Science Paves the Way for
Bipartisan Policymaking
Washington State Legislators Find Common Ground
on Early Childhood Issues
By Marcy Ray
Abstract: In 2006, the input of scientists, economists, and private industry representatives inspired nearly unparalleled bipartisan support in Washington state for the formation of a Department of Early Learning. This new cabinet-level department consolidates three separate agencies, provides universal preschool for all children in Washington, and establishes a ground-breaking public-private partnership in support of early childhood development. The process by which policymakers garnered bipartisan support, one currently being replicated in nearly a dozen other states, is to use science to inform lawmakers in order to guide wise decision-making.
When an unexpected voice speaks up in a discussion, people pay attention. That’s what happened in Washington state when the latest brain science helped legislators enact policies that support healthy early childhood development. In 2006, the input of scientists, economists, and private industry representatives inspired nearly unparalleled bipartisan support for the formation of a Department of Early Learning, a new cabinet-level department formed in February, after Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill, HB2964.
By consolidating early developmental programs previously administered by three separate agencies under the new Department of Early Learning, the legislation reduces bureaucracy while providing universal preschool for all children in Washington. It also establishes a ground-breaking public-private partnership and places early childhood development squarely in the center of public attention. Although the legislation had languished for several years, deadlocked by political disagreement, several factors came together to forge consensus and make the new department a reality.
scientific link between early development and the number of kids not succeeding in our K-12 school system was
very clear.”
Breakthroughs in Science and Policy
Perhaps even more than ordinary citizens, legislators are constantly bombarded with information. Most of them lack the time to sort through mountains of evidence and opinion on every issue. In this case, however, the science came to the legislators. And the science overwhelmingly links early development—long before children reach school age—to later social and academic outcomes. In August 2005, the National Conference of State Legislators sponsored a seminar on “Breakthroughs in Early Learning: Advances in Science, Economics, and State Policy” in Seattle as a precursor to their annual meeting. Legislators from Washington and other states heard about the latest research on early child development from Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., chair of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, as well as Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Melzoff, researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. Shonkoff later presented the scientific research before the Senate Ways and Means Committee, after which the bill (previously rejected by the Senate) passed by a vote of 47-2.
The research demonstrates that children’s early experiences strongly influence their later learning and development. “The early years of life matter because early experiences affect the architecture of the maturing brain,” said Shonkoff. “As it emerges, the quality of that architecture establishes either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all the development and behavior that follow. Getting it right the first time is easier than trying to fix it later.”
Washington state Representative Ruth Kagi, one of the bill’s sponsors, was key in bringing scientists to the table. Reflecting on the impact of the seminar on later support for the bill, she commented, “The scientific link between early development and the number of kids not succeeding in our K-12 school system was very clear. Seeing that direct linkage has helped a lot of legislators get on board with developing birth-to-5 policy.”
The Economic Case for Early Investment
Brain science is not the only discipline calling attention to the necessity and wisdom of ensuring healthy early development. Also present at the “Breakthroughs in Early Learning Seminar” was Art Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Rolnick and other economists have become vocal proponents of early childhood intervention as a sound public investment strategy. Their own research, bolstered by the neuroscientific principle that early brain development is the foundation for later brain development, demonstrates that targeted early interventions for vulnerable children yield higher rates of return than other public investments. This also resonated with legislators, conscious of the budgetary bottom line. Terry Meersman is Executive Director of the Talaris Institute, a science-based non-profit focused on improving the lives of children, and also a partner in the newly-formed public-private partnership enacted as part of the Department of Early Learning legislation. He noted, “The science was one of the key drivers in creating support for the legislation. But another key driver for both parties was the value of investment. The combined message of the brain science and the investment value of early development appealed to people and brought a lot of unexpected partners to the table.”
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