Governor Branstad held a press conference this morning to announce details of his much awaited plan for preschool. He also shared the eligibility guidelines. A $3,000 annual Iowa Preschool Scholarship will be available to eligible 4-year-olds to attend preschool for a minimum 10 hours of preschool a week. All families of eligible 4-year-olds contribute to tuition with sliding scale fees based on federal poverty guidelines up to 300 percent of poverty. Parents will choose which private or public preschool they want their child to attend, provided there is space available. The Iowa Department of Education will provide a website that will allow parents to enter their Zip code to find a participating program near their home or work. Some areas of interest include:

· A common, comprehensive statewide assessment will measure performance of 4-year-old Iowa Preschool Scholarship recipients and as many other 4-year-olds in preschool as possible. It will guide sound instructional decisions and show whether preschool programs are successful.   

· A certified teacher will no longer be required.   

· An individual with a bachelor's degree may teach preschool in a participating program while working toward a new early childhood certificate that must be earned in two years. This is an ongoing option.   

· There is another path to becoming a preschool teacher in the short term. An individual with an associate of arts degree may teach while working toward earning the new early childhood certificate and a bachelor's degree in the next three years. This is a phase-in period to allow more programs to meet state standards.  

· Early Childhood Iowa will receive an annual report from the Iowa Department of Education on Preschool Scholarships and advise the department on promoting collaboration with other programs and services.   

· Early Childhood Iowa is a key partner with public and private preschools and the state in promoting the Iowa Preschool Scholarships in communities.

You can read more "highlights" from the plan here.   

We are pleased to see that Governor Branstad's preschool proposal retains a focus upon providing quality preschool programs for Iowa's youngest children and emphasizes the need to provide such services to low-income children throughout the state. It contains some features that deserve to be considered as part of an overall review of the voluntary statewide preschool for all program.

At the same time, the proposal represents a significant step backward, rather than forward, in ensuring that Iowa children start school ready for educational success. In addition to a reduction in funding and ability to serve as many children, this includes:

• Effective elimination of the Shared Visions program, a more comprehensive program than the voluntary statewide preschool program designed specifically for vulnerable children, which has served Iowa's lowest income children and has a long evaluation record of proven effectiveness;

• Inclusion of a scholarship structure that will make participation problematic, particularly for low and moderate income families, one inappropriate for enlisting parental involvement for children who most can benefit;

• Reduction in the overall size of the per child investment to move Iowa to near the bottom among states with preschool programs in the level of investment; and

• A more limited focus upon collaboration across preschool and other early childhood programs.

On the positive side, the preschool program includes provisions that are worth consideration in a review and revision to the existing preschool program:

• Greater opportunity to provide for a mixed delivery system;
• Providing somewhat greater emphasis upon accountability and continuous improvement in reviewing the implementation of preschool;
• Extension to all parts of the state, through a formula that includes districts that are not yet part of the preschool for all program; and
• Establishment of a public-private partnership to create additional financing opportunities for preschool.

As this proposal is reviewed in conjunction with the current voluntary preschool program, Every Child Counts believes that there are opportunities to strengthen Iowa's overall approach to preschool and early childhood programs that can draw elements from the Governor's proposal but built upon, and not replace, the programs already in place.