Pre-Kindergarten in the South

This report indicates that several States have become the nation’s leaders in high-quality pre-K. Nineteen percent of children (aged 3–4 years) in the South are in state-funded pre-K, more than double the rate in non-southern States. Two-thirds of the States with the highest standards for pre-K quality are in the South. All nine of the States that require full-day pre-K programs are also in the South. Prekindergarten is the South’s most important comparative advantage in education and a significant, efficient economic investment for the future. Research shows that high-quality, state-supported pre-K across the South is helping all children, especially low-income, African American, and Latino children, prepare for school. The South’s continued leadership in pre-K is an essential strategy in closing the gap between the South and the nation in educational attainment, personal income, and quality of life.