Quality Pre-kindergarten
High‐quality preschool programs can help close the achievement gap
he education gap between low-income and middle-income children starts before a child even sets foot in a kindergarten classroom. High‐quality preschool programs can help address this gap..
The problem is many low‐income children who would benefit most from pre‐k learning often lack access to quality preschool providers.
It’s about quality and access to pre-k programs, so we recommend:
- All public schools, charter schools, and community‐based childcare facilities that provide pre-k learning programs be held to the same high-quality standards;
- All programs need to receive adequate public funding to meet those standards;
- Measurements are in place in place that ensure quality, such as class sizes and teacher qualifications, as well as appropriate indicators of effective instructional practices;
- A community should have a common definition for what proper kindergarten readiness looks like, and pre-k schools should work to ensure children are being taught accordingly; and
- Additionally, school districts should have strong pre-k to 3rd grade plans that make pre‐k the starting point for placing children on track to succeed by the 3rd grade.
