 |
 |
|
State Profiles
New Jersey
As a result of the 1998 Supreme Court decision, Abbott v. Burke, New Jersey has become a national leader in providing high-quality pre-k. Subsequent education funding legislation approved in early 2008 makes full-time, year-round pre-k programs available to all three and four year olds living in 115 of the state's lowest-income school districts as of the 2008-09 school year. These pre-k programs are high quality: all Abbott pre-k teachers must have a bachelor's degree and early childhood certification; programs must use an approved curriculum; class size is set at 15 children with a teacher and an aide; and pre-k teachers' salaries are equivalent to other K-12 teachers' salaries. Enrolled children receive comprehensive services such as hearing and vision screening, special needs assessment, and hot meals. Programs are delivered in collaboration with child care centers that meet Abbott quality standards.
A further result of the education funding reform legislation is that pre-k will be available to all children in non-Abbott school districts where more than 40 percent of the children qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch programs. In the remaining school districts, the state will provide per-pupil pre-k funding for each three and four year old who qualifies for such lunch programs.
Key Milestones
| 1996 |
|
The New Jersey legislature funds pre-k for four year olds in 130 high-poverty school districts, including both Abbott and ECPA districts. |
| |
|
|
| 1998 |
|
The New Jersey Supreme Court orders that well-planned, high-quality pre-k programs be made available to all three and four year olds in the 28 lowest-income districts of the state (Abbott districts). |
| |
|
|
| 1999 |
|
The Association for Children of New Jersey forms the New Jersey Early Care and Education Coalition to ensure that the mandate of the Abbott v. Burke decision is carried out. Two additional school districts demonstrate that they meet the criteria established by the state supreme court and are designated as Abbott districts. |
| |
|
|
| 2003 |
|
The New Jersey Department of Education provides guidelines to ensure that Abbott districts fully execute the order imposed by the supreme court. These guidelines include strong, research-based recommendations for supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) in their native languages as well as English and serve as a national model for ELL pre-k instruction. |
| |
|
|
| 2004 |
|
The governor announces his goal to provide all four year olds in the state with access to voluntary, publicly funded pre-k by 2010. He establishes the Early Launch to Learning Initiative (ELLI) as the vehicle for expanding access and proposes an initial $15 million in funding, to cover the costs for low-income children. The New Jersey legislature approves ELLI funding, and 30 districts receive grants to provide pre-k through this program. An additional school district receives Abbott designation bringing the total to 31 school districts. |
| |
|
|
| 2005 |
|
Legislature appropriates an additional $10 million for the Abbott pre-k program and cuts $11 million from ELLI. Estimated enrollment in the Abbott districts for 2005-2006 is 43,000 three and four year olds, an increase of 3,000 children over the previous year.
In November, Jon Corzine is elected governor after a campaign in which he proposed a comprehensive education plan focusing on the need to improve and expand full-day kindergarten, pre-k, and after-school programs. His plan includes increasing the number of children eligible for ELLI by 14,400 within four years. |
| |
|
|
| 2006 |
|
Governor Jon Corzine takes the first steps towards realizing his plan to expand pre-k access and proposes a $25 million increase for Abbott pre-k. The legislature demonstrates its support for pre-k by going above and beyond the governor’s proposal and ultimately appropriating an additional $47 million for Abbott programs. |
| |
|
|
| 2007 |
|
Governor Corzine proposes and the legislature approves $10 million for a new initiative, the Preschool Quality Enhancement Grants and increases funding for the Abbott program by $3.1 million.
Governor Corzine signs into law a  bill that will make it easier for thousands of students attending New Jersey’s community colleges to transfer to one of the state’s four-year public institutions. The law promotes the seamless transfer of academic credits for community college students who have obtained their associate’s degree to a baccalaureate degree program. With a completed associate’s degree, a student will be able to fully transfer to one of the state’s four year universities and have that degree count towards the first two years of a baccalaureate degree. |
| |
|
|
| 2008 |
|
In a special special session ending in January, Governor Corzine proposes and the legislature approves a major overhaul of the state's school funding formula. In addition to changes to the K-12 funding formula, the legislation expands Abbott pre-k, making it available for all three and four year olds in the 115 lowest-income school districts. Additionally, any non-Abbott school district with more than 40 percent of its enrollment comprised of students living at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty threshold becomes eligible for state funding to provide pre-k to all three and four year olds in the district. Children not living in these low-income districts but qualifying for free- or reduced-price lunch prgorams are made eligible for pre-k paid for by per-pupil funding from the state. While not declared in the legislation, the state plans to phase in the expansion over a five-year period. |
| |
|
|
| 2009 |
|
The New Jersey legislature approves a much-needed $52 million increase in pre-k investments. The additional resources will support the expansion of the state's high-quality pre-k program to 2,000 more children.
The New America Foundation releases a report which identifies New Jersey as a model for pre-k-3rd education reform. The report finds that the state has significantly improved student outcomes by expanding access to high-quality pre-k programs that are well-alligned with the early elementary grades. While praising New Jersey for the caliber of its early learning model, the study also cautions that future pre-k opportunities may be in jeopardy if the state does not follow through on its commitment to pre-k expansion. |
Next Steps for New Jersey
Groups like ACNJ must continue to:
- Ensure that all pre-k programs maintain high quality;
- Address the shortage of facilities;
- Strengthen collaboration between childcare programs and school districts;
- Work with policymakers to secure additional funding for professional development and to help build a well-trained teacher workforce; and
- Monitor program expansion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redefining ESEA
Looking for resources on pre-k and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)? See our web page and PowerPoint presentation on the topic here.
|
|
Explore the Pre-K Evidence
Our collection of original reports and links to other studies will give you a deeper view into pre-k policy.
|
|
The Case for Pre-K in Education Reform
Fifty years of evidence shows that high-quality, voluntary pre-k is among the best strategies for education reform. Our brief highlights findings from the latest state pre-k program evaluations that continue to document gains in key measures of student learning, including early literacy, math and vocabulary; reduced need for special and remedial education; and lower incidences of grade retention.
|
|
Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
|
|
Find High-Quality Pre-K
With Our Checklist
Quality is key to unlocking pre-k's many benefits. Learn what to ask about and look for when choosing a pre-k program for your child.
|
|
Tour a Pre-K Classroom
Through our virtual classroom tour and our short video following real children through their pre-k year, we will help you recognize high quality, understand why it makes a difference, and show you how children benefit.
|
|
|
|
Pre-K: The First Step in Education Reform
