LA 4 is a pre-kindergarten
program in Louisiana for un-served, at-risk
4-year-old children. UAB is working in collaboration
with LSU and Georgetown University in the evaluation
and longitudinal research of the program.
This program was initiated through legislation
written by Senator Bill Jones, Senate Bill 776,
which passed in the 2001 legislative session. The
bill provides for the establishment of a statewide
prekindergarten program to serve four-year-old
children not currently enrolled in publicly funded
preK classes. The Governor of Louisiana appropriated
fifteen million dollars of TANF money for the
start-up of the program in the spring of 2002.
The pilot year for LA 4 ran from January through May
of 2002, and 11 pioneer school districts
participated: Calcasieu, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge,
Jefferson, Lafayette, LaSalle, Orleans, St. Bernard,
St. Martin, St. Tammany, and Vermilion.
In this program, four-year old students participate
in a high quality program through the school
district, before and after care services are
offered, and the program is free to those students
who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The purpose
of the program is to provide high quality early
childhood education to four-year-old children who
are at risk for learning difficulties and to improve
the chidlren’s readiness to begin school.
LA 4 Executive Summary PDF
(96k PDF)
The LA 4 Program is in its second year of operation
in 2002-03, with 19 parishes participating. The new
districts for 2002-03 include Bogalusa City,
Evangeline, Iberia, Monroe City, Natchitoches,
Rapides, Tangipahoa and Washington.
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LA Department of Education
(www.doe.state.la.us)
U.S. Department of Education
(www.ed.gov) |
