This commentary is part of a series of articles prepared by Voices of Educators, a nonprofit coalition designed to foster debate and public-policy change within Hawai'i's public education system, in partnership with The Honolulu Advertiser. It appears in Focus on the first Sunday of the month.

Voices of Educators is comprised of some of Hawai'i's top education experts, including: Liz Chun, executive director of Good Beginnings Alliance; Patricia Hamamoto, superintendent of the Department of Education; Donald B. Young of the College of Education, University of Hawai'i; Joan Lee Husted and Roger Takabayashi, of the Hawaii State Teachers Association; Sharon Mahoe, of the Hawai'i Teacher Standards Board; Alvin Nagasako, of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association; and Robert Witt, of the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools. Visit their Web site at www.hawaii.edu/voice.

A recent article ("More States Offer Preschool" March 15, 2007), by Nancy Zuckerbrod of the Associated Press, reviewed efforts by states throughout the country to expand preschool opportunities based upon research indicating the importance of getting children "ready to learn."

According to a report by the National Institute for Early Education Research, across the nation, state spending (exclusive of federal or local sources) for pre-K has increased from $2.8 billion to $3.3 billion since 2005. Given the school success research and the fiscal benefits for communities attributed to an early start, this news is encouraging. Yet, there is also the question of the quality and type of services needed and offered. Access to preschool is not enough. Also needed is a guarantee that the experiences of children will be quality ones which meet the needs of families.

Is Hawai'i part of this national trend? If so, where does our state fit in the search for quality early learning experiences for its keiki?

There is good news: This past year, two significant initiatives indicate the importance policymakers place on early childhood learning and its impact on school success. The governor authorized an early childhood initiative which provided for the spending of designated Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to expand services to children by providing financial assistance to "gap-group" families, monetary incentives to schools adopting preschool standards, and incentives for providers to attend training.

At the same time in the Legislature, Education Committee chairmen Sen. Norman Sakamoto and Reps. Roy Takumi and Lyla Berg spearheaded Act 259, which created an Early Learning Educational Task Force to "develop a five-year plan with annual increments for a coherent, comprehensive and sustainable early learning system that shall ensure a continuum of quality early learning opportunities for young children in the state from birth up to age 5, and which maximizes public and private resources." Both are foundational elements for ongoing planning.

The 2006 Hawaii State School Readiness Assessment data indicate that only 61 percent of children entering state Department of Education kindergartens have had prior preschool experience. This is only slightly higher than figures reported 13 years earlier in a Preschool Open Doors evaluation. What this indicates is that today, 39 percent of entering students are at risk, simply based upon lack of access to preschool without even considering other factors that might impact school success. The task force is seeking to increase access to quality early learning experiences before kindergarten entry from an equity viewpoint and a school readiness perspective.

The task force is sensitive to the fact that needs vary among families as well as among regions of our state, rural and urban areas, and individual island communities. We also recognize that two out of every three young children have parents who work outside the home, making formal care increasingly necessary for a child's health and development.

Given these factors, the task force has determined that families need options for services. Our recommendations and proposals will be looking at a spectrum of service types needing support: center-based programs, family child interaction programs, family childcare, etc. It is expected that some families will take advantage of a variety of types of services dependent upon circumstances and the stage of a child's development, while some families may choose to arrange schedules so that they can attend programs with their children.

As the Task Force grapples with families' varied needs, its Program and Workforce Committee will design the program components of an early learning system. Annual increments will be identified, beginning with an implementation plan to service all 4-year-olds and adding younger ages in subsequent years. At present, there are clear capacity needs. First of all, if we only considered the spaces available in center-based programs, we could accommodate no more than half of the 4-year-olds. Secondly, if services for 4-year-olds are to be expanded, many additional teachers will be needed to staff high-quality programs. Best estimates are that twice the number of current early childhood teachers will be needed.

Finally, if quality is to be achieved, then standards of performance, limited group size and developmentally appropriate programs will need to be instituted. The latter all require teacher education programs and incentives to invest in professional development and procedures for enhancing and monitoring quality.

All of the elements listed above require funding, and we all know that quality costs. The first step is to build upon resources already in place; this is part of the work of the Interdepartmental Resources Committee of the Task Force. We have an advantage in Hawai'i because we are already accustomed to a mixed provider base from both the public and private sectors.

This partnership gives us the opportunity to meet the diverse needs of parents/families in a variety of settings which should encourage families to make a choice to enroll their children in the best setting for them. With public and private service providers, we also expand funding possibilities beyond state and federal dollars to include support from the foundations, businesses and other philanthropic organizations in the private sector.

Significant funding will prove critical to elevate the quality of teachers, programs and settings in which early learning occurs. Additionally, ongoing support will be needed to ensure quality is maintained. Funding will be needed to acknowledge professional levels of performance by providers and to subsidize families who find quality settings unaffordable. Both are essential if our young children are to be guaranteed that they will have high quality early learning opportunities.

Many of the pieces for a high-quality early learning system are in place in Hawai'i. There is strong public school and private school support for the task force work, as well as broad understanding within the business and professional community for the benefits that result from quality early childhood education. Our governor and key legislators champion early education opportunities, recognizing the connection to school success and ultimately contributions in the work force. The momentum for establishing a quality, comprehensive early learning system exists.

As we move forward to increase access, Hawai'i's plan must ensure quality and address the unique needs of our Island communities. What is required is thoughtful planning, which includes finalizing data about what exists, establishing community needs, determining the gaps in resources and creating a plan which incorporates what exists and delineates what is yet needed.

Robert Peters is headmaster of Hanahau'oli School and co-chairman of the Act 259 Early Learning Educational Task Force. Liz Chun is executive director of Good Beginnings Alliance.