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This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Obvious Pre-K Targets: Immigrant Children


    Pre-kindergarten advocates don't have to look far to find students who most benefit from their programs.
    Children of immigrants, especially those who need a jump start on English skills, are obvious candidates for early introduction to the school system.
    But, according to Danielle Gonzales, co-author of the study "Latinos and Pre-K," New Mexico's preschool model isn't reaching as many immigrant children as it should.
    The gap between native and immigrant enrollment in pre-kindergarten programs in New Mexico is among the largest in the nation, Gonzales says.
    Identifying elementary school attendance areas with high immigrant populations can help focus pre-K efforts where they are most needed.
    An active outreach program can win over immigrant parents who are intimidated by the language barriers or who worry that enrollment will require documentation they don't have, including Social Security numbers.
    Gonzales said by the state being "strategic" and developing programs "where there are kids who need it most," there's a chance the achievement gap will actually grow smaller.
    Pre-K's leading advocate, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, wants to grow the program from the current enrollment of 2,200 to serve all of New Mexico's 24,000 4-year-olds.
    That's an ambitious goal— perhaps overly ambitious until several classes of New Mexico pre-K kids' academic progress in elementary school is tracked.
    But in the meantime, the program should concentrate resources where they can do the most good: among English-learning children of immigrant families.