Alabama pre-kindergarten system honored
For the 12th straight year, Alabama's First Class Pre-K program has been named one of the highest quality state-funded pre-kindergarten programs in the nation.
The designation comes from the National Institute for Early Education Research in its 2017 State of Preschool Yearbook, which was released Wednesday.
This year, the institute introduced major revisions to its research-based quality benchmarks, including requirements for early learning and development standards that are culturally sensitive, supported, and aligned with other state standards and child assessments along with professional development and coaching for lead and assistant teachers and a continuous quality improvement system.
Alabama was one of just three states to meet all 10 of the new quality standards benchmarks used to determine program quality while increasing enrollment in First Class Pre-K by more than 2,700 children in 2016-17, with help from a federal Preschool Development Grant.
"As Alabama continues to expand access to high-quality, voluntary pre-k for four-year-olds, the department is committed to ensuring the highest quality early learning experiences -- without compromise," said Jeana Ross, secretary of early childhood education, in a news release announcing the National Institute for Early Education Research report's findings.
Released every year since 2003, institute's State of Preschool Yearbook is the only national report on state-funded pre-k programs with detailed information on enrollment, funding, teacher qualifications and quality-related policies.
Alabama's First Class Pre-K program is managed by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, which is a part of the executive department of state government and was established to enable the governor to effectively and efficiently coordinate early learning programs throughout the state.
This department administers the First Class Pre-K program through competitive grants awarded annually. Classrooms are located in public and private schools, child care centers, faith-based centers, Head Start programs and other community-based preschool settings.
"The most important part of a child's learning journey is a solid educational foundation," Gov. Kay Ivey said in the news release.
This year's State of Preschool Yearbook looks at pre-kindergarten programs operating during the 2016-17 school year. That year, at least 14,032 four-year-olds were enrolled in a First Class Pre-K classroom in Alabama.
The Alabama Legislature increased the 2019 budget for this program to $96 million, which will fund an additional 100 classrooms while allowing the Department of Early Childhood Education to ensure teacher pay parity with K-12 public school educators.