Pre-K Program in Forsyth County Yields Promising Results
A recent initiative aimed at boosting Pre-K education in Forsyth County has achieved significant improvements in student performance. The two-year project, funded by Forsyth County and the city of Winston-Salem, utilized $4 million in COVID-19 relief to enhance the quality of early childhood education.
The final report highlights that approximately 700 students in the Pre-K Model Cohort Classroom initiative surpassed state averages in areas such as math and social-emotional development.
Key strategies of the project included investing in teachers, engaging families, and employing an equity audit tool to identify and address gaps in the system. The results were shared at a public event, underscoring the program’s success.
Teacher retention also benefited from the program, with an overall retention rate of 83% at all participating sites and a perfect retention rate in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
Leslie Mullinix from Pre-K Priority expressed the ambition to expand this model, stating, “We do have a work group that is focused around, how do you continue to build advocacy towards that? And how can you realize that when we are sometimes in a scarcity mindset about the funding that’s available.”
Looking ahead, Pre-K Priority plans to organize a community-wide children’s health and assessment fair and aid families in preparing their children for kindergarten.
