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Quick Facts: Benefits of Pre-K

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Current state of North Carolina’s pre-kindergarten program

  • NC Pre-K (formerly More at Four) “enhances school readiness for eligible four-year-olds.”
  • To qualify, children must come from a family whose gross income is at or below 75% of the State median income level. Other non-income based factors to qualify: limited English proficiency, chronic health condition, developmental/educational need.
  • Currently, 67,000 children are eligible for NC Pre-K slots; 40,000 children remain on a waiting list.
  • State spending per child in 2002: $7,679 (highest); spending per child in 2013: $4,690.
  • North Carolina’s pre-K program is one of only five in the nation to meet the benchmarks for a quality, cost-effective program.
  • More pre-K educators hold Bachelor’s degrees and appropriate licenses than in previous years.

Pre-K is a crucial stage to a child’s development

  • Children who attend preschool gain confidence by learning the expectations and routines of school through close communication with other children.
  • Pre-K is a place where children learn to socialize, make decisions, interact with others, and negotiate—all of which are important to child development.

Children who attend Pre-K programs are more self-sufficient in the future

  • Children who went to preschool were consistently employed, more likely to have full time jobs, less likely to rely on public assistance, resulting in overall positive future outcomes.
  • Children who attend preschool are more likely to have a savings account, and own a house and a car.

Attending Pre-K decreases both achievement and skill gaps

  • 123 studies across four decades of early education research found that by third grade, one-third of the achievement gap can be closed by early education.
  • Children who attended pre-K usually have higher grade point average, more likely to graduate high school and college.
  • Fundamental skills like eye contact, self-confidence, work efficiency, attention span, and control of temper are developed during the earliest stages of childhood are enriched in Pre-K
  • Latino children as dual language learners greatly benefitted from NC Pre-K, making gains in the program at a greater rate than other students.

Pre-K decreases delinquency

  • Children who attended pre-school are less likely to develop alcohol or drug problems, commit a felony, and go to prison. They are half as likely to be arrested.

Early education saves the State money in the future

  • Every $1 invested in preschool saves taxpayers up to $13 in future costs in incarceration, education, tax collections increases, and welfare.
  • Pre-K offers a better return on investment than the stock market. The annual rate of return for preschool spending is between 7-10%; stocks have an average return of 5.8% per year.
  • Investment in pre-K pays off by reducing the number of children placed into special education classrooms in the third grade by 39%; special education costs nearly twice as much as regular classroom education.

References

Revised February 17, 2015