Universal Preschool Initiative :: San Diego City Schools

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Universal Preschool Initiative
Friday, September 3, 2004

Related Resources

•	Fact Sheet: English \| Spanish
•	Early Childhood Education Programs Fact Sheet: English \| Spanish
•	Child Development Centers

National research indicates that children who attend a high-quality preschool are more likely to do well both academically and socially in school, as well as later in life. San Diego City Schools (SDCS) is committed to expanding preschool to all four-year-old children in the district to better prepare them for success in the K-12 program. As the first step in this expansion, the Board of Education approved a request to support universal preschool at its July 27, 2004 meeting (Item E.6.mm).

Currently, SDCS provides a variety of early childhood education programs, including State Preschools, Child Development Center Programs, and School Readiness Preschools. Students who are fortunate enough to participate in these programs do so free of charge or on a sliding scale basis. These children are less likely to start kindergarten developmentally behind.

While the long-term goal of the district is to serve all children, initial efforts in the initiative will be targeted at the most disadvantaged children in the district. Currently there are approximately 3,400 four-year-old children who annually enter into kindergarten at the lowest performing schools in SDCS. The district presently only has resources to fund approximately 1,800 preschool students. As a result, at the district's 30 lowest performing elementary schools, an estimated 1,600 of these children currently do not have access to district preschool programs.

To serve the estimated 1,600 children, an additional $2.3 million will be required annually to cover operating costs. The goal of this campaign is to provide funding for children over the next two years. This requires $4.6 million to be raised ($2.3 million for two years).

Schools have been prioritized in order of need. As soon as funds are raised, schools in most need of expanded preschool programs will be provided the resources to provide service to their children.

Smart Start
In order to support the initiative, a fundraising campaign, Smart Start, will be led by San Diego READS and supported by our partners at Neighborhood House Head Start, the Parent Institute for Quality Education, The San Diego Union-Tribune and the William D. Lynch Foundation for Children. An additional $900,000 from the State School Facility fund be used to finance one-time purchases of furniture, materials, and equipment for the newly created preschool classrooms.

The success of Smart Start relies on the community for support. Educators, families, businesses and community leaders must come together, as each plays a crucial role in student achievement. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, and preschool prepares students with the tools they need to excel.

Enhancing Preschool
As part of this initiative, the preschool programs will be aligned with the K-12 reading, writing and mathematics curriculum. Additionally, parental education and support services will be available in collaboration with our partners to provide comprehensive services for SDCS families.

For more information, contact the Child Development Center office at (858) 496-1831.

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