NPR – Rob Manning
“Dude and Roy Rabedeau are in their element running on the playground – their long blonde hair flying behind them. Roy, 5, goes to preschool at Earl Boyles Elementary – on Portland’s working-class eastern edge, but his 8-year-old brother started at the same school before there was a preschool. “In my opinion, it’s pretty clear that Dude didn’t have that preschool experience – partially because of his social skills, and partially because of his interest in learning,” says the boys’ mother, Debra Rabedeau. “Roy is a social guy. At the same time, he’s very independent, and he’s very interested in learning. I think there’s a difference there for sure.” Oregon has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country — just shy of 69 percent in 2013. The number has nudged up in recent years, but advocates say to make big improvements, Oregon has to start young.”(more)