Good Preschool, Good Start

In the best of all worlds, a high-quality preschool would be available to every California youngster. The value of preschools is well-documented, especially for poor children, children who do not speak English and children who aren’t read to at home. But the estimated annual price tag of $4 billion for universal statewide preschool is politically prohibitive, so any state action will have to be incremental.

Children in day care that is rich in language development and literacy skills are more prepared to learn to read when they start school. They do better on achievement tests in subsequent grades, according to research. They are also less likely to misbehave in school, drop out, get pregnant as teenagers, go on welfare or end up in the criminal justice system.

Delaine Eastin, the state superintendent of public instruction, correctly seeks an expansion of preschool for children ages 3 and 4 over the next decade, starting with a commission that would develop a master plan. A bill to create that commission is scheduled to go before the Senate Education Committee today and should be approved.

One approach the commission might look at is Israel’s 10-year plan, in which the poorest children are the first benefited. Another is Georgia’s program for 4-year-olds, which is financed by lottery receipts. New York might expand an experimental prekindergarten program for which a $200-million block grant has been allocated. California currently spends $160 million on state preschool, serving 146,000 low-income children. An additional 80,000 children attend Head Start, which is federally funded. Many more children need this early instruction.

Broader access to preschool dovetails with Gov. Gray Davis’ commitment to strengthen reading instruction. The governor should endorse the legislation.