Mississippi
Report recognizes Mississippi as one of top 5 states for high-quality pre-K – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper
JACKSON — The Nationwide Institute for Early Training Analysis (NIEER) acknowledged Mississippi in its newest report on pre-Ok high quality as one among solely 5 states whose state-funded pre-Ok program meets all 10 high quality requirements for early childhood training.
The newest rating is revealed within the NIEER report, The State of Preschool 2021. The annual survey offers an in-depth take a look at state-funded training for 3- and 4- year-olds nationally and in every state with a deal with enrollment, spending and 10 insurance policies that help high quality training.
NIEER evaluated Mississippi’s Early Studying Collaborative (ELC) packages, that are partnerships amongst college districts, Head Begin businesses, childcare facilities and non-profit organizations. This system has grown from 11 collaboratives serving 1,700 kids in 2014 to 30 collaboratives that may serve 6,000 kids in 2022-23.
Due to the standard of the Early Studying Collaboratives, Mississippi has persistently been one among solely a number of states assembly all NIEER requirements.
The Mississippi Legislature handed the Early Studying Collaborative Act in 2013, which offered $3 million to ascertain a restricted variety of collaboratives in underserved areas all through the state. Funding elevated in subsequent years based mostly on this system’s fast success reaching $8 million by 2020-21 and doubled to $16 million in 2021-22.
The Mississippi State Board of Training has made rising entry to high-quality early childhood training one among its high priorities. The Mississippi Division of Training has partnered with the W.Ok. Kellogg Basis to construct the state’s early childhood training infrastructure by way of teaching {and professional} growth and by offering steering and help to highschool districts. State funds now help these efforts.
“The standard of Mississippi’s Early Studying Collaborative program has made our state a nationwide chief for early childhood training,” mentioned Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of training for Mississippi. “Analysis persistently reveals that high-quality early childhood training has a long-term impression on scholar achievement. Youngsters who take part in high-quality pre-Ok packages obtain larger ranges of college readiness, studying proficiency by third grade and better commencement charges.”
The proportion of Mississippi 4-year-olds enrolled in Early Studying Collaboratives rose from 3% in 2016-17 to 7% in 2020-21. When mixed with Head Begin (27%) and particular training pre-Ok packages (3%), roughly 37% of Mississippi 4-year-olds attended public early childhood education schemes in 2020-21. COVID-19 disruptions brought on 337 fewer kids to enroll in collaboratives in 2020-21 in comparison with 2019-20.
“The pandemic has made it even clearer that such preschool packages are important for younger kids and their households,” mentioned W. Steven Barnett, Ph.D., NIEER’s founder and senior co-director. “Mississippi is transferring in the proper course, doubling the state funding in preschool to allow extra kids to attend this system within the coming years.”
Mississippi’s nationwide rating for pre-Ok improved since final yr from 39th to 38th for entry and 42nd to 39th in state spending per youngster.
Learn the State of Preschool Report 2020 at NIEER.org.