Contact: Victoria Holmes (202) 372-5415; [email protected]

The District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released today its 2014 pre-kindergarten (pre-K) report: The State of Pre-K in the District of Columbia. The report highlights that the District continued growth in access to pre-K and, for the first time, used a common tool to measure classroom quality across all three sectors – public schools, public charter schools, and community-based organizations.

In all three sectors, there are classrooms that meet or exceed the threshold for pre-K classroom quality as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K™ evaluation tool. According to CLASS assessments, the majority of pre-K classrooms evaluated in school year 2013-2014 had teachers that effectively tailored environments to foster social-emotional development and maximized learning time.

In its annual analysis on the state of the District of Columbia’s pre-K education system, OSSE reveals that the District has seen substantial growth in the area of pre-K education and has been noted for both its investments and achievements in national conversations.

Earlier this week, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) released its 2014 State Preschool Yearbook and credited DC’s multi-system delivery model for pre-K education that serves students in various settings, including DC public schools, public charter schools, and community-based organizations. Additionally, NIERR ranked the District of Columbia first in the nation for its per-child spending and its “universal” enrollment of three- and four-year olds.

“We are pleased that the District of Columbia continues to lead the nation in access to pre-K education as evidenced by the 2014 pre-K report and NIERR’s preschool yearbook survey,” said Acting State Superintendent Hanseul Kang. “From launching the Early Learning Quality Improvement Network (QIN) earlier this year to improve the quality of services for infant and toddlers, to sustaining the availability of quality pre-K slots as our population grows, we continue to be committed to working with our partners in DCPS, PCSB, and community-based organization to ensure our youngest learners are ready for kindergarten.”

Read the full 2014 Pre-K Report: The State of Pre-K in the District of Columbia” on OSSE’s website at osse.dc.gov.