New York

Overview of Pre-K Program- New York Universal Pre-K (UPK)

Program is voluntary and open to all four-year-old children.
School districts are not required to offer UPK.
A lottery system is used to fill UPK slots in participating districts.
UPK teachers in public schools must have a NY State teacher certification. Teachers in community based programs must be supervised by a certified teacher.
Districts receive funding from the State General Fund. They are required to subcontract at least 10% of their funding to community based providers, which can include child care centers, private nursery schools, preschool special education providers and Head Start programs. More than 60% of UPK funds go to community-based organizations.
Program is administered by the New York State Department of Education Office of Early Education and Reading Initiatives.

1966 Experimental Prekindergarten Program launched. Later it was known as the Targeted Prekindergarten Program
1998 UPK is launched. Many children served in non-school settings such as childcare centers, Head Start programs, preschool special ed and private schools.
2005 New Your Board of Regents issues policy statement called Early Education for Student Achievement in a Global Community which recommends pre-k for all three and four year olds.
2007 Targeted Prekindergarten Program is merged with UPK. Funding was increased and every district became eligible to receive funds for UPK programs.
2009 Universal Prekindergarten was flat funded so no new districts could start programs. In that year UPK serves 102,682 children.