, and parents, to discuss the success of PreKindergarten education at the school. This year, Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith are proposing $25 million to move our state closer to voluntary PreKindergarten for all Minnesota families, everywhere in Minnesota.
Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith’s proposal would allow 3,700 more Minnesota four-year-olds and their families across the state to attend quality, affordable early learning programs. Added to existing preschool scholarships serving 5,600 kids, this additional investment in early learning would help about 12.6 percent of Minnesota four-year-olds attend a high-quality early learning program. This smart new investment would directly address Minnesota’s achievement gap, and prepare more students for success in school and life.
Helping More Families Afford Early Education
Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith are working to build an economy that works for all Minnesotans, not just the wealthy few. Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith are proposing smart new investments in early learning to get more kids off to a great start. These proposed investments would help narrow our state’s achievement gap, ensure more kids are ready for Kindergarten, and save families tens of thousands of dollars.
Tackling the Achievement Gap – A growing body of research shows that giving kids a great, early start is the best strategy to close gaps, and helps all students achieve their greatest potential. Race, ethnicity, and family income level can all impact educational disparities. That is why Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith’s proposal would allow families to choose the option that works best for them, while getting our state closer to the goal of voluntary PreKindergarten for all Minnesota families, everywhere in Minnesota.
Helping More Children Succeed in School and Life – Only 60 percent of kids from middle-income Minnesota families start Kindergarten fully prepared to learn. Even if every low-income child in Minnesota attended preschool and was fully-prepared for Kindergarten, approximately 30 percent of all Minnesota children would still not be prepared for school. To both close achievement gaps and build a statewide workforce that is ready to innovate and build opportunity, we must ensure all children begin school ready to do their very best.
Catching Up to Other States – Programs across the country, including in Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Georgia, Michigan, and Oklahoma, have shown that when families have access to high-quality voluntary PreKindergarten, all kids benefit. For many families in Greater Minnesota, it can be difficult to find a preschool provider near their home where they can use a scholarship. Offering thousands more families voluntary PreKindergarten would help ensure that more four-year-olds have the chance to get a high-quality head start before entering Kindergarten.
Saving Minnesota Families Money – Minnesota has some of the highest child care costs in the country. In Minnesota, it can cost over $11,000 to send a four-year-old to child care for just one year. Voluntary PreKindergarten would keep that money in Minnesota families’ budgets, while ensuring that kids get a high-quality head start that will set them up for success in school and in life.
Leveraging a Huge Return on Investment – Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis have found that every $1 invested in high quality early learning can yield up to a $16 return on the state’s investment. Most of those cost savings are in education, human services, and justice system savings, as well as increased tax revenue.
Building on Past Progress
All-Day Kindergarten – Thanks to a transformative investment made by Governor Dayton and the 2013 Legislature, over 57,400 students attended free, all-day Kindergarten for the first time in 2014. Students who attend Kindergarten all day make faster and more lasting gains in reading and literacy, have a better understanding of classroom expectations, learn appropriate behaviors, and develop stronger social and emotional skills. In its first year, 99.6 percent of Kindergarteners statewide attended school all-day. Before this investment, just 54 percent of Minnesota kids had access to all-day Kindergarten, and many families were forced to pay for all-day access – sometimes as much as $2,500 to $4,200. Thanks to free, all-day Kindergarten, these families are now saving thousands of dollars.
New Investments in Early Learning – In 2015, Governor Dayton and the Legislature invested an additional $100 million in early learning initiatives aimed at narrowing achievement gaps and helping young learners prepare for success in school. Those initiatives included:
Early Learning Scholarships – An additional $48 million was invested in early learning scholarships, bringing total funding to $104 million for FY2016-17. This will allow thousands of children to access early education and care. Also, $3.5 million was invested in the Parent Aware initiative, which will allow the Quality Rating System to continue and add providers.
Expanding Access to Head Start – Head Start promotes school readiness for low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional developments, and by providing families health, educational, nutritional, and other services. An additional $10 million was invested in Head Start last session, providing access to over 1,200 young learners.
Community Partnerships – An additional $4 million was invested in the Northside Achievement Zone and Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood. Both programs partner with families and communities to permanently close achievement gaps.
Investments in K-12 Schools – In 2015, Governor Dayton and the Legislature made important new investments in K-12 schools last session, including:
More Funding for Every School – An additional $346 million was invested in K-12 schools, bringing the per pupil formula to $6,067 per pupil by 2017. This new funding will help ensure every child receives an excellent education, and the support they need to succeed in school.
Helping Kids Read – The Minnesota Reading Corps provides tutors for students who are struggling with their literacy skills. Last session, Governor Dayton and the Legislature invested $3.5 million in the program, helping expand access to serve 2,500 more students.
Reducing Test Time – Legislation passed last session reduced the amount of time students are required to spend on testing in school. Schools may now spend no more than 10 hours per school year testing students in grades 1 through 6 on district-wide or school-wide assessments. The limit is 11 hours for students in grades 7 through 12.
Improving School Facilities – An additional $32 million was invested to help school districts provide important maintenance to classrooms and other school facilities.
Helping American Indian Students – Governor Dayton and the Legislature invested $17.5 million this session for schools serving American Indian students, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. This new funding will help eligible schools develop plans to support academic achievement, decrease the dropout rate, and improve the school climate for American Indian students. It will benefit over 19,000 American Indian students.
Supporting English Language Learners – There are over 68,000 Minnesota students for whom English is not their first language. In 2014, Governor Dayton and the Legislature extended the number of years schools can serve these students from 5 to 6 years. In 2015, the Governor and Legislature invested another $3 million to extend those services to a total of 7 years per student.
