New report shows Arkansas’s preschools meet several benchmarks

ARKANSAS, USA — A new report is highlighting the strength of early childhood education in Arkansas, showing the state meets 8 out of 10 national quality benchmarks for preschool programs. 

According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Arkansas ranks 24th in the nation for preschool access for 4-year-olds and 31st in state spending, but continues to meet most quality standards designed to support early learning and development.

During the 2023 to 2024 school year, more than 20,000 children were enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs, including those in Northwest Arkansas. While enrollment has increased, overall state spending has declined when adjusted for inflation, with less funding available per child compared to the previous year.

At the Springdale Early Childhood Center, Principal Megan Rojo says pre-K plays a critical role in preparing students for long-term success. 

“The academics of literacy and math, so working on a lot of foundational skills like numbers, counting, number recognition, letters, knowing and recognizing their name,” Rojo said.

She says those early lessons go beyond academics, focusing on development during a key stage in a child’s life. 

“There is a lot of brain research about brain development in those first five years, so we’re doing a lot of brain building in pre-K. We’re working on building a connection about what they hear, what they see, and what it means,” Rojo said.

The center is funded through the Arkansas Better Chance program, a statewide initiative that began in 1991 to provide high-quality early education to children based on need. The program includes requirements like trained teachers, low student-to-teacher ratios, developmental screenings, and curriculum aligned with state learning standards.

“In our public school pre-k program, our teachers have to be certified with a teaching license. Our teachers go to school, they get a four-year degree,” Rojo said.

In recent years, Arkansas has also worked to strengthen its early childhood system by creating the Office of Early Childhood within the Department of Education through the LEARNS Act. The office aims to bring programs together under one system and improve coordination across the state.

While Arkansas meets most quality benchmarks, the report found the state falls short in areas like teacher pay parity and specialized teacher supports.

Rojo says expanding access to high-quality programs is key to continuing progress. “It’s super important for pre-k to be accessible to all our kids and have access to high-quality pre-k because we really are the brain builders,” Rojo said.

If families are interested in enrolling their child for the upcoming school year, they can stop by the Springdale Early Childhood Center to pick up a registration packet.