About Universal Preschool Programs
Abbott v. Burke "may be the most significant education case since the Supreme Court's desegregation ruling nearly 50 years ago." New York Times, February 2002
Universal Preschool is "one of the most remarkable and successful efforts by any court in the nation to cut an educational break for kids from poor families and generally minority-dominated urban neighborhoods." New Jersey Lawyer, October 2001
The Education Law Center represents the plaintiff-class of over 300,000 school-age children
and 54,000 preschoolers in the Abbott v. Burke case. These students and youngsters attend
public school and preschool in 30 urban communities across New Jersey.
In a series of landmark rulings in the Abbott case, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ordered
the most comprehensive set of programs and reforms for the education of disadvantaged
students anywhere in the nation.
The Universal Preschool legal framework includes:
- Standards-based education driven by State Core Curriculum Standards and supported by per-pupil funding equal to spending in successful suburban schools.
- Education program comparability with suburban schools to emulate their "recipe for success"
- Required and needed supplemental ("at-risk") programs to "wipe-out" student disadvantages, including well-planned, high quality preschool education for all three-and four- year olds
- Comprehensive educational improvement to deliver the Abbott programs and reforms at the school site
- New and rehabilitated facilities to adequately house all programs, relieve overcrowding, and eliminate health and safety violations
- State assurance of adequate funding and effective and timely implementation in districts and schools.
...The goal is to close the achievement gap between urban students and their suburban peers.
The Universal Preschools Initiative:
As the legal representative of school children, the Education Law Center must advocate for improvements
in student achievement by holding the State, Districts and Schools accountable for effective implementation
of the Abbott programs and reforms. In 1998, Education Law Center established the Abbott Schools Initiative
(ASI) to undertake this work.
The ASI:
- Provides information, technical assistance and training to teachers, school management teams, parents and community organizations
- Conducts research to closely track implementation
- Facilitates and supports statewide and local coalitions to promote full implementation of the Abbott educational improvement, school construction and preschool programs
- Advocates for improvements in State implementation
- Represents students, parents and school management teams to ensure district and school compliance
ASI is led by Steve Block, Director of School Reform Initiatives, and includes research and advocacy staff working as a team on a set of priority projects
All HOPES CAP services are free
For more information about HOPES CAP Early Childhood Services, please contact:
HOPES CAP, Inc.
301 Garden Street
Hoboken, New Jersey 07030
Phone: (201) 795-1576
E-Mail: info@hopes.org
Monday through Friday,
9 AM until 5 PM
