In an effort to expand access to high-quality preschool programs, Dallas ISD’s Early Learning department is granting endowments to pre-k partners who serve Dallas ISD students.
Through the initiative known as School Readiness Integration PLUS, local childcare centers that provide pre-kindergarten education to Dallas ISD students can receive up to $25,000 to invest in vital areas.
“The goal is to further improve the quality of the service that our partners are providing to our Dallas ISD students,” said Pre-K Partnerships Principal Maria Molinares. “Our partners are helping us to make pre-k more accessible by opening their doors to our students and our staff and ultimately increasing the number of pre-k classrooms across Dallas. Together, we’re ensuring that our students are ready for kindergarten when they transition into Dallas ISD elementary schools.”
Dallas ISD currently manages 107 partner-classrooms across 37 local childcare centers that serve approximately 1,200 students.
Partners must have scored a three or higher on the Texas Rising Star: a quality rating and improvement system that offers three levels of quality certification, designed to encourage child care and early learning programs to attain progressively higher levels of quality, administered by the Texas Workforce Commission.
The pre-k partners that apply for the grant must specifically allocate the resources in three areas: School Operations, Learning Environment and Teaching Practices. School Operations upgrades may include renovations to the outdoor play area or updates in the alarm system. Learning Environment updates may include enhancing flooring and bathroom upgrades. Teaching Practices upgrades may include the purchase of laptops, training or classroom materials.
For more information, visit the new pre-k partnership website at www.dallasisd.org/prekpartnerships.
