Pre-K Post Newsletter

Pre-K Post Newsletter

Inside this issue

• New Alabama First Class Pre-K results show a strong return on investment
• Lawmakers visit First Class Pre-K classrooms
• Register now for VOICES for Alabama's Children's March 16 advocacy day and rally


	Pre-K in the News Opelika-Auburn News: Lee County Schools to apply for four new Pre-K grants, officials seek increased funding WLTZ: Local & State Leaders Visit "First Class Pre-K Program," Hope to Expand in Lee County WBRL: Possible expansion of First Class Pre-K on the horizon Decatur Daily: Pre-K has support, but Bentley's $20M funding request a heavy lift Southeast Sun: ZC Pre-K program, teachers named during State of State address Madison Record: Alabama Speaker McCutcheon visits Pre-K center Times Daily: Pre-k program worth expanding Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa schools look to benefit from pre-K expansion program WHNT: ASRA asks Lawmakers for 20 Million Dollars to expand Pre-K Programs


	About ASRA The Alabama School Readiness Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy campaign to expand access to high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten to all four-year-olds statewide.


	The Alabama School Readiness Alliance is a joint campaign of:

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	New Alabama First Class Pre-K results show a strong return on investment
	You might be familiar with the 2012 study by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama that analyzed student achievement through the 6th grade and found that alumni of the state's First Class Pre-K program consistently outperformed their peers in reading and math on state assessments. This month, new data was released that further documents the impact of Alabama's First Class Pre-K program, showing a strong return on investment as early as elementary school. The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education published issue briefs showing that First Class Pre-K is closing the school readiness gap and that low-income graduates of the program are less likely than their peers to be chronically absent or repeat a grade in elementary school. These findings are significant because both chronic absenteeism and grade retention are strongly correlated with dropping out of high school. The new research was conducted for the Department by the UAB School of Public Health, the UAB School of Education and PARCA. Click here to view a new slide show from the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education that reviews the growth of First Class Pre-K and the program's impact on kindergarten readiness, grade retention, reading and math proficiency and attendance, as well as case studies from Wilcox County, Madison County and Selma. SaveSave
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	Lawmakers visit First Class Pre-K classrooms
	Just days before the 2017 Alabama State Legislative Session convened earlier this month, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Mac McCutcheon and State Senator Bill Holtzclaw visited the Madison City Schools First Class Pre-K Center to learn what a $20 million expansion would mean for the First Class Pre-K program statewide. ASRA's business-led Pre-K Task Force has called on state leaders to increase funding for Alabama's First Class Pre-K program by $20 million in Fiscal Year 2018. If appropriated, the $20 million increase would bring the total amount of funding for the state's high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten program from $64.5 million to $84.5 million. "Expanding Alabama's First Class Pre-K program has been a priority for lawmakers over the last couple of years," said Alabama Speaker Mac McCutcheon. "Lawmakers understand that the more prepared a child is on the first day of kindergarten to learn, the more likely that child will be to succeed in school. The state's commitment to the program is an important investment in Alabama's future." A few weeks later, State Senator Tom Whatley and State Representative Joe Lovvorn paid a visit to the First Class Pre-K classrooms at Beauregard Elementary in Lee County. Lee Vanoy from the Office of Congressman Mike Rogers also attended to see the impact of Alabama's federal Preschool Development Grant, which supplements state investments in First Class Pre-K. "Alabama's voluntary First Class Pre-K program is number one in the nation for quality," said Alabama State Senator Tom Whatley (SD-27). "Children who are lucky enough to participate in the program are doing better than their peers in reading and math. Unfortunately, too few kids in Lee County and across the state are currently able to participate because of a lack of funding. Over the last couple of years, the legislature has prioritized expansion of this program, and we will hopefully be able to do so again this year." Click here to encourage your lawmakers to support the $20 million proposed increase for First Class Pre-K, which would help add 160 more classrooms serving an additional 2,880 four-year-olds in the upcoming school year.
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	Register now for VOICES for Alabama's Children's March 16 advocacy day and rally
	Registration is open now for the VOICES for Alabama's Children 4th Annual Child Advocacy Day and KIDS COUNT Rally, March 16, in Montgomery! Register separately for the advocacy day and rally to help our partners promote pre-k and other important children's programs and policies.
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