Early Grade Success

In 2015, the Texas Legislature approved House Bill 4 and created the High-Quality Pre-K Grant Program, an effort championed by Governor Greg Abbott, bipartisan policymakers, and leaders from the business, faith, law enforcement, and education sectors across the state. Demand for the new grants has been high. In the summer of 2016, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that 530 independent school districts (ISDs) and 43 charter districts would receive grants through the program to improve the quality of pre-k for currently eligible children. [INSERT SECOND PARAGRAPH] This statewide report and the local research efforts will provide Governor Abbott, legislators, the Texas Education Commissioner, local education leaders, and others with key data on HB 4 implementation and community pre-k priorities. Additional research will be needed to measure the impact of HB 4 funding on pre-k quality in the classroom and assess what other support may be needed to ensure every child in the state’s pre-k program has an effective pre-k learning experience.