Chicago Tribune: Fewer Latino children enrolled in preschool, study finds

[marmar]

In Illinois, Latino children were half as likely to enroll in preschool as white and African-American students, a disparity that threatens to widen the academic divide between them, according to a new report out Tuesday.

About 35 percent of Latino 4-year-olds attended some type of preschool, while 66 percent of white children and 54 percent of African-American children enrolled, the findings show.

With preschool increasingly seen as the front door to the education system, the enrollment gaps could leave Latino children behind their peers even before the start of kindergarten.

"If we put all our school reform eggs in the K-to-12 basket, it's going to be too late," said Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. Fuller will present his findings Tuesday at DePaul University during a conference sponsored by the New Journalism on Latino Children project. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-latino-preschool-access-20101115,0,826807.story