Bush School Report

We are excited to announce the release of “A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Universally Accessible Pre-Kindergarten Education in Texas,” a report commissioned by TECEC and developed by the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. TECEC recently partnered with the Bush School to conduct a conservative, cost-benefit analysis of investing in quality, universally available pre-kindergarten (Child Care, Head Start, and Public Pre-k) in Texas.  The final 136-page document was released in May 2006 and found that the benefits of investing in high quality early childhood education in Texas greatly outweighed the cost, and FOR EVERY $1.00 INVESTED, at least $3.50 IS RETURNED TO TEXAS COMMUNITIES! Specifically, the report examined both the short and long-term benefits of investing in early childhood education including increased cognitive and social development, fewer special education referrals, reduced involvement in criminal activities, increased income and lifetime earnings for mothers, and improved work performance.

TECEC is currently in the process of creating a toolkit for our partners and members to utilize around the 3 ½ to one return on investment.  The toolkit will provide community leaders, key stakeholders, and advocates across the state the messages, facts, and strategies necessary to educate policymakers about the relationship between early childhood education and economic development specific to Texas. 

To access the completed report, executive summary, one-page synopsis, and three-page summary visit the Texas A&M Bush School of Government & Public Service website at http://bush.tamu.edu/academics/mpsa/capstone/projects/ .