After years of cuts, states investing in early education again
In a little over a year, many of Minnesota’s youngest students will be spending more time in the classroom.
State lawmakers this spring approved $40 million in funding for all-day kindergarten and more money for pre-kindergarten scholarships for children from low-income families aiming to close the gap in standardized test scores between white students and students of color.
Kindergarten students Antwon Hollman, left, and Makayah Yang play a counting game Wednesday, June 5, 2013 in teacher Melanie Houff’s class at Little Canada Elementary School. (Photo by Jennifer Simonson/MPR)That’s enough money to provide scholarships to about 10,000 children from low-income families in each of the next two years.
But by the fall of 2014, students in all of Minnesota’s 337 school districts will have access to free all-day kindergarten thanks to a $134 million boost in funding approved by state lawmakers.
Researchers say access to early childhood education is a critical step in ensuring that students do well from the start. Studies have found that gaps in learning are already wide when children enter school; children living in
State lawmakers this spring approved $40 million in funding for all-day kindergarten and more money for pre-kindergarten scholarships for children from low-income families aiming to close the gap in standardized test scores between white students and students of color.
But by the fall of 2014, students in all of Minnesota’s 337 school districts will have access to free all-day kindergarten thanks to a $134 million boost in funding approved by state lawmakers.
Researchers say access to early childhood education is a critical step in ensuring that students do well from the start. Studies have found that gaps in learning are already wide when children enter school; children living in
Reported skills gap widens—and so does skepticism
The projected shortfall between the demand for workers with university degrees and the supply of Americans who have them continues to widen, according to new research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.
In an update of its widely cited estimates last released in 2010, the center says that, at current graduation rates, there will be five million more jobs requiring employees with university degrees by 2020 than people to fill them.
That’s up significantly from the gap projected just three years ago, when the center predicted that the nation would fall short by three million college-educated workers by 2018.
In an update of its widely cited estimates last released in 2010, the center says that, at current graduation rates, there will be five million more jobs requiring employees with university degrees by 2020 than people to fill them.
That’s up significantly from the gap projected just three years ago, when the center predicted that the nation would fall short by three million college-educated workers by 2018.
