State Pre-kindergarten
Forty-four states and the District of Columbia designate state funds for programs for four-year old children with a focus on learning in preparation for school. In several states, the pre-kindergarten program is a state supplement to Head Start. In some states, it is a combination of a state supplement to Head Start and other funds specifically for providing pre-kindergarten. Universally available pre-kindergarten for four-year old children, regardless of income or other criteria, is realized only in Georgia at this time. Click on the items below to find more resources.
Quick Facts about State Prekindergarten Programs
Policy Framework:
The National Prekindergarten Center (NPC) at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
NPC has developed a pre-K policy framework to help local, state, and federal leaders develop and implement high quality pre-K programs. The online tool provides: a selection of topics covering the components of high-quality pre-K programs; summaries of current pre-K research; examples of state programs with links to state pre-K websites; and bibliographies and web resources on each topic.
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~npc/framework/
Reports on State-funded Pre-kindergarten Programs:
National Institute for Early Education Research
The State of Preschool: 2003 State Preschool Yearbook provides information on state-funded prekindergarten programs and is the first in an annual series reporting on programs funded by state governments to educate children at ages 3 and 4. The State Preschool Yearbook describes state-funded prekindergarten programs in the 2001-2002 school year and establishes a baseline against which to compare future progress. Data were collected from a survey of the states and information is presented on three key characteristics of prekindergarten programs: access, quality standards, and resources.
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf
Seeds of Success: State Pre-kindergarten Initiatives 1998-1999 This report by the Children's Defense Fund examines state efforts to provide preschool services and outlines steps that states can take to improve their initiatives. Provides exhaustive state-by-state information on their pre-kindergarten efforts. Executive Summary online at
www.childrensdefense.org/pdf/seeds_of_success.pdf.
Education for All Young Children: The Role Of States and the Federal Government in Promoting Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten This paper by Anne W. Mitchell presents options for federal and state policymaking to create incentives for states and communities to make preschool education available to all young children. Foundation for Child Development, 2001. The paper is available online at http://www.fcd-us.org/uploaddocs/ecpc%20mitchell.pdf.
Education for Four-Year-Olds: State Initiatives This report looks at five states and how they managed a major shift in education policy by establishing state-funded pre-K programs Officials in Georgia, Illinois, New York, South Carolina and Texas were interviewed, and the report includes lessons learned and recommendations for states thinking about beginning or extending pre-K programs. National Center for Early Development and Learning, 2001. Available online at
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/PDFs/EdFours-tr.pdf. Additional resources can be found at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/PAGES/products.cfm.
Preschool for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society was released by the Committee for Economic Development (CED) in 2002. In this report, CED argues that all children should have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten classes, offered by a variety of providers, for all children whose parents want them to participate. In Preschool for All, CED calls for a new compact between the state and federal governments to make free, high-quality early education available and to help close the achievement gap. This strong federal and state partnership would expand access to high-quality learning opportunities and link providers and programs into coherent state-based education systems. To download this report and learn about the CED's activities in early childhood education, visit: www.ced.org/projects/prek.shtml.
Databases:
Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Prekindergarten Research in Progress database provides descriptions of ongoing or recently completed studies of state-funded prekindergarten programs, or studies that use state-funded prekindergarten programs as one of several settings for research. The database can be used as a resource for researchers, policy makers, and other interested parties.
http://prekrip.org.
Education Commission of the States (ECS) Pre-kindergarten Database. Users of this database can retrieve state profiles, state comparisons, and 50-state reports on state-funded pre-kindergarten programs. Issues covered in the database include: program descriptions, funding information, eligibility requirements, number of children served, hours of program operation, program standards (teacher qualifications, child:staff ratios, and group size), evaluations of state programs, state legislation on pre-kindergarten programs, and web site and contact information. The information for this database is compiled from several reports and other sources. The database can be accessed at this link: www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/27/24/2724.htm.
Public School Pre-K Programs: National Survey of States. This database was developed by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL). It contains the information the NCEDL collected through a survey on public school involvement in pre-kindergarten programs. It includes data for most states for 2000 and 2002 on a variety of issues reported by in state profiles. To access the database, visit this link:
www.fpg.unc.edu/%7Encedl/pre-kprograms/index.cfm
State Databank The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has a state database that has profiles of states and their pre-kindergarten programs. This database includes information about enrollment and standards, but also includes the latest news headlines about pre-kindergarten in the state and links to the agencies that administer the programs. To access the database, visit: http://nieer.org/states/
State Profiles on Pre-Kindergarten Standards and Accountability Systems were compiled by the State Preschool Accountability Research Collective (SPARC). This database includes profiles of 21 states and includes information about that covers the principle relationship between public education of preschool and school-age children, including their written policies and guidelines, standards, assessment systems, evaluations. The information is presented for pre-kindergarten, early childhood special education, and K-12 programs. To access the database, visit: www.ihdi.uky.edu/sparc/profiles.htm.
Multi-state Initiative:
The Trust for Early Education (TEE) advocates for high quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds. TEE works at both the state and national levels to educate policy makers, the media, and the general public about the potential that preschool offers to improve outcomes for America's young children. Through awarding project and planning grants, TEE is working with eight states on campaigns to build strong public will for universal pre-kindergarten programs. The states are: Arkansas, Illinois*, Massachusetts*, New Jersey*, New York*, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Wisconsin (* - received project grants). For more information, including a section of State Policy Resources, visit: www.trustforearlyed.org/index.aspx.
Ongoing Research:
National Pre-Kindergarten Study examines how state-funded pre-kindergarten programs are implemented throughout America. It will provide the first national data on the actual classroom-level status and needs of pre-kindergarten teachers, assistant teachers, and children. This study is currently being conducted by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=19
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