One important reason early childhood education contributes to the overall success of students in the K-12 system is that it helps students start kindergarten better prepared. Every kindergartener entering a public school in Arkansas is given the Qualls Early Learning Inventory (QELI). This is a developmentally appropriate assessment that observes…

Arkansas has made important commitments to enhance the quality of and access to early education opportunities for young children, particularly those from disadvantaged families. These commitments are valuable, but they do not yet ensure that all children have access to pre-k programs. At issue is whether it makes economic sense to expand…