State-funded Pre-kindergarten Initiatives

This report discusses the status of State prekindergarten initiatives, outlines major issues, examines research on existing programs, and provides links to State prekindergarten initiatives. An impetus behind the State-funded prekindergarten movement is the belief that providing high-quality preschool services to children will increase the number of students who come to school ready to learn. Preschool programs can improve school readiness and have positive long-term outcomes for at-risk children. These outcomes include lower rates of special education placement, grade retention, dropping out of school, and criminal behavior in later years. Major issues that affect the implementation and expansion of State-funded prekindergarten programs include: (1) financial, (2) teacher quality, (3) standards, (4) curriculum, and (5) collaboration. State-funded prekindergarten is expanding in terms of the number of States involved, number of children reached, and amount of funding provided. Web resources along with results from an ERIC database search through December 2003 are included.