00       SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 19                                                       
01 Relating to implementation of the recommendations of the Governor's Summit on Early                                     
02 Learning.                                                                                                               
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS Alaska was one of only 10 states awarded a prestigious grant in 2007                                    
05 from the National Governors Association to hold a Governor's Summit on Early Learning;                                  
06 and                                                                                                                     
07       WHEREAS over 150 legislators, other policymakers, and statewide leaders from a                                  
08 variety of sectors participated in the summit to ensure Alaska's future economy will be                                 
09 supported by an educated, productive workforce; and                                                                     
10       WHEREAS research has documented that nearly half of Alaska children enter school                                
11 unprepared to be successful learners, setting them up for failure before they even start                                
12 kindergarten; and                                                                                                       
13       WHEREAS experts attribute this lack of preparation in large part to the lack of                                 
14 preschool education available in Alaska; and                                                                            
15       WHEREAS Alaska is one of only 10 states without a state-funded statewide                                        
16 preschool system; and                                                                                                   

01       WHEREAS the national trend is toward voluntary early childhood education for all                                
02 children; and                                                                                                           
03       WHEREAS 87 percent of Alaskans think it is important for state government to                                    
04 provide financial support for early childhood education and child care; and                                             
05       WHEREAS attendees at the governor's summit drafted recommendations to ensure                                    
06 that all children, especially those most in need, have access to quality early childhood                                
07 education opportunities; and                                                                                            
08       WHEREAS the recommendations of the governor's summit echo the findings of the                                   
09 2006 Alaska Ready to Read, Ready to Learn task force, which recommended that Alaska                                     
10 develop a comprehensive system of affordable and voluntary early childhood education; and                               
11       WHEREAS early childhood education has shown documented results that include                                     
12            (1)  significantly less grade repetition in later years;                                                     
13            (2)  major reductions in placement in special education programs;                                            
14            (3)  substantially higher high school graduation rates;                                                      
15            (4)  dramatic increases in college attendance;                                                               
16            (5)  substantially fewer arrests;                                                                            
17            (6)  much less reliance on public assistance; and                                                            
18            (7)  significantly higher employment rates; and                                                              
19       WHEREAS research indicates that early childhood education yields a return on                                    
20 investment that far exceeds the return on most public economic development projects; and                                
21       WHEREAS key workforce skills, including motivation, persistence, and self-control,                              
22 are developed most cost-effectively and efficiently in preschool children;                                              
23       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges Governor Sarah Palin to                                  
24 thoroughly consider the recommendations of the Governor's Summit on Early Learning and to                               
25 work closely with the legislature to implement the recommendations, as appropriate.