State To Test Prekindergarten Overhaul

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State Superintendent of Education John White says Louisiana's prekindergarten overhaul will be tested for at least one year before any decisions are made on how schools and centers will be graded.

The changes stem from a law enacted this year aimed at upgrading what critics call a fractured pre-K setup with uneven quality, access and standards.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/TtDkW1 ) state officials are supposed to establish early learning performance guidelines for those up to age 3 and academic standards for 3- and 4-year-olds.

The new rules include grades; funding based on performance; new steps to make it easier for families to find pre-K classes and professional development for teachers.

The rules will apply to early childhood education programs serving children from birth to 5 that receive state or federal dollars.

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