Matt Mulkey
Office 202.862.9864
Mobile 202.425.0598
mmulkey@preknow.org

(Washington, DC) – Pre-K Now executive director Libby Doggett, Ph.D., urged the Bush administration and leaders in Congress to prioritize federal investments in pre-kindergarten programs in light of the final recommendations released today by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.

"Congress and the president have in their hands strong confirmation of the research showing that the development of math skills before kindergarten is directly connected to children's later success in Algebra and advanced mathematics," Doggett said. "It's time for our federal leaders to recognize their part in this equation and invest new dollars to make high-quality pre-k instruction available to more children through Head Start and state pre-k programs."

A recent national study found that, while children possess enormous potential for developing the foundations of mathematical understanding in their pre-k years, this potential has gone largely untapped. The Panel recommends that pre-k teachers, including those in Head Start, be given more training in early math instruction techniques.

"It is unfortunate that the very pre-k quality improvements which raise children's math achievement have been neglected by our federal leaders' chronic underfunding of Head Start – a trend continued in the president's FY09 budget proposal," said Doggett. "Governors and legislators are investing more dollars in high-quality pre-k each year because they know these programs give children the foundation for success in math and many other subjects. The president and Congress must multiply states' efforts by investing in the pre-k movement, not holding it back."

Pre-K Now collaborates with state advocates and policymakers to lead a movement for high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds. The following funders contribute to making this important work possible: The Pew Charitable Trusts, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the McCormick Tribune Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, RGK Foundation, CityBridge Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

###

• Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
• "Mathematics Education for Young Children: What Is It and How to Promote It"
  Herbert P. Ginsburg, Joon Sun Lee, and Judi Stevenson Boyd
  Published by the Society for Research in Child Development