This can only bode well for our state and we should reap the benefits in less than a generation as our scores and graduation rates go up. The state should be proud of this long term investement. 

Arkansas, South lead nation in pre-K enrollment, quality

In the past four years, Arkansas has emerged as a national leader in pre-kindergarten education, according to a new report on preschool in the South.Increased funding and the establishment of programs for at-risk children propelled the state to the upper rankings, the Southern Education Foundation said in its report released Thursday.

As a region, 19 percent of the South’s 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded pre-K, compared to 12 percent in the Northeast, 9 percent in the Midwest and 5.6 percent in the West, according to the report.

The report analyzed several independent studies done in the South over the past decade of state-supported pre-K programs, including the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families 2005 report “Quality Pre-K Expansion in Arkansas: Lessons Learned.” That report touted the 2003 creation of the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success programs, state-funded quality preschool for at-risk 3- and 4-year old children.

The program was estimated to cost $100 million annually when fully funded by 2008.