Oregon

Overview of Pre-K Program-Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten Program (OPK)

• Program is voluntary and serves three- to five-year old children from families living at or below the Federal Poverty Level.
• Children in foster care and children who are homeless are automatically eligible.
• At least 10% of slots must be reserved for children with disabilities.
• Fund through legislative appropriations. These funds are distributed to programs through a competitive grant process.
• All federal Head Start grantees are also funded. Public schools, private agencies, and universities may also apply for OPK funding but the programs must meet federal Head Start standards.
• Program is administered by the State Department of Education.

Brief History of Oregon’s Pre-K Program

• 1987 Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten Program is established to serve all 3 and 4 year olds living below 100% FPL.
• 2004 Ready for School campaign is launched to raise awareness about the need for voluntary, high quality pre-k for all children and to campaign for full funding of the Oregon Pre-K program.
• 2006 Pledges are made to fully fund OPK during the 2007-2009 biennium budget.
• 2009 Program serves 6,472 children.

Evaluations of Oregon’s Pre-K Program

Oregon’s Kindergarten Readiness Study; Study includes some data on how OPK attendees compare to other groups.
Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten Public Reports

Program Website

Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten Program Website

Resource List

NIEER 2009 Yearbook Oregon Profile
Pre-K Now Oregon Profile
Education Justice Oregon Profile

 

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