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The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas

The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas. Mandi Kimball, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs. Project overview. Background. $ 5.4 billion cut to education funding in 2011 Discretionary grant funds for pre-k lost $200 million.

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The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas

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  1. The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas Mandi Kimball, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs

  2. Project overview

  3. Background • $5.4 billion cut to education funding in 2011 • Discretionary grant funds for pre-k lost $200 million. • In response, C@R conducted a study on the impact of the school budget cuts

  4. School Budget Study • C@R sent survey to every district in Texas and conducted qualitative interviews in select districts • Over 400 school districts participated, representing 65% of the student population in the state • Many survey respondents reported a decrease in pre-kindergarten program offerings

  5. Current Study • With the support of the Meadows Foundation and TEGAC, C@R has begun The State of Pre-K: Realities and Opportunities in Texas • A mixed-methods study to assess the current state of public Texas pre-kindergarten programs and make recommendations for increasing pre-kindergarten programs statewide

  6. Objective #1 • Address the lack of data surrounding Texas Pre-K programs • What do we know about Texas Pre-K programs? • Which districts offer at least a half-day program • How many students in each district are enrolled in Pre-K • What isn’t tracked? • How many and which districts offer a full-day program • Which student populations are served by these programs • Data on class sizes and student teacher ratios

  7. Objective #2 • Provide a better picture of the state of pre-kindergarten programs in Texas • Access • Funding • Class sizes and teacher ratios

  8. Objective #3 • Provide practical policy recommendations for increasing access to pre-kindergarten across the state

  9. Survey Research • Survey has been sent to every district in the state, addressing: • Half-day vs. full-day programs • Populations served • Funding models • Class sizes and ratios • Challenges faced

  10. Qualitative Research • Select sample of 5-10 districts to further evaluate • Districts that are offering Pre-k above and beyond mandates using innovative funding models that could be replicated • Qualitative research and interviews with district representatives on policies, strategies, funding sources, partnerships, etc. in these districts • Outline case studies for these model districts

  11. Additional Policy Research • Research state-level Pre-k policy in Texas and other states • Policies in other states that promote Pre-k • In-depth summary of current Texas policies and statutes

  12. Final Report • Using the information collected in each phase of this study, C@R will produce a report to disseminate to districts and policy makers • Outline the current state of pre-kindergarten in Texas • Serve as a toolkit for Texas districts to increase access to pre-kindergarten • Provide policy recommendations for Texas legislators to promote pre-kindergarten access during the 84th Legislative Session

  13. Project update

  14. Survey Update • Approximately 44% of 1,108 school districts have responded to date • Over 55% of the total student population in the state is represented by the responses • Follow up will continue for the next two weeks to increase response rate • Our partners at TEA and the Texas Legislature will be sending out emails to their district contacts

  15. Preliminary Results • Roughly 50% of districts report providing a full-day pre-k program • 38% provide half-day • 4% provide both • 4% don’t provide pre-k

  16. Preliminary Results • 55% of districts have a policy to cap pre-k class sizes • 29% of districts report wanting to expand half-day to full-day with additional funding from the legislature

  17. Policy Update • In contact with the Legislative Budget Board, Texas Education Agency, and other key stakeholders • Conducted in-depth research of Texas policies and statutes • Transitioning to the nationwide policy scan • Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, West Virginia

  18. Next Steps • Closing the survey and analyzing final set of responses • Selecting districts for case studies and conducting qualitative interviews • Capitol events: May and September

  19. Questions? Mandi Kimball Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs mkimball@childrenatrisk.org

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