Posted on 06/10/2002 6:12:23 PM PDT by summer
They will also know which ones to target for classification. Sort of proactive budgeting. Get em classifiied early to keep those budgets flush.
My wife's (church based) pre-school is already required to make these assessments for all the children that receive state funding, which I presume is to check on the child's progress as well as evaluating the school. She tells me that the test is called "Ages and Stages", and is the same test that will be administered in the public kindergartens starting in August.
I notice that Lori Horvitz is still using biased language to describe pre-k programs:
not-for-profit and faith-based programs, private day-care centers and pre-kindergarten classes in public schools.
Notice that the only choice that is described as a pre-k class is the public program; non-profit schools are "programs", and private schools are "day-care centers". My wife has written Lori about this biased reporting, and never received any response.
She may have a chance to comment on this herself in a little while. She has her own screen name now (PS_Motherhen), but hasn't used it yet.
Yes, there are, and Lori knows it since she has been told by my wife; hence the bias.
Thanks for your suggestion of writing her editor, it's worth a try.
Not necessarily all that biased. Only the public pre-K is designed specifically to prepare a child for public kindergarten.
On what do you base this statement? It is patently untrue.
Many private pre-schools have excellent pre-k programs that do a far better job than public pre-k schools in preparing children for kindergarten (public or otherwise). My wife is the director of one of these fine schools, and she will put her results up against any public program.
You seem to share the same bias as the reporter of this story.
I think you missed my point.
Certainly I'd rather put a child in a private school that any public (government) school. But is your wife's school designed to prepare children for public school?
Exactly. My oldest daughter went to Pre-K prior to starting kindergarten at the parochial school she attends. It was not mandatory but since kindergarten at that school is full days, 5 days a week the Pre-K program is designed to better acclimate them to that just as a public Pre-K program is going to ready (with any luck) the children for whatever public kindergarten requires of them.
Personally, if it weren't for the full day scheduling I would have never even sent her to Pre-K, though.
I didn't miss your point, that's why I put "public or otherwise" in parenthesis.
The academic demands of public kindergarten are typically much lower than those of private schools, so a child who attended a good private pre-school should be better prepared for either a public or private kindergarten.
Is there some specific difference that you are alluding to that requires a different type of preparation for public K?
If your main concern was acclimation to a full day schedule, there is no reason why a private pre-k couldn't accomplish this goal as well or better than a public one, even if the child will be going to a public kindergarten.
The point here is the bias of the reporter in calling public classes "pre-k", and private classes "day care". There are many fine pre-schools in the private sector, and they should be recognized as such in the press; that is, if they strive to be fair and balanced. :)
More a question of indoctrination rather than academic demands.
Coming from New York City as I do, I can tell you that PC was alive and well 40 years ago (though not called that).
There is certainly that aspect to consider when comparing public vs. private schooling, and it is a major one. At the pre-k and kindergarten level, though, I think it is less of a factor. We are mostly talking about things like letter recognition, colors, shapes, tying shoelaces, etc. The real indoctrination into all the PC crap doesn't start until a few years later.
The major difference between public and private (religious) pre-schools is that in the church based schools, such as my wife's they do get some religious education; read Bible stories, sing hymns, etc.
She did go to a private Pre-K. It was at the same school that she is going to now.
I know that, but you were responding to Salman who was asserting that only a public pre-k could prepare a child for public kindergarten.
That was the original assertion that I took issue with, not your situation.
I have administered both the 3 and 4 year test. It is very good. Simple and easy, but covers a lot of ground developmentaly.
The state has put a lot of money into teaching to give the test. They have required that all teachers in daycare and preschool (not sure about public preschool) teachers take a mandatory 10 hour class on this subject. Even infant and toddler teachers must take the class. It covers child development and teaches observing children for problem areas. It covers the ages and stages and a few other screening tools. 4C also sent an instructor to our school to introduced the Ages and Stages test and answer questions for my teachers.
Children who have speech or other delays that are already on government funding are given more screening if needed and are given free therapy by a therapist who comes right to our school. I have a few students who are working poor who are paying there way in preschool and cannot afford the same services for their children. I would rather see money going to pay for help for all delayed kids that need it instead of funding public preK classes for children who are not delayed.
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