The Impact of Universal Pre-K on Child Care Providers in FWISD 2014 Lake Worth ISD32 .4200 Lake Worth ISD offers half-day pre-k classes to TEA eligible 4-year-olds. Lancaster ISD33 Lancaster ISD offers a full-day pre-k program for TEA eligible 4-year-olds and five years ago offered half-day pre-k for TEA eligible 3-year-olds. The district partners with Head Start. Dallas ISD DISD provides full-day (7 hours) pre-k for TEA at risk eligible 4-year-olds. Classes run from 7:55 am to 2:55 pm.34 DISD currently has approximately 10,000 4-year-old students enrolled with an estimated unmet demand of 4,000 4-year-olds.35 The maximum number of students per class is 24 with a ratio of 12:1. The district wants to add extra teacher assistance for an 8:1 ratio. 36 DISD will pilot some 3-year-old classrooms in areas where there is excess capacity for 4-year-olds.37 The district does not provide transportation.38
Fort Worth Independent School District Universal Pre-Kindergarten The Fort Worth Independent School District FWISD is the largest school district in Tarrant County with 77% of the students economically disadvantaged. 39 FWISD began offering pre-k to TEA qualified at-risk students in 1985. FWISD must serve at-risk 4-year-olds first before serving children that are not TEA qualified. Under the current program, FWISD offers pre-k to children who do not meet the at-risk criteria only when space is available. FWISD does not maintain a wait list of 4-year-olds. FWISD is currently expanding their pre-k program to universal pre-k which includes all 4-year-olds regardless of economic status. Expansion Plans According to Dr. Patricia Rangel, Executive Director of Early Academic Success and Acceleration at FWISD, there are currently 4,686 at-risk children enrolled in pre-k for the 2014-2015 school year.40 FWISD conducted a “soft roll out” of universal pre-k this school year. Approximately 80 enrolled students did not meet the “at-risk” eligibility criteria and are therefore considered universal pre-k students. Total enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year is 4,766 four-year-old pre-k students, an increase of 335 children or 7.5% over 2013-2014 school year. FWISD will continue expanding available universal pre-k slots over the next three years. Based on current kindergarten enrollment, FWISD estimates that including both TEA eligible and universal pre-k
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33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
(Lake Worth Independent School District) (Children At Risk, 2014) (Hobbs, Dallas ISD sees progress with enrollment for Pre-Kindergarten program, 2014) (CBS DFW, 2014) (Hobbs, Dallas ISD wants to add teaching staff for prekindergarten classes, 2014) (Nicholso, 2014) (Hobbs, Dallas ISD launches its first open-enrollment week for Pre-Kindergarten classes, 2014) (Children At Risk, 2014) (Rangel, 2014)
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