Table of Contents Current Nature of the Social ProblemDescription of Current Policy in the United StatesAnalyses of Current PolicyFriedrich Fröbel opened a "play and activity" institute in 1837 in the village of Bad Blankenburg in the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Thuringia, as an experimental social experiment for young children entering school. He renamed his institute Kindergarten (meaning children's garden) on June 28, 1840. This reflected his belief that children should be nurtured "like plants in a garden." Fröbel then introduced an educational environment into his school. This is what made its establishment different from other previous infant programs. Therefore, Frobel was credited with the term kindergartens. The women trained by Fröbel opened kindergartens throughout Europe and around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay This is what sparked the creation of the policy. The first years of life are crucial for a child's cognitive development and learning. Evaluations of well-run preschool programs have found that children exposed to high-quality preschool education are less likely to drop out of school, repeat a grade, or need special education, compared to similar children who do not. have not had any preschool exposure. The Abecedarian Study, a scientific study of pre-kindergarten programs in North Carolina, found that students who attended early childhood education programs experienced higher academic achievement and academic achievement. Fifty-seven infants were randomly assigned to receive early interventions. Their results were compared to those of a control group of 54 infants who did not receive the same interventions. Children in the treatment group attended preschool programs from infancy until age five. These children underwent follow-up assessments at ages 12 and 15. This revealed that children in the treatment group had significantly higher scores in reading and mathematics than those in the control group. Follow-up assessments of 21-year-old study participants found that students in the treatment group were more likely to have recently graduated from or be enrolled in college. North Carolina's Pre-K program was launched in 2001 and serves at-risk 4-year-olds. children. It was created to provide high-quality educational experiences to improve the academic readiness of eligible four-year-olds. Kindergartens have existed in the United States since 1922 and were operated by private organizations. The Head Start program in the United States was the first federally funded pre-kindergarten program. It was founded in 1967. This attempt aims to prepare children (especially disadvantaged children) to succeed in school. North Carolina started the More at Four program in 2001 and ended the program in 2011. More at Four was a statewide pre-kindergarten initiative for preschool. four-year-old child risk. More at Four was designed to help children achieve greater success when they enter school. The North Carolina Office of Early Learning in Raleigh, North Carolina, oversaw the program and its structure statewide. In late 2011 and early 2012, the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) took responsibility for and oversaw the Was More at Four program. More at Four has funded programseducational classrooms across the state. These Pre-K sites were created and designated by each local government in the county. Children were eligible for More at Four based on their poverty status and other risk factors, with priority service given to unserved children in a preschool program. Current Nature of the Social Problem Previous studies suggest why all children should have the opportunity to attend pre-kindergarten programs. . There should be no conditions other than age, as it is plausible to suggest that all children are at risk, whether their parents have finances or not. Schweinhart, Barnes, and Weikart found that the Perry Preschool Project is the best-known study of the long-term effects of high-quality preschool education. The Educational Research Foundation followed children ages 3 and 4 up to 27 years old. At the start of one study, 123 African Americans lived in poverty. The study provided a comprehensive assessment of the lasting impact of prekindergarten on the lives of these students. Schweinhart, Barnes, and Weikart also found that comparisons with youth who did not participate in preschool found that preschool participants were more likely to graduate from high school. Children who attended preschool earned up to $2,000 more per month, owned homes, had marriages that lasted longer, and were arrested less frequently. The vulnerable population most affected by this social problem are families whose children are considered "at risk." There are two types of approaches used to determine children "at risk." The individual family risk factor approach determines each family's eligibility for the program based on the characteristics of each child or family. The geographic risk factor approach determines where the program is offered, based on the specific risk factors of residents of that jurisdiction. of CEELO identified these risk factors as developmental disability Limited English Proficiency (LEP), as indicated by the family and/or child speaking limited or no English at home; 'indicated by the child's performance results on an approved developmental screening or in an existing individualized education plan (IEP) and a chronic health condition indicated by a health care professional's diagnosis. The CEELO summary also indicates that children of eligible military families who, at any age, are children in one of the following groups will be eligible for the program, regardless of their income. Through research, we see in many policies that the priority is serving the unserved population. The people who benefit from the social problem are families with children considered at risk. For example, a family receiving SNAP benefits, a child who speaks poor English, a military child, etc. It is plausible to think that only the government would oppose the resolution of the social problem. Some reasons for this resistance could be teachers' protests over salaries. Previous studies have shown that NC has one of the best programs for PRE-K, but money remains an issue. This prevents children who the government says are at no risk from getting a head start in life. at four began. Some of these requirements included the child's age, guardian's income, and children from an eligible military family. Children must be four years old by August 31 of the year they start PRE-K. The second age condition is that a child eligible forkindergarten cannot benefit from PRE-K funds. Other criteria depend on the developmental disability identified; Limited English Proficiency (LEP), as indicated by family and/or child speaking limited or no English at home; an educational need as indicated by the child's performance results on an approved developmental examination or in an existing individualized education plan (IEP); or a chronic health condition as indicated by a health care professional's diagnosis. The NC Pre-K program is governed by the NC Child Care Rules, the NC Open Meetings Act, the NC Public Records Act, and the NC State Board of Education. Policy. Guidelines and other policy information are guided by the individuals covered by this policy, who are children considered “at risk.” They are covered in the NC Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Program Guidance and Requirements Book. Funding for pre-kindergarten programs is distributed among the federal, state, and local governments. Research shows that investments in PRE-K work. One study found that the United States would see a net benefit of at least $83.3 billion in reduced grade retention. Research has shown that robust funding does not mean access for all. Atchison, Diffey, and Parker gave the example of a gap in income requirements for participation, the number of students who can be enrolled, and other factors that limit the quality of preschool experiences for all students. The State of North Carolina is responsible for implementing the policy. The stated objectives of this policy are to improve the overall quality of children considered at risk. The NC Pre-K program is designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to improve the academic readiness of eligible four-year-olds. Some of the resources this policy promises to provide are approaches to play and learning, emotional and social development, health and physical development, language and communication development, cognitive development, etc. Analyzes of Current Politics In North Carolina, politics works for government officials, but within NC communities, it has become a social issue. Previous studies have shown that the policy put in place for the NC eligibility program is beneficial for children aged four. However, education is something that all four-year-olds should be entitled to because of the benefits it provides. The weakness of this policy is that it does not include all four-year-olds. High-quality preschool programs benefit children at all income levels, especially children living in low-income families. Each state determines eligibility for pre-K program enrollment based on various factors. These factors include legislative requirements, funding, program capacity and family needs. One of the strengths of this policy is the inclusion of the vulnerable population of four-year-old children. The policy has many unique resources to draw on. One example is that the Early Childhood Development Grant recognizes that a universal registration/request for services process for four-year-olds is a good practice for coordinating effective service delivery in early childhood education programs. early childhood. One of the main weaknesses of this policy is that only 20% of children whose parents earn more than the state median of 75% are eligible for.