Pre-K Now | Resource Center | ABCs of Pre-K | The History of Pre-K

A Boston, Massachusetts, Primary School Committee rejects a petition to formally incorporate "infant schools" that taught education basics into the city's public schools. Despite this, many three and four year-olds in Massachusetts attend public schools with their older siblings until the mid-19th century.

Wisconsin's constitution is amended to include a commitment to free education for all children ages four to twenty.

New York City has 58 infant schools. The New York Public School Society endorses the schools as a way to counteract some of the damaging effects of poverty.

Wisconsin begins Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K). A few school districts maintain 4K service for more than a century despite a suspension of state aid between 1957 and 1984.

The New York Times publishes an article about a Day Nurseries Conference, providing a window into public awareness of early care and education.

New Jersey establishes its first pre-k program.

By the early twentieth century, free, public kindergarten for five year olds gains popularity throughout Wisconsin.

Across the country, private nursery schools are established for children birth to five whose mothers are widowed or impoverished. The focus is on basic hygiene and safety. Tuition is paid by private charities.

The U.S. Children's Bureau is created to investigate and report "upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of children and child life among all classes of our people." The first federal agency for children, it is now located in the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first female physician, visits the United States for a lecture tour on her unique educational methods. Her visit sparks an intense debate in newspapers and communities nationwide around child care and early education.

Parent cooperative preschools begin in the United States as educational experiences for young children and their parents. The first is the Northside Cooperative Nursery School in Pasadena, California.

The Women's Education Association of Boston funds one of the nation's first nursery schools in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1952, the school becomes affiliated with Tufts University.

In response to the Great Depression, federal funds are allocated for public nursery schools as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. The Works Progress Administration oversees the program, viewing it primarily as a way to create jobs for unemployed teachers and other school staff. Enrollment eligibility is restricted to children of parents who are on relief. During this time, some of the educational components of a modern day pre-k classroom begin to emerge, such as child-sized furniture, clay, paints, crayons, and unit blocks. Funding for these schools is terminated when the U.S. economy begins gaining strength in 1939-40.

During WWII, the Lanham Act provides federal funds for the operation of hospitals, schools, and pre-kindergarten centers to support those working in the defense industry. The dual purpose of the pre-kindergartens is to create educational experiences for young children and to support working parents. The centers are immediately closed after the war, but California and Washington, D.C., choose to continue funding centers for low-income children and single, working mothers.

Federal government funding for childcare centers rapidly declines as American women leave the workforce to return home, and public support shifts away from separating young children from their mothers for long hours.

More than one million children are enrolled in free, public kindergarten, a 300 percent increase from 1910.

Head Start is established by President Lyndon Johnson as part of the "War on Poverty." Edward Zigler, a Yale researcher, helps create the program, which assists communities in meeting the needs of disadvantaged three and four year olds.
Washington, D.C., begins to offer pre-k to "at-risk" children.

New York enacts the Experimental Pre-Kindergarten (EPK), a half-day program for "at-risk" four year olds.

President Nixon vetoes a measure that would have provided day care at no cost to families on welfare and on a fee-paying basis to working and middle-class families.

Alaska begins appropriating funds to expand access to Head Start and improve quality.

Florida appropriates funds to offer pre-k to children of migrant workers.

Maryland's Extended Elementary Education Program (EEEP) begins as a pilot program to help "at-risk" children in Baltimore City and Prince George's County.

The federal Department of Education is created, helping to spur the creation of several state-funded, targeted pre-k programs over the following 25 years. Many states also begin supplementing Head Start with state funds to increase access.

A blue-ribbon commission appointed by the Reagan administration releases "A Nation at Risk." Published by the U.S. Department of Education's National Commission on Excellence in Education, it is considered the catalyst for current education reform efforts, but early education and school-readiness issues are not addressed.
Maine begins allowing public schools to offer pre-k classes for four year olds through the state's school-funding formula.
West Virginia establishes the Public School Early Childhood Education program for children under five.

South Carolina establishes the Half-Day Child Development Program for those four year olds considered to be most at risk for school failure.
As part of the education reform package passed by the legislature, Texas establishes the Public School Pre-Kindergarten Program to serve three and four year olds from low-income families. School districts must provide the pre-k program if at least 15 eligible children are identified in the district.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) creates the first comprehensive system to measure the quality of early childhood programs. NAEYC Accreditation is a voluntary national system that measures the quality of child care and pre-k centers and kindergartens using more than 400 criteria.
As a result of education reform legislation, Illinois funds half-day pre-k for "at-risk" three and four year olds.
Wisconsin resumes funding half-day pre-k programs for four year olds after a 27-year suspension of state funding. The new funds are distributed through the school-aid forumla.
Maine begins supplementing Head Start programs with state funds.
Louisiana begins funding the Model Early Childhood Program for "at-risk" four year olds through annual state appropriations.
The Michigan School Readiness Program begins to serve "at-risk" four year olds not eligible for Head Start.
Washington establishes the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program to serve low-income four year olds considered to be at risk of school failure.

Massachusetts establishes the Community Partnership for Children as part of the state's School Improvement Acts of 1985.
Rhode Island begins supplementing Head Start programs with state funds.

Florida funds pre-k for "at-risk" four year olds through the state lottery. Funding for this program and existing pre-k programs for migrant families are repealed in 2002 and placed under the authority of local School Readiness Councils.
Vermont establishes its Early Education Initiative, a competitive grant program to serve three and four year olds whose come from low-income families or have other risk factors.
Oregon's Head Start Pre-kindergarten is established for disadvantaged three and four year olds.
Hawaii appropriates funds to extend Head Start programs.

The Colorado Preschool Program is established with the goal of preventing school failure and reducing dropout rates.
New Hampshire begins appropriating funds to supplement the federal Head Start program.

Hawaii's pre-k program, Open Doors, begins serving three year olds with special needs and some four year olds from low-income families.

Research concludes that brain development in the first five years of life is critical for learning and developing nurturing relationships.
The federal Child Care and Development Block Grant is passed.
Kentucky establishes the Kentucky Preschool Program as part of systematic education reform. The state provides pre-k funding for all four year olds who qualify for reduced-price lunch programs and for all three and four year olds with disabilities.
The Ohio Public Preschool Program is established for three and four year olds. It is a targeted program serving low-income families.

The Arkansas Better Chance begins as part of a larger education reform initiative with a dedicated sales tax for the Educational Excellence Trust Fund. The program's goal is school readiness for three to five year olds who are deemed educationally deprived.
Learning Readiness, one of several Minnesota pre-k initiatives, is established. The pre-k component is a half-day program for three and four year olds. Children considered "at risk" as determined by Minnesota's health and development screening receive priority.
New Mexico's Child Development Program for children from birth to age five begins.

The Nebraska Early Childhood Education Grant Program begins as a pilot program and is eventually made permanent in 2001. The program serves three and four year olds as well as some infants and toddlers from low-income communities identified by the state.
Louisiana funds the Starting Points pre-kindergarten program.

Georgia initiates the Georgia Pre-Kindergarten Program for "at-risk" four year olds using funds generated by a state lottery. It is the nation's first pre-k program open to all four year olds.

Delaware establishes the Early Childhood Assistance Program. It is a part-day program for four year olds who meet Head Start income eligibility requirements but are not served by Head Start.

The Virginia Preschool Initiative is established to serve disadvantaged four year olds who are not able to participate in other pre-k programs.

Arizona forms the Early Childhood Block Grant to fund a pre-k program targeted at four year olds eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs as well as full-day kindergarten and supplements for grades K-3.

The New York State Legislature passes legislation with the purpose of making pre-k available to all four year olds by 2002. However, in subsequent years the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program receives flat funding, leaving close to three-quarters of the state's four year olds without access to the program. Most children served by the program are from low-income families.
Rhode Island establishes the Early Childhood Investment Fund to encourage schools to offer early childhood programs.
Connecticut establishes the School Readiness Initiative for eligible three and four year olds in predetermined low-income or "high-risk" school districts.

Illinois' pre-k program is added to the Early Childhood Block Grant.
Oklahoma's half-day pre-k program, the Early Childhood Four-Year Old program, is made available to all four year olds in the state.
Tennessee begins funding the Early Childhood Education Pilot Project for three and four year olds from low-income families.
Kansas creates the At-Risk Four-Year-Old Children Preschool Program, a part-day public-school-only program for children who are considered at risk but are not eligible for Head Start.

California voters approve Proposition 10, a ballot initiative that institutes a tobacco tax to establish the First 5 California Children and Families Program and Commission and authorizes the establishment of county First 5 commissions. The mission of these commissions is to provide every child with a comprehensive, integrated system of early childhood development services from the prenatal period to age five.
Missouri establishes its pre-k program through the Early Childhood Development, Education, and Care Fund, which pools riverboat gaming fee revenues. The fund supports programs for children birth to five, including pre-k programs in school and community agencies. The Fund also supplements Early Head Start and increases subsidy rates for accredited childcare centers.
South Carolina creates a new initiative, First Steps to School Readiness, for children ages birth to six. It is a comprehensive program modeled after North Carolina's Smart Start.

Massachusetts' advocates launch the Early Education for All campaign with the goal of establishing pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds.
Idaho, New Mexico, and North Dakota begin using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to supplement Head Start and Early Head Start.
Alabama launches the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program for four year olds. Although there are no set income or eligibility requirements, most participating children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs.

Illinois Governor George Ryan appoints a Task Force on Universal Access to Pre-kindergarten charged with devising a plan to implement pre-k for all three and four year olds.
Louisiana uses federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to establish the LA4 pre-k program for low-income four year olds. In addition, the Non-Public Early Childhood Development Program is created with the purpose of reimbursing approved non-public pre-k programs for the children they serve.
Pennsylvania appropriates federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to enable Head Start programs to extend their hours and/or days of operation.
North Carolina's More at Four program is established to expand pre-k opportunities for "at-risk" children. Beginning in 2004-2005, at least 80 percent of participants must come from families with incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, the country's seventh largest foundation, awards a grant of nearly $4 million to create a new advocacy center for pre-kindergarten. The new Washington-based nonprofit organization is to work at the federal level to expand support for more effective early education for all three and four year olds and to enhance existing state-level campaigns for voluntary pre-kindergarten.
The Maryland state legislature passes the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act requiring local school systems to provide pre-k services to all eligible four year olds from disadvantaged families or who are homeless.
On January 8, the federal No Child Left Behind education reform law is signed by President George W. Bush.
The Nevada Early Childhood Comprehensive Plan begins serving children birth to five, though most participants are three and four year olds. The program is operated on a competitive grant system through both public schools and private centers. Although there are no official eligibility requirements, preference is given to low-income and "at-risk" children.
Florida voters approve a ballot initiative that amends the state constitution to require the state to provide voluntary, high-quality pre-k to all four year olds.

The process of implementing Florida's 1998 pre-k ballot initiative begins with the convening of the Florida Universal Pre-Kindergarten Council. The Council creates a high-quality curriculum and program standards, which are presented to the Florida State Board of Education in October.
A $30 million funding increase for the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant is passed. The Illinois Early Learning Council is created to make recommendations for a comprehensive early learning system for all families in the state.

The Massachusetts legislature authorizes the restructuring and consolidation of existing state early childhood programs into the Department of Early Education and Care. The Department will be governed by an independent board of experts and key administrative leaders and run by a new commissioner of early education and care. Its goal is to create a plan to establish pre-k for all of the state's three and four year olds.
A bill intended to satisfy Florida's voter-approved constitutional amendment on pre-k is vetoed by Governor Jeb Bush because it does not include adequate quality standards. The legislature subsequently passes a second pre-k measure which Governor Bush signs despite continuing criticism that the program standards are still too low.
Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is created with funds from First 5 Los Angeles. LAUP's goal is to offer high-quality pre-k to every four year old by 2014. First 5 LA commits $600 million over five years to begin pre-k-for-all implementation. First 5 county commissions in California work toward similar pre-k-for-all plans, including San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Diego counties.

Pre-K Now is established by The Pew Charitable Trusts to support advocacy throughout the states for high-quality, voluntary pre-k programs that serve all three and four year olds.
New Mexico creates a pilot pre-k program for four year olds.
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen makes early childhood education a top priority and, in May, the legislature passes a bill allocating $25 million to expand the state's pre-k program.
Florida's legislature passes a pre-k funding bill allocating $2500 per-child, a figure that many parents and private and public pre-k providers believe is insufficient to create a high-quality program.
For the third consecutive year, a $30 million increase for the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant passes through the legislature, fulfilling Governor Rod Blagojevich's 2002 campaign pledge to secure a $90 million increase. The legislature also avoids proposed budget cuts in home-visiting programs for "at-risk" infants and toddlers.
The Arkansas legislature appropriates an additional $20 million per year for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-k program. The legislature also re-approves the three percent excise tax on beer, which was set to sunset in 2005 and is expected to generate about $9 million annually for the Arkansas Better Chance Program.

Illinois launches a “Preschool for All” plan that would provide voluntary, high-quality pre-k to all three and four year olds whose families want it. Based on recommendations by the Illinois Early Learning Council, the plan envisions a phased-in expansion, beginning with an increase of $45 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant in FY2007, which the legislature approves. The plan is hailed by early education advocates who estimate that it will help 32,000 more children enter kindergarten healthy, eager to learn, and ready to succeed.
Texas expands pre-k eligibility to include all three- and four-year-old children with parents on active military duty, in an activated reserve unit or who were killed or wounded in action. Additionally, children remain eligible for pre-k even if their parent's duty status changes. This groundbreaking legislation makes pre-k available to the 2,698 military children who do not meet any of the original eligibility requirements and serves as a model for other states as they work to expand access to state-funded pre-k programs.

The Arkansas Better Chance pre-k program receives an increase of $39.8 million for a total FY08 budget of $111 million. This increase allows the program to serve all 3 and 4 year olds in families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of all children in this age range in the state.
Pennsylvania Governor Rendell proposes $75 million of dedicated pre-k funding to serve 11,000 three- and four-year-olds. The new, high-quality pre-k program takes the name of an earlier pilot initiative called Pre-K Counts and follows its diverse delivery model. The legislature approves Rendell's full proposal and Pre-K Counts is born.
The passing of SB113 in Texas expands eligibility of pre-k to children who have ever been in the foster care system.
Vermont codifies pre-k as part of its state school funding formula.

Lawmakers approved pre-k for all in the state of Louisiana, increasing income eligibility in incremental steps until the 2013-2014 school year, when the state's LA4 program will be available for all four year olds regardless of income. The bill also provides for collaboration with community-based pre-k providers by ensuring that at least 10% of the total increase in funding over the 2008-2009 school year will be used for LA4 classrooms in non-school settings, including child care centers and Head Start programs. With this historic legislation, Louisiana becomes the ninth state to commit to providing pre-k for all.

Rhode Island launches a pilot state-funded pre-k program, which will be carefully tracked and evaluated as a statewide model.

Rhode Island adds pre-k to its state school funding formula as a categorical aid program, setting the program up for a ten-year expansion.
Georgia - the first state to offer pre-k for all four year olds – serves its millionth child in pre-k.

Pre-K Now | Resource Center | ABCs of Pre-K | The History of Pre-K

ABCs of Pre-K

What Is High-Quality Pre-K?	Why Pre-K for All?	The History of Pre-K

¿Qué es la educación pre-kindergarten de alta calidad?	¿Por qué pre-kindergarten para todos?	"Pre-K" vs. "Preschool"

The History of Pre-K

The concept of caring for young children outside the home away from the mother began in 18th century Europe but arrived in America during the Industrial Revolution. Some factory owners, charities and churches operated or financed "infant schools" so that workers could spend their days in the factory without worrying about their children.

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Browse Shared Content

Pre-K: The First Step in Education Reform

State of the State 2011

Early Childhood Data Systems

Advocacy Toolkit

What Children Learn in Pre-K

Virtual Classroom Tour

Pre-K Resources

Recursos para pre-kindergarten

Recovery Round-Up

Leadership Matters FY11

Redefining ESEA

Looking for resources on pre-k and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)? See our web page and PowerPoint presentation on the topic here.

visit our ESEA web page

see our PowerPoint presentation (PDF)

Explore the Pre-K Evidence

Our collection of original reports and links to other studies will give you a deeper view into pre-k policy.

browse reports on pre-k

The Case for Pre-K in Education Reform

Fifty years of evidence shows that high-quality, voluntary pre-k is among the best strategies for education reform. Our brief highlights findings from the latest state pre-k program evaluations that continue to document gains in key measures of student learning, including early literacy, math and vocabulary; reduced need for special and remedial education; and lower incidences of grade retention.

read the brief (PDF)

Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K

Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.

download the white paper (PDF)

see our other federal policy work

Providing voluntary, high-quality pre-k to all children is as much about economic development as it is a tool to improve educational outcomes.