Pre-Kindergarten Experiences

In March of 2023, the Office of Education Policy teamed up with the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services and The Department of Education to ask over 750 parents their opinions of and experiences with their child's pre-kindergarten education.

Three different groups of parents were interviewed for the study: public school kindergarten parents, public school pre-kindergarten parents, and Head Start Parents. Over half of the parents reported that quality, location, and cost were most important when choosing a childcare. Ninety percent of parents felt their children were in a safe, clean, and caring environment with the caregivers. Parents also believed that pre-kindergarten settings helped their children to develop social, reading, and math skills.

Parents would like more access to quality and affordable childcare. They also indicated that while math and reading scores have increased, they are still considered low, with room for improvement. Parents want more pre-kindergarten schoolwork that prepares students for higher reading and math skills. Participants also agree that pre-kindergarten helps prepare their child for the classroom environment.

Read more here: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/oepreport/98/