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Voluntary Pre-K programs have already proven to be a great success in many states. Universal Pre-K would be a huge advance for our country.

Pre-K recognizes the the majority of children's capacity for brain development occurs during our early learning years.

Early literacy and early math numeracy is vital to a life-long ability to learn and perform competently in academics and in life skills.

Families, especially the working poor and struggling classes, depend on early learning options in order to work. Organized Pre-K is the best solution to this need.

Early learning is a highly advanced practice, and children deserve access to its benefits instead of simply being cared for by babysitters.

*What do Pre-Kindergarten Programs focus on to create success for school readiness?*

Pre K programs must focus on two central priorities, the establishment of consistently enforced quality standards and the coordination of diverse systems including public schools and private care centers.

QUALITY STANDARDS

The most important priority for continued successful implementation of Universal or Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Education Program (UPK/VPK) is establishing and assuring defined quality standards at every level of the program.

It is essential that the program maintain standards for every level of programming, including school readiness indicators for students, satisfaction indicators for parents, educational criteria for teachers and administrators, curriculum standards, quality standards and policy directives for programs, community involvement standards for coalitions, and integrated contract monitoring standards throughout the system. All of these quality standards systems should interrelate and should transfer into meaningful information for policymakers, funders, and program stakeholders.

Quality that is discernable through data is a primary expectation of early intervention programs. National directives from private funders and from governmental agencies hold out that Pre-K programs must "meet quality benchmarks associated with improving children's outcomes, such as highly-trained teachers." 1 Setting and attaining quality benchmarks will lead to consistency and measurable outcome improvements.

High-quality preschool is a considerable investment for states to make. In order to maintain the public support that is needed to expand the program, quality measures must show improvements in school readiness rates, and in the quality

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