The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) recognized Mississippi in its latest report on pre-K quality as one of only four states whose publicly funded pre-K program meets all 10 of NIEER’s new quality standards for early childhood education.
The latest ranking is published in the NIEER report, The State of Preschool 2019. The annual report tracks state-funded preschool access, resources and quality. Since the launch of the collaboratives, Mississippi has remained one of only several states that met all of NIEER’s original standards.
NIEER evaluated Mississippi’s Early Learning Collaborative (ELC) programs, which are partnerships among school districts, Head Start agencies, child care centers, and non-profit organizations.
“The quality of our Early Learning Collaborative program has made Mississippi a national leader for early childhood education,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education for Mississippi. “The research is clear that high-quality early childhood education has a long-term impact on student achievement. Increasing access to high-quality pre-K will help Mississippi students achieve better academic outcomes throughout their education.”
If you are interested in finding out if your ccmmunity has a state-funded PreK Collaborative that meets all 10 NIEER standards, visit Mississippi Department of Education’s website to view this map.