Universal Preschool Master Plan Fact SheetJuly 12, 2004 |
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| First 5 LA has made an historic commitment to offer high-quality preschool to every four-year-old child in Los Angeles County whose parents choose to participate. The broad plans for making this vision a reality are contained in the Master Plan for Universal Preschool in Los Angeles County. The Master Plan was unanimously approved by First 5 LA's Board of Commissioners in February 2004. This approval followed a dynamic eight-month Advisory Committee planning process that brought together 200 community leaders from education, government, business, philanthropy, child care and research. The process also included input from hundreds of parents through more than 3000 parent surveys; in-depth interviews with over 100 parents in focus groups; and feedback from over 300 child care providers in community hearings. Nancy Daly Riordan and Robert M. Hertzberg acted as Advisory Committee co-chairs. Brain research demonstrates that children learn their most important life skills before they go to kindergarten. Study after study shows that special attention to these fundamentals in preschool pays dividends well into adulthood. Children who attend quality preschool programs, for example, perform better in math and language, are less likely to drop out of high school, and are more likely to attend college. The Master Plan calls for: • A high-quality part-day preschool program with an optional full-day child care component for Los Angeles County's 153,000 4-year-old children in Los Angeles County. • A program that is voluntary and accessible for both parents and providers. • That Universal Preschool be offered in both public schools and community-based settings to offer parents choice. • New investments that build on the existing infrastructure of early education programs, including Head Start, child care, and California State preschool. Universal Preschool will respond to the diversity of children and families in Los Angeles County. • Curricula will address children's individual needs in the areas of creative, cognitive, social, emotional, physical/motor and health development. • Classroom teaching will be culturally and linguistically appropriate (plans are being made for a dual-language curriculum). • Approaches will respond to the needs of children with disabilities and other special needs to the maximum extent feasible. • Family involvement will are integral to the program. Universal Preschool will ensure high quality. | • A five-star quality rating system will help parents make informed decisions when choosing preschool for their children. • Training programs will assist teachers and aides in achieving higher educational degrees. • Training will prepare teachers to work with children with special needs. • A majority of classroom teachers will have AA or BA degrees by 2014. • Teacher compensation will be commensurate with their responsibilities, training and credentials. Universal Preschool will increase the equity of access to early education facilities. • Facilities development will be prioritized to address 15 “hot zone” where unmet needs are greatest. |
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