Source: Education Week
The 18 states that received federal Preschool Development Grants have collectively worked to increase the number of high-quality slots available for children from low- and moderate-income families. The grants have provided about $250 million a year over four years to the states. States have used the money in a variety of areas, including increasing program length from half-day to full-day; limiting class size and decreasing staff-child ratios; providing teacher coaching, and adding comprehensive services to programs. The progress report said that an additional 49,000 children benefitted from those quality initiatives. Of those improved slots, about 29,000 were also completely new, meaning those children had access to pre-K who didn’t have it before.