With states facing massive shortfalls, tough decisions must be made to invest dollars where they have the most impact. Now is an optimal time for governors and legislators to lay the groundwork for pre-k expansion and quality improvements. Here are some smart low- and no-cost policies that policymakers can champion during tough budget years to improve pre-k programs and continue the pre-k momentum.

• Develop and put in statute a multi-year plan for pre-k expansion and quality improvements. Short- and long-term goals should be accompanied by firm deadlines, and a task force or state advisory council should be put in place to monitor progress.
• Propose statutory or regulatory changes to make disbursement of pre-k funds more flexible and efficient. When state pre-k funds are left on the table, they are extremely vulnerable to cuts.  Help prevent this scenario by reducing barriers that make it difficult for local school districts to draw down pre-k funding. For example, allow state funding to support full-day programs in districts that need them, reduce local matching requirements, or provide additional funds to districts that expand pre-k through public-private collaboration.
• Dedicate a state level staff member to promote and assist in developing pre-k collaborations. By producing guidance documents, negotiating conflicts and different interests, and engaging community leadership, this staff member can encourage new communities and providers to draw down state pre-k funding and help ensure all state funds are spent.

• Commission research to examine ways to improve access and the delivery of pre-k programs. Areas that could be studied include:

• Children who are being served or not served by current pre-k programs
• Collaboration strategies and resources
• Evaluation and assessment
• Facilities and transportation
• Funding and revenue streams
• Impact of potential budget cuts
• Improving and aligning components of the professional development system (e.g., teacher preparation, career pathways, QRIS initiatives, etc.)

• Make small investments that will enhance comprehensive services, such as effective parent support and screening and referral services, which strengthen pre-k programs and reduce costlier health and other public expenditures down the road.
• Pass small increases to state pre-k investments to keep up with increases in demand and in the cost of living so that programs do not reduce the number of children served or scale-back important quality components. Protecting or making incremental increases in pre-k funding is especially important during tough economic times, when household incomes are stretched thin, unemployment rises, and more families are finding themselves eligible for support. Pre-k should be part of a comprehensive array of programs that support children’s success in school and promote state’s economic recovery through proven returns on investment.

• Create a state advisory council or task force to facilitate collaboration, coordinate the use of federal stimulus and other funds, and propose policy recommendations, as now required by federal Head Start Reauthorization. Potential members of the council include the Governor and representatives from the Governor’s office, the school board, parents, teachers, nonprofit providers, for-profit providers, Head Start, and the business community.

• Improve opportunities for professional development to enhance the quality of the state's early learning workforce. Strategies include developing articulation agreements among the state's higher education institutions and offering scholarships to support educators as they pursue additional credentials.
• Shift state pre-k investment into states’ school funding formulas, which may lead to better protection for pre-k program spending in future budget downturns.  If this is not an immediate possibility, commission a study on shifting pre-k into the school funding formula over time. 
• Facilitate the development of longitudinal early childhood data systems that can be linked to K-12 systems. The ability to use quality data to inform decisions and practices at the policy, program, and classroom levels is critical to the effectiveness of a state’s pre-k efforts. Depending on the extent to which states have made progress in this area, policymakers can commission research to develop a plan; pass legislation that enable data collection, sharing and linkages; and make small investments in personnel or systems building activities.

Examples

• In 2009, Maryland lawmakers passed legislation that would require the Department of Education to develop a business plan for pre-k expansion — including strategies to ensure availability increases across a variety of settings — and present it to the governor by December 1. The legislation, which had no cost attached, was endorsed by the Baltimore Sun.
• In 2008, the New Jersey legislature approved a major overhaul of the state's school funding formula. In addition to changes to the K-12 funding formula, the legislation expanded Abbott pre-k, making it available for all three and four year olds in the 115 lowest-income school districts. Additionally, any non-Abbott school district with more than 40 percent of its enrollment comprised of students living at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty threshold became eligible for state funding to provide pre-k to all three and four year olds in the district. Children not living in these low-income districts but qualifying for free- or reduced-price lunch programs were made eligible for pre-k paid for by per-pupil funding from the state. While not declared in the legislation, the state plans to phase in the expansion over a five-year period.
• In 2009, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced plans to reform the P-16 system in his state, laying the groundwork for future investments in early childhood. His budget for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 establishes a Center for Early Childhood Development within the Department of Education. He has also charged the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council with developing a comprehensive system and created an Early Childhood Financing Workgroup to explore a single financing system for early care and education programs.
• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order in 2009 establishing the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and emphasizing the value of high-quality early learning experiences for young children and their communities. In establishing the council as required by the Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, the governor also made California eligible to receive up to an additional $10.7 million in federal funding over the next three years.
• The West Virginia state Board of Education approved a policy change in 2009 requiring all pre-k programs to provide children with at least one meal each day beginning in fall 2010. Community providers, including faith-based organizations and child care centers, will have to collaborate with local school districts to determine the costs associated with serving either breakfast or lunch daily. The change also mandates that beginning in 2013 every new teacher hired by community collaborative programs must have a BA degree.
• Without incurring any immediate costs, Louisiana lawmakers approved legislation increasing income eligibility for the LA4 program in incremental steps until the 2013-2014 school year, when pre-k will be available for all four year olds regardless of income. The bill also provides for collaboration with community-based pre-k providers by ensuring that at least 10% of the total increase in funding over the 2008-2009 school year will be used for LA4 classrooms in non-school settings, including child care centers and Head Start programs.
• Washington lawmakers voted in 2009 to expand the state’s definition of “basic education” to include pre-k for low-income children. The bill had no fiscal note and did not include an immediate appropriation for pre-k. Although Governor Gregoire removed the pre-k language from the final bill, citing concerns that it targeted only low-income children, she also asked the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of the Department of Early Learning to develop a proposal for the 2010 legislative session to ensure that all Washington children and their families have the benefit of early childhood education.  As a result, the legislation has increased momentum to introduce a pre-k for all provision in the 2010 legislative session.

Building a strong coalition in support of pre-k is crucial to ensuring that programs are held harmless from state budget cuts. Advocates can look to the following strategies to help protect pre-k during turbulent fiscal times.

• Strengthen partnerships with powerful allies, such as education associations, business groups, faith-based organizations, and other community leaders. One way to build your coalition is to re-visit your core principals and issue a collective statement that prioritizes pre-k investments. When cuts are on the table, a cohesive early childhood coalition is especially critical. Advocates across the state must speak with one voice and one clear message to galvanize supporters and effectively communicate that message to legislators and the press. 

• Build stronger and more visible support from the business community to help make the case to policymakers that continued investment in quality pre-k will lead to short- and long-term economic savings. Recruit business leaders to pay visits to legislators and editorial boards, as their voices often ring loudest in state budget discussions.
• Encourage local school boards and superintendents to adopt pre-k as a critical component of the strategic plans for their school districts. Developing local support for pre-k can be a meaningful part of a broader strategy to achieve specific state policy goals for pre-k expansion.
• Develop a training program for the faith community — a key constituency given the number of early childhood settings that are operated by faith-based organizations — to encourage their participation in school readiness activities and opportunities for pre-k advocacy.   
• Organize virtual or live events to keep pre-k visible around the state and in the media. Invite state and local policymakers to visit high-quality pre-k centers in their districts, feature children’s artwork at the capitol, or build a model pre-k classroom at the capitol. Virtual events, such as webcasts or conference calls, save travel costs. 
• Be strategic about the benefits and risks of high-profile advocacy. In some states, raising the visibility of pre-k when legislators are looking for programs to cut might put your program at risk. If this is the case in your state, keep your pre-k funding request under the radar, so that it is not open to attack. 
• Release or re-release research on pre-k investment as an economic development and education reform strategy. Make the case to policymakers that cutting pre-k now will negatively impact state budgets in the future.   

Examples:

• In 2009, advocates and business leaders in Texas are working hard to advance legislation to increase pre-k quality and expand programs to full day.  The Texas Early Care and Education Coalition and United Ways of Texas brought hundreds of advocates to Austin for a pre-k day at the capitol, with a twist: Pre-K in the Rotunda.  As legislators shuffled through the halls, they couldn’t avoid the real-life “classroom” set up by advocates, which clearly demonstrated what high-quality pre-k looks like.  Click here to see blog coverage of the event and a video clip from the Austin American-Statesman.  Ultimately, over half of the House and one third of the Senate became sponsors of the legislation.
• In March 2009, Oregon’s Ready for School campaign hosted a Business and Community Leaders Breakfast. The event drew over 200 influential leaders, many of whom were learning about the economic benefits of pre-k for the first time. Speakers included Dr. Ross Thompson, a national expert on early childhood brain development, and local business leader and campaign chair, Richard Alexander. Not only did the event garner good press coverage, but it helped cultivate new advocates from the business leaders who attended the event, some of whom will undoubtedly be called on to contact policymakers as Ready for School urges the legislature to uphold Governor Kulongoski’s proposed increase in pre-k funding.