The first cohort of Pre-K 4 SA students had better attendance and received higher third-grade STAAR exam scores than students who were not enrolled in public prekindergarten, according to new data.
ThePre-K 4 SA community impact report compared third-grade students of similar backgrounds with and without early childhood education against former Pre-K 4 SA participants.
On average, the Pre-K 4 SA kids scored 3.8 percentage points higher in reading and 4.5 percentage points higher in math on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Also noted was a 31% decline in students needing special education services. The study indicates that Pre-K 4 SA’s early childhood education had the greatest impact on students from low-income families or who identified as limited English proficient. Of the now 2,000 students enrolled annually, most are from economically disadvantaged black and Hispanic families.
How is Pre-K 4 SA structured and funded? What is the curriculum like and how are special needs taken into consideration? In addition to test results and attendance, what are some other ways to measure the program's success?
Is there evidence that early childhood education could effectively be delivered through a public system? What is the future of Pre-K 4 SA?
Guests:
- Sarah Baray, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Pre-K 4 SA
- Mike Villarreal,Ph.D., director of the Urban Education Institute at UTSA
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Monday, August 26.
