As part of the push-back against state lawmakers' suggestion to privatize state Pre-K, the state Department of Public Instruction released results of studies that say students do better in pre-school classes based in public schools than they do in classes in private child-care centers.
The information was mined from studies undertaken by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill when the state pre-school program was called More at Four. The legislature changed the name to N.C. Pre-K in the middle of last year.
Among the findings:
- There were greater gains in literacy skills in students who have teachers with at least bachelor's degrees and birth-kindergarten licenses. These teachers are found in significantly higher numbers in public schools.
- Classrooms in public schools are better organized.
A House committee on Thursday will consider a proposal that would make it harder for students to qualify for N.C. Pre-K and would take the program out of public schools in favor of private child-care centers.
