Dec 11, 2017
Early childhood education plays a major role in boosting student performance, confirms the latest report from Alabama’s nonpartisan education advocacy group. Despite significant gains in pre-K enrollment, poor school funding and student performance in math and reading continue to hold back students.
With the special US Senate election in Alabama stealing the limelight from critical issues facing the state, nonpartisan education advocacy group VOICES for Alabama is highlighting the strides in early childhood education being made with the state’s First Class Pre-K program.
The state’s much-needed Pre-K program has seen a 400% increase in enrollment of 4-year-olds since its introduction in 2008, according to VOICES for Alabama’s latest Kids Count report. The report also points to lower student retention rates in early years and an 89% high school graduation rate statewide that has held steady two years in a row.
However, there’s still way more progress to be made, says VOICES for Alabama director Rhonda Mann: the Pre-K program currently reaches only 28% of the state’s 4-year-olds, and Alabama students’ reading and math performance ranks among the nation’s lowest. Mann says the problem is compounded by poor state funding for public education: an issue that continues to dog early childhood education programs nationwide.
When it comes to giving students an early leg up academically, can tutors help fill in the gap?
banner image from Allison Carter, TimesDaily http://www.timesdaily.com/news/education/kids-count-report-shows-early-childhood-education-impacts-later-school/article_6aadea36-7098-548a-b3c8-9a8f00a8bff7.html
Kids Count report shows early childhood education impacts later school years http://www.timesdaily.com/news/education/kids-count-report-shows-early-childhood-education-impacts-later-school/article_6aadea36-7098-548a-b3c8-9a8f00a8bff7.html
