In January, the Foundation received an $100,000 grant from the 3M Foundation for
a Decatur City Schools Pre-K classroom for the 2014-2015 school year.
You may be wondering what Pre-K is all about. The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) has released some data related to Pre-K, and the results are worth reading.
"Students who participated in Alabama's First
Class Pre-K program academically outperform their peers once they reach
elementary school, and the advantages conferred by Pre-K participation persist
at least through the 6th grade, according to findings from an ongoing evaluation
of the program... The National Institute for Early Education Research finds that Alabama meets all 10 of its benchmarks for quality, including having high learning standards in
place and requiring Pre-K teachers to have a bachelor's degree and training in
early childhood education."
Read the full report on Pre-K here.
Decatur City Schools has partnered with the
Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce to promote and increase the number of
quality Pre-K classes available in Decatur. Research shows that quality Pre-K education
yields benefits for children, schools, and communities. Some notable statistics
include: Pre-K students are less likely to repeat a grade and more likely to
graduate from high school; and adults who participated in a Pre-K program are
less likely to be arrested for violent crimes, more likely to be employed, and
more likely to earn higher wages.
The Foundation secured the Pre-K grant as a
part of their It Starts With Our Schools
Capital Campaign, which is currently in its fifth and final year. The goal of
the campaign, which kicked off in 2009, was to raise $1 million for DCS to help
increase student achievement through various initiatives and programs.
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