The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), enacted in 2002, is a bold attempt to shake up the American education system and to initiate changes in our schools that can address chronic achievement gaps among students. NCLB requires states to close the gap between low-income and/or minority students and their wealthier, non-minority counterparts, raise overall student achievement, and improve high-school-graduation rates. High-quality pre-k for all is one valuable strategy schools can and should employ to help meet these requirements.
Adequate preparation before kindergarten is a major factor in children's success or failure during their K-12 careers and beyond. Children who do not recognize the letters of the alphabet when they enter kindergarten demonstrate significantly lower reading skills at the end of first grade, and 88 percent of those children will still be poor readers by fourth grade. Students who are unprepared from the start tax the resources of the entire educational system, but, in contrast, children who attend high-quality pre-k programs arrive at kindergarten armed with the necessary skills. They are less likely to manifest problems early, tend to demonstrate higher achievement throughout school, and are more likely to graduate high school.
As a component of improving achievement among the most at-risk and low-performing children, NCLB has earmarked the federal Title I program to provide supplementary services in elementary and secondary schools. NCLB also allows schools and school districts to use Title 1 funds for the benefit of students at the pre-k level. Possible uses include:
- creating a pre-k program;
- supplementing, expanding, or improving the quality of an existing, state-funded, pre-k program;
- educational services, screening, and assessment of student needs;
- medical and dental, counseling, and social services for children and families;
- meals for children during the pre-k school day;
- professional development for pre-k teachers and aides;
- expanding or supplementing Head Start and Even Start programs;
- field trips, materials, and other resources that support state pre-k learning goals;
- supporting initiatives that increase parent involvement.
To learn more about NCLB and pre-k, we recommend the following resources:
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Pre-K Teachers Resource Center
