The 2006 Legislature approved and Gov. Tom Vilsack signed a bill providing an additional $15 million to address health, parent education and preschool needs for our youngest Iowans.

This investment will certainly help build a strong foundation for our children’s future, but to get the most out of our growing public investments in early learning, we must also align standards, curriculum and assessment from prekindergarten through kindergarten and into the early elementary grades. That’s the PK-3 approach.

The PK-3 approach involves providing voluntary, quality prekindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-old children and access to all-day kindergarten that builds on the prekindergarten experience. The curriculum focuses on social skills and self-discipline as well as reading and math and emphasizes a collaborative effort between families and teachers.

Research supports the PK-3 approach. A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association provides an example of one such quality program that tracked 1,500 disadvantaged minority children in Chicago for 16 years. About two-thirds of the children took part in a comprehensive preschool program in which standards, curriculum and assessment were aligned with kindergarten through third grade. Called Child-Parent Centers (CPCs), these programs were part of the Chicago public school system. The study found that CPC participants were almost 30 percent more likely to complete high school than a comparison group of equally disadvantaged non-CPC children. Forty percent fewer CPC participants were held back in school or placed in special education, and CPC participants had 41 percent fewer arrests for violent crime. The study shows that the program can generate long-lasting results and benefits.

The CPC program demonstrates how the PK-3 approach works to improve the literacy and math skills of all children, especially English language learners and children from low-income families. The program strengthens children’s social skills and motivation to help them succeed, reduces the need for special education services and reduces the “fade out” effects often found in prekindergarten-only programs.

Children who experience quality preschools with alignment in learning standards, instruction and assessment are more likely to reach fourth grade equipped with the skills needed to learn at a higher level. This can help us narrow the achievement gap between groups of children and meet federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind law. Quality preschools also improve every child’s chance of graduating from high school and becoming a productive member of his or her community.

These educational advancements translate into significant societal gains. Schools and preschools must coordinate funding streams to make more efficient use of public resources for early and elementary education. The investment in early education programs has a potential to return $7 in savings for every dollar spent by reducing costly grade retention, special education placements, teen birthrates, crime and incarceration.

The Legislature’s and the governor’s commitment to ensuring that children are successful in school and in life is commendable. Early education programs can have powerful and long-lasting results; they prevent serious societal problems and produce significant economic returns. These programs enable children to reach their full potential. The key is to build a bridge between prekindergarten and the K-12 system. Let’s hope this year’s investment is just the beginning.

Lou Ann DeMarie is the project director for Communities for Literate Iowa Kids at the Iowa School Boards Foundation.