On May 7, a Daily News article delivered some bleak news about Alaska education. The subhead said it all: Rates for high school dropouts, college completion among worst (in the nation). The article reported that Alaska ranks at or near the bottom in high school graduation rates, percentage of high school seniors going directly to college, and rates of college completion.
Jump ahead five days and we find some hope in the article about Art La Rue, an unorthodox and very successful middle school teacher ("Mr. 100 percent," May 12). Part of his credo? He doesn't care what they read, he cares that they read.
Bravo, Mr. La Rue!
If there is a single secret to a successful and productive life, it's probably early and frequent exposure to books. Those of us who champion early learning and literacy urge parents and others to read, read, read. Read to infants, read to toddlers, read to pre-schoolers.
Reading to babies and young children is a cornerstone of early learning and literacy. More and more national studies show that early learning and literacy activities are a powerful way to prevent later social ills ranging from high school drop-out rates to teen pregnancy and welfare dependence.
From birth to age 6, brain development occurs at an astonishing pace. Nurturing and brain stimulation during those years has a profound impact on how children fare in school. A child's readiness for school is a powerful determinant of how he or she will fare in life.
Because of those factors, research consistently shows that investments in early childhood development yield extraordinary returns to the work force and the economy.
Children who have access to quality early learning opportunities, at home or in away-from-home programs, are more likely to graduate from high school, get better paying jobs, avoid spending time in jail,and lead more productive lives. They are more likely to develop critical thinking skills, pay higher taxes and raise healthy families. They are less likely to go on welfare or be incarcerated.
Nearly half of Alaska children now enter school unprepared to become successful readers or learners. Alaska's children lag behind their national peers in reading and math skills. Their poor preparation prior to kindergarten contributes to Alaska's low scores on standardized third-grade tests, poor performance on the High School Graduation Qualification Exams and high school drop-out rates.
A movement to turn this around is already under way.
Because parents are a child's first and most important teachers, Alaska's early learning activists promote early learning and literacy, and family literacy.
Because so many young children spend time in care away from home, our early learning activists are working to provide all Alaska families access to high quality, affordable child care and early learning programs.
Because preparing all children for success in school has such profound implications for the state as a whole, these activists are fostering a cultural shift in our expectations and priorities.
Alaska's dismal showing in education can be turned around. It will be when we Alaskans expect and insist on the investments required to finance and sustain early learning. It's a tall order, but an absolutely essential one.
Abbe Hensley is executive director of Best Beginnings, a public-private partnership that mobilizes people and resources to ensure that all Alaska children begin school ready to learn and succeed.
By ABBE HENSLEY