Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1103796
and effort on academic achievement. " The Lindsay program is successful in showing our learners how important their education is from day one," she says. "We are able to build upon the foundation that our preschool program started." Casandra Luna, an eight-year kinder- garten teacher and LTA member, says learners who attend preschool arrive familiar with the routines of a classroom setting and having a firm grasp of early s k i l l s t h a t h e l p them hit the ground running in kinder- g a r t e n . S t u d e n t s without that expe- r i e n c e st a r t th e i r schooling already behind their peers. " T h e y n e e d t o learn how to learn," s ay s L u n a . " T h e y n e ed to kn ow h ow to li st en a c tiv ely during lessons, how to participate, how to interact with others, and how to social- ize in a school setting. Learners who have never been in a school setting often strug- gle the first few weeks of school." Additionally, Luna says, the district Preschool Makes a Difference T H E L E A R N I N G P O L I C Y I N S T I T U T E ' S new report, "Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness: Insights for Policymakers," shows that students who attend high-quality preschool programs reap benefits that can last through school and their lives. The study included reviews of rigorous evaluations of 21 large-scale public preschool programs. To read the full study, go to learningpolicyinstitute.org. begins assessing students and collect- ing data about them from the moment they start preschool, sharing this critical information when students arrive in her class. This is a benefit touted in discus- sions about the state universal preschool program because it will allow schools to provide resources and support to stu- dents immediately upon their arrival in the K-12 system. "e preschool sends learners' assess- ments from the end of the year, so I have a n i d e a o f w h a t t h e i r n e e d s a r e right away, w hich is essential in a per- f o r m a n c e - b a s e d system," Luna says. Doria is excited a b o u t t h e a m a z - ing impact of early learning on incoming kindergartners, and eager to see the benefits of the program in the district for years to come. And while it's taken a good deal of outreach, parents in the community are on board about early childhood education. "e parents are seeing the importance of early education, and they 're knock- ing down our door," Doria says. " They see that their children want to come to school every day. It's not starting their educational career early, it's starting their love for learning. We have students who arrive nonverbal, and suddenly they are little motormouths!" Many parents are getting in on the learning themselves as well. LUSD offers an adult education class to parents who are English learners that meets while their kids are in preschool, even providing them with their own Lexia online learning account so they can develop their English skills in parallel with their children. Unlike most progressive reforms, it doesn't appear Californians will need to be convinced about preschool. A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of Cal- ifornia found that 77 percent support the governor's plan to spend $1.8 billion on universal preschool and related pro- grams. Doria says it's an exciting time for early childhood education and is eager to see how the state's plan will boost Lind- say's already thriving program. "I'm excited for our learners, but we can do so much more." Impacts of Preschool Throughout School Each box represents a separate evaluation of a preschool program. Participants had better outcomes than comparison group children. No difference between participants and comparison group children. Participants had worse outcomes than comparison group children. Literacy Mathematics Grade Retention Special Education Placements " Learners who have never been in a school setting often struggle the first few weeks of school. They need to learn how to learn — how to listen, how to participate, how to interact with others." — Casandra Luna, Lindsay Teachers Association 30 cta.org