RELEASE: May 15, 2001

Previous Screen

TRENTON -- The Departments of Education and Human Services have awarded a five-year, $6.3 million contract to Westat of Rockville, Md., to evaluate early childhood programs in the Abbott school districts.

This evaluation is part of the Whitman Administration's continuing efforts to ensure high-quality preschool programs for children in New Jersey.

"We chose Westat to evaluate our Abbott preschool programs because of the firm's extensive experience and good track record in early childhood education research and evaluation," said Department of Human Services Commissioner Michele K. Guhl. "It is important to ensure that our children are learning in the most productive environments possible."

"We're looking forward to the results of this evaluation so that we can gauge the success of our program and determine what changes we should make to ensure the best quality programs," said Education Commissioner David Hespe.

The two departments released a request for proposals last fall to seek a qualified firm to evaluate the New Jersey early childhood education programming in the 30 Abbott school districts.

To evaluate the Abbott programs' effectiveness, Westat will track and assess a sample of preschoolers during a five-year period. It will also solicit comments from school administrators, community providers, teachers and parents.

The evaluation will help shape the Abbott programs by documenting and replicating the most effective educational practices across the state. The Department of Education's recently formed Task Force on Early Childhood Education Programs has developed Early Childhood Program Expectations -- quality standards that will help educators to create developmentally appropriate learning environments. The Expectations will support and prepare children to meet New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards when they enter kindergarten.

The contract period will commence later this month.

More than 29,000 children are currently enrolled in Abbott preschool programs throughout the state. Enrollment is expected to increase in these districts as community awareness of the availability and benefits of the program increase. Most of the programs are operating within the existing network of childcare centers, many of which have already been providing preschool education programs in their communities.

The New Jersey Supreme Court, in its 1997 Abbott v. Burke decision, mandated state-funded preschool education for three- and four-year-olds in the state's most disadvantaged school districts effective September of 1999. These school districts include Asbury Park, Bridgeton, Burlington City, Camden, East Orange, Elizabeth, Garfield, Gloucester City, Harrison Township, Hoboken, Irvington, Jersey City, Keansburg, Long Branch, Millville, New Brunswick, Newark, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, Pemberton Township, Perth Amboy, Phillipsburg, Pleasantville, Trenton, Union City, Vineland and West New York. Plainfield and Neptune were later added to the list by legislation signed by the Governor.