By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. All disadvantaged and disabled children will have access to high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help prepare children for school. Parents do not raise children in isolation. Schools do not educate children in isolation. The National Education Goals Panel recognized that being ready to learn means a commitment to meet this goal would necessitate bringing together families, communities, businesses, schools and other support resources for the purpose of giving all children the opportunities to become effective, competent learners.
Administrators are most satisfied with the quality of the parenting programs.
Sixty percent of the superintendents report the quality of preschool programs in the communities their districts serve was above average. One of three feels the need is not being met. Only about one of four said the quality of programs for adolescent parents was above average. Furthermore, these programs are perceived by school administrators to be the most in need. These data were gathered as part of a project sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and University of Missouri Extension's Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis.