DEPARTMENT: Pre-K 4 SA
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Sarah Baray, Ph.D.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Pre-K 4 SA and Head Start program overview
SUMMARY:
Pre-K 4 SA and Head Start will present an overview of each early learning program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio makes a significant investment in early childhood education. Research indicates the community can expect long-term benefits from this investment, including higher educational attainment, increased income levels, better health outcomes, and a stronger workforce. Economic calculations demonstrate that high quality early childhood education yields a 7% to 10% return on investment through reduced costs for remedial education, justice system expenditures, and healthcare.
The City of San Antonio offers two early childhood programs, Pre-K 4 SA and Head Start. Pre-K 4 SA is a comprehensive high-quality early learning initiative aimed at changing the education and workforce trajectory of San Antonio in one generation. Pre-K 4 SA has four program components designed to improve the quality of early childhood education throughout San Antonio: 1) four model Education Centers; 2) family outreach and engagement; 3) free, best-in-class professional development; and 4) competitive grants. Pre-K 4 SA operates in partnership with eight independent school districts.
Each year the four Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers offer full-day prekindergarten to 2,000 of San Antonio’s four-year-olds. The school day begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Extended hours are available at no additional charge from 7:15 to 8 a.m., and from 3 to 6 p.m. for working families. Breakfast, lunch and two snacks are included and free transportation is available to all students. Pre-K 4 SA is free for students meeting one of seven factors associated with high risk of school failure. Pre-K 4 SA offers a sliding scale tuition option for non-qualifying students. Qualifying students from partner districts are dually enrolled in the school district and Pre-K 4 SA allowing school districts to collect state funding for Pre-K 4 SA students.
The Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers meet or exceed all national standards for high-quality early childhood education. Every Pre-K 4 SA classroom is staffed with a certified teacher and assistant teacher. All instructional staff have specialized training in early childhood education and use a research-based curriculum that is proven to provide lasting social and academic benefits. In 2017, Pre-K 4 SA received the HEB Excellence in Education award, a recognition of Pre-K 4 SA as the best early childhood program in the state.
The Pre-K 4 SA Family Outreach and Engagement program supports parents and family members in becoming community leaders and educational advocate for their children. The Professional Learning program provides pre-kindergarten through third grade educators in San Antonio with complementary continuing education to support best practice instruction to help every child in San Antonio excel. The Pre-K 4 SA Competitive Grants program provides more than $4 million in funding annually to increase quality and access in other early childhood programs throughout San Antonio.
The Department of Human Services Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) are federally-funded programs that provide early childhood education, family support, and multifaceted health services to eligible children between the ages of six weeks and five years old, and their families. The City partners with San Antonio and Edgewood Independent School Districts to provide full-day prekindergarten for 3,020 three- and four-year-old children who live at or below the federal poverty line (2,243 in SAISD and 777 in EISD). The EHS-CCP program partners with six non-profit child care centers to expand access to high-quality comprehensive services for 216 low-income infants and toddlers, ages six weeks to 35 months. Both programs provide comprehensive case management services and work with families to identify and reach goals, address needs, including health and wellness needs, and connect to support services. Head Start and EHS-CCP prioritize enrolling the community’s most vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and children in the foster care system.
ISSUE:
This item provides a briefing and staff analysis of Pre-K 4 SA and Head Start early childhood education programs.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a briefing for informational purposes only.