WSJournal Faults President's Call For Universal Pre-K.

The Wall Street Journal (2/26, Subscription Publication) editorializes on the President's call for universal pre-k. The Journal proposes that call as an excellent example of a program that has failed to show results leading to even more calls for pre-k. As the President touted Georgia as a model, the Journal points out that test scores in that state are below the national average and there is a large achievement gap. The Journal further argues that studies indicate that the most effective programs are those targeted at the neediest students and that Head Start has been doing just that since 1965 with little to show for it according to a recent HHS study.

Maryland Touted As Ready To Heed President's Call For Pre-K With New Proposal.

The Baltimore Sun (2/25) wrote in an editorial, "Scientists have long known that the human mind develops most rapidly during the first five years of life, a point President Barack Obama underscored in his State of the Union address when he urged states to provide universal access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs." Now "Maryland is well-positioned to heed the president's call." That's because "in late 2011, the state won an early learning challenge grant funded through the federal Race to the Top competition aimed at encouraging local jurisdictions to come up with innovative approaches to increase the quality of instructional programs," and now "Sen. Bill Ferguson and Del. Samuel I. 'Sandy' Rosenberg, both Baltimore Democrats, are proposing to take that a step further." They would do that with a bill to "set up something of a state-level 'Race to the Top' in which local jurisdictions could compete for grants to help create more high-quality preschool services."