Dive Brief:

• At age 91, prekindergarten advocate Bettye Caldwell died as a result of heart disease. 
• Caldwell is known for helping prepare children from disadvantaged backgrounds for elementary school and being a proponent and catalyst for the national U.S. Head Start program.
• At the time, Caldwel advocated for what she called "educare," which was early-childhood programs from infancy  integrated into schools.

Dive Insight

Thought-leader Caldwell's position on the importance of pre-K education has been proven, and early childhood education programs are on the upswing in the U.S. Although lawmakers generally disagree on pre-K implementation, very few question its efficacy and importance. And now, more children will have access to pre-K learning since the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) makes existing Preschool Development Grants officially permanent.

A Duke University study recently reported universal preschool programs actually save money for states, since they result in a lower number of students being placed in special education programs later. And research from the Center for American progress shows that high-quality universal preschool definitively helps close socioeconomic and racial achievement gaps. Gaps, however, are serious: less than 20% of black, Hispanic and low-income students attend high-quality preschool, while around 25% of white students and 30% of those from more affluent families do attend such schools. By attending a high-quality preschool, the learning gap between wealthy and poor students can be closed by 41%.