The Quality of Most Programs is Too Low to Yield These Results for Most Children

On an internationally recognized scale of 1 to 7 (1 being the lowest rating and 7 being excellent) the average early care and education program received a quality rating below level 5 or good.

The 1999 "Cost, Quality and Outcomes Study" found that the overall quality of early care and education in the U.S. is mediocre to poor regardless of the level of family income.

A national survey of 3,000 kindergarten teachers found that 35% of children entering kindergarten are not ready for school.

In 2001, the Maryland State Department of Education assessed kindergartners across the state and found that 51% of them were not fully prepared to succeed at the kindergarten level.

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