In 2009, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Research Institute, in coordination with the Tennessee Department of Education’s Division of Curriculum and Instruction, initiated a rigorous, independent evaluation of the state’s Voluntary Prekindergarten program (TN‐ VPK). TN‐VPK is a full‐day prekindergarten program for four‐year‐old children expected to enter kindergarten the following school year. The program in each participating school district must meet standards set by the State Board of Education that require each classroom to have a teacher with a license in early childhood development and education, an adult‐student ratio of no less than 1:10, a maximum class size of 20, and an approved age‐appropriate curriculum. TN‐VPK is an optional program focused on the neediest children in the state. It uses a tiered admission process with children from low‐income families who apply to the program admitted first. Any remaining seats in a given location are then allocated to otherwise at‐risk children including those with disabilities and limited English proficiency.
Read Study