Public interest in and funding for public pre-K programs have significantly risen over the past few decades. In general, pre-K programs serve 4-year-olds the year before they enter kindergarten, and most are targeted toward at-risk children. However, some state and local governments have made public pre-K “universal,” meaning these programs are open to all 4-year-olds. Evaluations of universal pre-K programs in Tulsa (Okla.), Boston, Georgia, and Florida[i] have demonstrated that they increase early academic achievement and, sometimes, social and emotional skills. However, one big question about universal pre-K has not yet been fully answered: do the benefits of these programs outweigh their costs?[ii]
[For more of this story go to http://www.childtrends.org/is-...re-k-worth-the-cost/]
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