Improving Early Childhood Education

Quality Early Learning Yields Impressive Results

Broad Acres Elementary School (Montgomery County Schools, Maryland) faced the threat of state takeover in 2000. That year, only 11.8% of its third graders scored proficient on state reading tests and only 5.3% achieved proficiency in math.

In 2009, more than 60% of Broad Acres’ third graders were proficient in reading and math.

What changed?

The school adopted a new approach that focuses on early learning, including pre-kindergarten, and promotes strong alignment between pre-kindergarten and each of the primary grades.

Source: New America Foundation

View interview with Dr. Jerry Weast, Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools
(7 minutes)

A number of programs focus on ensuring that Mississippi children develop the skills they need for success in school.

Mississippi Programs:

Barksdale Reading Institute

Excel by 5

Mississippi Building Blocks

Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System

Mississippi Child Care Resource & Referral System

Mississippi Child Care Collaborative Grant

SPARK

Federal Programs:

Head Start

Pre-k in Public Schools:

A number of Mississippi’s public school districts offer pre-kindergarten classes for 4-year-old children. These are funded primarily with federal Title I dollars, though legislation passed in the 2009 Legislative Session allows districts to use any available funds for these voluntary programs.

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