Washington state’s budget will get even tighter late next month, when legislators begin debating yet another round of deep spending cuts to balance the budget, and they have few, if any, easy choices left.

Just in time a new report shows how effective the state’s preschool program is in helping to prepare children for school.

The annual assessment, for example, explains the Early Childhood Education & Assessment program boosted self control among its students. The percentage of children exhibiting self-control rose from 25 percent in fall 2010 to 41 percent by spring 2011. 

The program also improved the health of its students. When school began 39 percent of children in ECEAP programs were behind on their annual well-child exams. By the end of the year only 4 percent were lagging, according to the analysis.

The report is full of research about the progress in ECEAP classrooms, which should bolster advocates’ arguments against cutting ECEAP as part of a plan to balance the state budget.  So far this recession, the 25-year-old program has fared relatively well. 

And Gov. Christine Gregoire has repeatedly expressed her support for the program, including two weeks ago at the celebration of its 25th birthday.

“We need to continue our investment in early childhood education and in ECEAP in particular. And this last legislative session, despite cutting $5 billion, that’s exactly what they did. That tells you that they know what you know about the return on investment. It is the single best investment we can make in the future of a child and the future of this state…” -- Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP. 10/19/11.

(Thanks to WSA of Head Start & ECEAP for highlighting this report.)

When legislators meet Nov. 28th, however, the challenge will be that this recession has dragged on so long they will have little choice but to cut vital programs. It will be a tough test of how deep support for ECEAP runs among policymakers.