Education
Education

Georgia’s pre-K program works, study says

170816 TAYLOR, TEXAS: Renee Long accompanies her son Jakevin Brown, 4, to his pre-k classroom on Wednesday, the first day of classes at T.H. Johnson Elementary School in Taylor. T.H. Johnson Elementary School, with approximately 375 students, is for pre-k and kindergarten students in Taylor. Andy Sharp / For the American-Statesman.

Credit: Andy Sharp

Credit: Andy Sharp

170816 TAYLOR, TEXAS: Renee Long accompanies her son Jakevin Brown, 4, to his pre-k classroom on Wednesday, the first day of classes at T.H. Johnson Elementary School in Taylor. T.H. Johnson Elementary School, with approximately 375 students, is for pre-k and kindergarten students in Taylor. Andy Sharp / For the American-Statesman.
By Ty Tagami
Aug 23, 2017

A new study finds that Georgia’s pre-K program is effective.

The multi-year study by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill was commissioned by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning -- the agency that runs the pre-k program -- at the request of the Georgia General Assembly.

“Children exhibited significant growth during their pre-k year across all domains of  learning, including language and literacy skills, math skills, general knowledge, and

behavioral skills,” the authors concluded.

Spanish speakers -- the largest language-based student subgroup in the state -- showed gains, as well.

The lottery-based program serves about 60 percent of 4-year-old children.

>> LEARN MORE: See the research here.

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About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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