West Virginia

Overview of Pre-K Program-West Virginia Universal Pre-K

  • Program is intended to be universally available to all four-year-old children and all three-year-old children who have an IEP.
  • Funds are distributed directly to public schools who can then subcontract to other agencies to provide preschool services.
  • By 2012, at least half of the pre-k classrooms must be located in community-based settings, unless there are not enough providers to meet this requirement or the existing providers choose not to participate.
  • Administered by the West Virginia Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Resources.
  • By 2012-2013 school year county school systems will coordinate pre-k programs and contracts.

Brief History of West Virginia’s Pre-K Program

  • 1983 With a new piece of legislation, local school boards are given the ability to offer preschool to three- and four-year-old children.  This resulted in the formation of the Public School Early Childhood Education Initiative.
  • 2002 Preschool education is expanded and intended to include all 4-year-old children by the 2012-2013 school year. Program is renamed the West Virginia Universal Pre-K System.
  • 2004 West Virginia Early Learning Standards Framework is adopted.
  • 2005 State removes requirement that school districts provide funding for the first year of their pre-k program, which allows more districts to begin offering pre-k.
  • 2009 Program serves 13,135 children.

Evaluations of West Virginia’s Pre-K Program

Providing Preschool Education for All 4-Year-Olds: Lessons from Six State Journeys, NIEER, 2009.
The Effects of West Virginia’s Early Education Program on Young Children’s School Readiness, Report from larger 5 state study, Final Report, 2005.
An Effectiveness-Based Evaluation of Five State Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Study looks at Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia, 2008.

Program Website

West Viriginia Universal Pre-K Website

Resource List

Pre-K Now West Virginia Profile
NIEER 2009 Yearbook West Virginia Profile
An Effectiveness-Based Evaluation of Five State Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Study looks at Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia, 2008.
Education Justice West Virginia Profile

 

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