High-quality, Universal Pre-Kindergarten

High-quality, universal pre-k

Done right, all children benefit from early childhood education, regardless of family income or zip code. High-quality pre-k improves children’s school readiness and success: they enter school better prepared and are less likely to repeat a grade or be referred to special education. Long-term benefits include higher high-school graduation rates, lower rates of crime and teen pregnancy, higher lifetime earnings, and better health outcomes.

CityHealth’s assessment of pre-k quality is based on the National Institute of Early Education Research’s 10 research-based quality standards benchmarks, along with an assessment of the level of enrollment in the city’s largest pre-k program. These benchmarks are consistent with what research suggests as minimums for highly effective programs.  Data are based on assessments as of December 31, 2017. For details on quality benchmarks and how data were collected, please download the research protocol at the bottom of this page.​