Once again, Washington’s publicly funded preschool program ranks among the top in the nation, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Our state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) earned nine out of 10 quality points in the national organization’s 2010 Preschool Yearbook, released April 25. The quality checklist ranks several standards, including:
- Whether the state has comprehensive early learning standards.
- Staff-to-child ratios
- Class sizes
- Teacher qualifications
- Screening/referral and support services
- Program monitoring
Data shows that the more than 8,000 3- and 4-year-olds being served in ECEAP this school year will enter kindergarten better prepared for success in school and life. And we know they have big dreams for the future. Students in one northwest Washington ECEAP classroom recently shared their hopes with their teacher, and here’s what they said:
- A police officer.
- A cowboy.
- An astronaut.
- A doctor.
- I want to work where my dad works.
- How about a papi like my papi.
- A baker.
- A motorcycle rider.
- A mommy.
- Go to work at Costco like my dad.
- A pilot and fly a jet.
- Drive a fire truck.
- An electrical engineer. I’m going to design electricity all over the world, even in poor places.
- A singer.
- A teacher.
- Be in the army.
- Go to college.
- A painter.
- A cowgirl.
- A big kid.
- A builder.
- A worker at Denny’s.
- A farmer.