Pre-kindergarten Programs: What is going on in the Classrooms?

Public funded pre-kindergarten education is becoming more universal and authorities are putting efforts to ensure that every student succeeds and acquire school readiness skills. The state of Alabama is not left out in these efforts. However, it is disheartening that by the time some students enters kindergarten, they are found to be deficient in school-readiness skills and future learning outcomes. To understand the nature of the problems, so far, researchers have examined the quality of experience of pre-kindergarteners in terms of structure not process. Whereas, a measure of what is going on in the classroom (process) along with structure would be more appropriate for holistic understanding of and solution to the problems. This study intends to examine process as well as structural quality indices of state funded pre-k (The first class Pre-k program) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A multistage sampling procedure would be adopted in the selection of a county, at least four First class Pre-k centers and the classrooms. The study would adopt mixed method. Survey, observation schedule and interview would be conducted with children, teacher and the classroom (as appropriate) for information on the process quality indices. Descriptive research design would be used to quantitatively describe the structural quality indices of the First Class Pre-k program in Tuscaloosa. There are possibilities that the First Class Pre-k would be ranked lower in process quality indices compared to structure quality indices. Thus, explain why some children are behind in school-readiness outcomes.