Carolina Journal News Reports
CJ Series

Early Childhood Programs

State sponsored early childhood programs in North Carolina include Smart Start, More at Four and Bright Beginnings. Federally sponsored programs include Head Start and Even Start. Follow the progress of these programs in North Carolina.

(3.20.03) North Carolina Preschool Programs Grow
RALEIGH -- Pre-kindergarten education is a growth industry across the United States, and North Carolina is no exception with its costly Smart Start and More at Four programs. But before policymakers can understand whether pre-K programs are worthwhile, effective, wasteful, or absolutely essential, it makes sense to figure out what deficit they are supposed to correct.

(3.12.03) Selective Educational Exuberance
Scholarly research documents that school choice has a greater impact on test scores than programs such as the ABCs, class-size reduction, or Smart Start. So why isn't this big news?

(3.05.03) Smart Start Strikes Again
North Carolina’s most cleverly named social program has again proven its PR skills with a new report claiming educational benefits that, on closer inspection, prove far less than advertised.

(8.11.02) Still Dimming Bright Beginnings
The fallout continues in Charlotte as advocates and critics of a highly touted preschool program debate whether it has made a difference in the performance of low-income students. We need more study, not a stalking horse for universal preschool.

(7.10.02) Not So Bright Beginnings
The political luster is starting to rub off on Charlotte's vaunted Bright Beginnings program, which has shown more limited improvements than Smart Start advocates would like to admit.

(5.13.02) Attempted Fraud in Preschool Program
Charlotte-Mecklenburg's Bright Beginnings program has been sold as an effective intervention for at-risk preschoolers. But what if test score gains later in school are due to special attention? That would perpetrate a fraud on taxpayers.