Yesterday, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released a joint report that shows states receiving Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge grants are rapidly improving the quality of their early education programs. The report comes on the heels of an annual performance review for the 20 states who have received $1 billion in grants since 2011.
The report identified that more low- and moderate-income children are being enrolled in highest quality early learning programs and thousands more children are receiving early medical and developmental health screenings.
“By investing in high-quality early learning through programs like the Early Learning Challenge, states are giving many more children a strong start in life,” Secretary Arne Duncan said in a press release from the Department of Education.
Report by the numbers:
- More than 72,000 early learning and development programs are now evaluated under their states’ Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (TQRIS) – an 87 percent increase since the states applied for their grants.
- Nearly 14,000 programs are in the highest quality tiers of their states’ rating system – a 63 percent increase since the states applied for their grants.
- Significantly more children with high needs are enrolled in programs in the highest quality tiers of their states’ rating system.
- More than 200,000 children with high needs are enrolled in highest rated state-funded preschool programs.
- Nearly 230,000 children with high needs are enrolled in child care programs that receive federal child care subsidy funds and are in the highest tiers.
- More than 150,000 children with high needs are enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start programs in the highest tiers.
Read the full DOE/HHS report here.