NC Judge Rules for First Time in U.S. that Early Education Vital to Right to Sound Basic Education

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, Jr. has issued another groundbreaking ruling in the long-running Leandro lawsuit by acknowledging the pivotal role early education plays in allowing at-risk children to avail themselves of their right to sound basic education.

“The bottom line is that Smart Start and the MAF program-now NCPK (prekindergarten) under the present law, are intertwined in terms of administration, funding support and the continuity of early childhood services which Smart Start provides to the little children beginning at birth through age 5. Put another way, each at-risk child under age 4 that is receiving services from Smart Start will be better prepared, physically and developmentally, to benefit from NCPK’s educationally based prekindergarten programs when they arrive at age 4.”
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning , Jr.

“. . . the State, using the combination of Smart Start and the More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Programs, have indeed selected pre-kindergarten combined with the early childhood benefits of Smart Start and its infrastructure with respect to pre-kindergarten programs, as the means to ‘achieve constitutional compliance’ for at-risk prospective enrollees.”
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning , Jr.

Statement by Dr. Olson Huff, Board Chair of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.
“Today is truly extraordinary. For the first time ever, a United States court has said that a child’s ability to access his or her right to obtain a sound basic education begins at birth. Once again, North Carolina makes early learning history.

The court’s position reflects decades of scientific research that demonstrates that the brain is hard-wired for learning in the first five years of life. Waiting until children enter kindergarten, or even pre-kindergarten is too late.

We know investing from birth works. Judge Manning cited the 2011 research from Duke University that showed that North Carolina third-graders have higher standardized reading and math scores and lower special education placement rates in counties that received more funding for Smart Start and More at Four when those children were younger.

The ruling also articulates what those involved in the system have always known. Just as local education agencies are the system for delivering K-12 educational services, Smart Start is the system for delivering early learning educational services.”

Download Judge Manning’s Ruling.

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