Today, more than 800 state-funded prekindergarten programs provide high-quality education to 25 percent of Alabama’s youngest students. Once considered little more than taxpayer-funded day care programs, pre-K has garnered bipartisan support over the years.

Much of this support stems from the fact that the programs work.

According to the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education’s website, children who attend a high-quality pre-K program are less likely to repeat a grade or end up in prison. They are also more likely to score higher on achievement tests, graduate high school, attend college and earn higher salaries as adults.

The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education’s Office of School Readiness administers the First Class grants that fund local preschool programs. The OSR also provides guidelines for pre-K administrators and teachers to ensure academic, social, physical and emotional goals are being met in the classroom.

Julia Wall, OSR director of Limestone County’s pre-K program, said they started their first preschool in 2005 at Johnson Elementary. Since then, they have grown to six classes.

Wall said they hope to add two more preschool classrooms during the 2018-19 school year — one at Creekside Primary and the other at Sugar Creek Elementary.

Tuition for county pre-K programs is based on a sliding scale and ranges from $40 to $300 per month. The cost is significantly less than private day care, which can cost upwards of $500 per month.

However, Wall said the preschool’s educational and social benefits is what truly sets it apart from other options.

High marks

“The program is designed to prepare children for school better than a private program,” she said. “We follow data into the second and third grades based on students’ DIBELS scores.”

DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and is a test that screens essential skills that indicate how well a child will read in the future.

“The students who have gone through our preschool program score better on these tests as compared to those who have not had the opportunity to attend a pre-K class,” she said.

For the 11th straight year, the National Institute for Early Education Research has given Alabama’s pre-K program high marks for its quality. The Rutgers University-based NIEER used benchmarks like comprehensive early learning and development standards, bachelor’s degree requirements for preschool teachers, specialized training for teachers, class size, health screenings and visits for classrooms observations to assess Alabama’s preschool programs.

Both the county and city’s preschool programs are meeting these benchmarks. Vision, hearing and dental screenings are provided for children on a regular basis. Teachers have access to an OSR coach at least once a month.

Classroom sizes are limited to 18 students, and lead teachers must possess a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

Beth Patton, director of School Operations and OSR director of Athens City Schools’ two pre-K programs, said kids that go through the city’s preschools are “more prepared than ever.”

“Before we had these programs, we would spend weeks trying to acclimate kids during their first year of kindergarten,” Patton said.

“They are more academically prepared,” she said. “Our kindergarten and first-grade teachers would confirm that. Teachers don’t have to spend so much time teaching concepts that kids should already be familiar with.”

Finding funding

The city introduced state-funded preschool to the community in 2015. They added a second preschool class last year.

Patton is in the process of securing a grant that would allow for the establishment of a third preschool class during the 2018-19 school year. So far, tuition at city preschools is free.

Placement in all state-funded pre-K programs is based on a lottery system, which leaves many kids on a waiting list.

“When we do the lottery and I call out the name of the kids, it is a great joy to see the reaction of their parents,” Wall said. “At the same time, it is so sad to see the reaction of those who don’t get in.”

“The more programs we can provide, the better,” Patton added.

Although the programs are primarily funded by state-provided grants, local school systems must match funds up to 25 percent.

“This could potentially limit how many preschool programs we have,” Patton said. “But overall, we have had great support from our district and the community as a whole.”

Although pre-K programs are generally located in poverty-prone areas, the programs are open to all children, regardless of income.

The Alabama Legislature increased 2017-2018 funding for the state’s pre-K programs by $13 million to $77.5 million. Both Patton and Wall hope the multimillion-dollar funding increase will mean new preschool classes for area children.