Why Pre-K?

Gov. Phil Bredesen, with strong bipartisan support from the Tennessee General Assembly, has provided $286.5 million new dollars for pre-K education in Tennessee over the past few years. The existing pilot program, which began in 1998, has developed into a strong, nationally recognized program with the highest quality program standards.

Since the 2005-2006 school year, Gov. Bredesen's pre-K initiative has brought 786 new pre-K classrooms to the state. To date, Tennessee has 934 state-funded pre-K classes – in 94 of 95 Tennessee counties and 133 of 135 eligible school systems – serving approximately 18,000 at-risk children. It is simply amazing what has been accomplished in the past few years for Tennessee's 4-year-olds.

• Is 100 percent voluntary.
• Uses a state-approved list of research-based, reliable, age-appropriate curricula aligned with the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards.
• Is based on longitudinal research that has established the long-term effectiveness of early childhood education – fewer incarcerations, fewer referrals to special education services, and many skills that promote stable communities and active citizens.
• Has been recognized by the National Institute for Early Education Research for the past three years as a national model for states looking to provide a high-quality pre-K program for children.

• Collaborative partnerships are an integral component of high-quality pre-K programs.
• In Tennessee, local school systems have developed a variety of partnerships: Head Start, Even Start, for-profit and not-for-profit child care providers, faith-based agencies, community-based agencies, and higher education institutions.
• United Ways of Tennessee provides nearly $1 million for 46 pre-K classrooms throughout the state.