The U.S. Department of Education released a report recently detailing the unmet need across the country for high-quality preschool programs.
According to the report, “A Matter of Equity: Preschool in America,” of the approximately 4 million 4-year-olds in the United States, about 60 percent — or nearly 2.5 million — are not enrolled in publicly funded preschool programs, including state preschool programs, Head Start and programs serving children with disabilities. Even fewer are enrolled in the highest-quality programs. In Colorado, 66 percent of 4-year-olds are not enrolled.
The report highlights the need for an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that expands access to high-quality early learning opportunities and makes the law preschool through 12th grade, rather than K-12. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discussed the report during a visit to Martin Luther King Jr. Early Childhood Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
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