In these times of standardized testing and accountability, preschool educators are beginning to realize that children as young as 3 will need to be evaluated to measure the quality of their programs. According to a count by Sharon Lynn Kagan, professor of early childhood and family policy and co-director of the National Center for Children and Families, New York, New Jersey and 17 other states have officially adopted standards for early learning, 12 more are in the process of adopting standards, and eight have standards that have never been officially adopted.

The Education Commission of the United States reports that 43 states finance pre-kindergarten programs. Kagan argues that states must first decide what the preschool curriculum should look like before they come up with ways to evaluate how well children are learning.

The article, entitled "The Littlest Test Takers," appeared in the Novemebr 9 edition of the New York Times.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003