Early Childhood Student Learning Outcomes

From The State We’re In 2019 by Advance Illinois

​The 2019 edition of The State We’re In by Advance Illinois measures Illinois’ educational performance from early childhood through postsecondary. It tracks how Illinois students have performed over the past decade and how that performance compares with students in other states. We know that improvement doesn’t happen overnight. By tracking student outcomes over time, we can refine our strategies to support them.

This excerpt highlights the early childhood education portion of the Advance Illinois publication.

For the first time, we have the data to assess kindergarten readiness, and the results convey a clear sense of urgency. Only a quarter of Illinois children demonstrate kindergarten readiness across developmental domains.  Illinois must significantly expand access to quality early childhood programs if we hope to increase kindergarten readiness, eliminate achievement gaps and improve education outcomes.

Access and options are essential
Early childhood education encompasses home visiting, childcare, preschool, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades. These services may be provided in the home, a community center, or school and are funded by a complex mix of public and private resources.
Even as a burgeoning body of research details the academic and health benefits of early childhood development, the number of Illinois children who receive such support has not kept pace with need. Currently, 23% of Illinois children birth through age 4 have access to publicly funded early childhood programs. Even with prioritizing families in need, only about 50% of children in low-income homes from birth through age 4 are served.

Access to quality early education is vital to help close persistent achievement gaps and ensure that every student is college and career ready.

Click here to read The State We're In 2019: A Report on Public Education in Illinois.
 

Reprinted with permission. Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career, and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. Resources and the complete The State We’re in 2019 report, including data tables and metric definitions, is available through the Journal’s resources link: bit.ly/MA20Jres.