Sharing Web Resources Part 2

     The website that I have been exploring is www.nieer.org.  This is a website that is devoted to the study of early education research.  This week I explored some of the outside sources found on the site and it linked me to a United Way study that researched if there are neighborhoods where children are identified with developmental vulnerabilities.  The goal of the study was to use WIC testing sites to find families with children who were receiving services and assess the children based on the neighborhood in which they lived.  The study found that there were concentrations of low birth-weight babies as well as other factors that can contribute to a child having problems learning in a traditional classroom.
     I reviewed the publication section of the website and found that there are links to previous NIEER articles as well as videos, related publications and recommended books based on what you are researching.  Another thing that I found to be interesting under publications link was the pre-k annual reports listed by state.  Under preschool policy facts, you can find one page fact sheets containing information that pertains directly to preschool.
     In the latest newsletter, one of the articles discussed the benefits of having an effective teacher on children.  The article talked about the effect that a positive, nurturing teacher can have on a child, especially on a child with poor self-regulation skills.  The study followed first grade students that were placed in a classroom with a supportive teacher and measured the effects on the children until they were in sixth grade.  The bottom line is that a supportive teacher can be the key to a child overcoming obstacles in the classroom.
     The website has many articles that talk about equity and excellence in the early childhood education field, one of which being the article "Yet More Evidence: Time to Beef Up Math and Science in Pre-K".  This article talks about the need for equity in funding so that the pre-K programs are able to offer the content areas that children will need to develop in order to be successful. 
     This week's newsletter contained a great deal of information on the budget cuts to pre-K programs around the country and what efforts are being made on the federal level in order to make sure that states are receiving the funding that they need for education in all arenas.  Some states have drastically cut back on the amount of money that is allocated to the pre-K programs, while others have cut other areas in order to keep the funding where it needs to be.  In Georgia for example, Governor Deal has added the ten days that were cut from the pre-K school year back, but he has cut the number of slots available for students in turn cutting the number of pre-K teachers needed.