News Brief

02/20/13

State Seeks to Upgrade Preschool Programs

Monroe News Star (LA) (02/10/13) Hasten, MikeIn Louisiana, the departments of Education, Children and Family Services, and Health and Hospitals are working to establish a statewide network of preschool providers to ensure children are prepared for kindergarten. The departments are looking for communities to take part in pilot programs to boost preschool and day care educational quality. The Department of Education says the program's goals include creating an outcome-based rating system with letter grades, with rewards for high-performing programs and interventions for under-performing ones; implementing performance- and demand-based funding and giving all parents access to higher-quality programs; helping parents make informed decisions by giving them easy-to-understand information; and offering resources and support to boost care and instructional quality. According to State Education Superintendent John White, "This pilot program is an important first step towards setting high standards for our youngest learners and ensuring that all of Louisiana's students have a solid educational foundation by empowering and supporting those closest to them, educators and parents. State policymakers made a vital commitment to the success of our children, and this pilot builds on the collaboration of communities across the state to make their commitment a reality." White says partnerships to improve early childhood education should be forged among school districts, child care providers, and Head Start programs. To participate in the pilot programs, preschool providers must create plans to serve all eligible four-year-olds, identify all children in the community in the infant-to-five age segment who attend or need publicly funded child care, implement the new Birth to Five Early Learning and Development Standards, take part in program and child assessments, receive a quality rating and share results, and create and implement a unified application process for all programs.

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