Education notebook

Arkansas is one of 18 states that is continuing to receive a federal Preschool Development Grant to expand and improve early childhood education programs for children from low- to moderate-income families.

The state’s share of the $247.4 million awarded nationally is $14,993,000 this year. The state anticipates receiving nearly $60 million over the four years of the grant.

The grant to the states was first announced in December 2014 by the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human Services. The latest round of funding was announced last week.

“We are serving 1,371 more 4-year-olds than we would have otherwise,” Tonya Williams, director of Arkansas’ Child Care and Early Childhood Education Division, said last week.

This is the second school year in which an expanded enrollment is possible because of the grant.

“It also allows us to provide funding to some currently state-funded programs to improve their slots,” Williams said.

Those grant-funded improvements for about 1,400 children include the addition of a family service worker who coordinates parent engagement activities and teachers with bachelor degrees in every classroom.

The Arkansas Better Chance program, which is the state-funded early childhood education program, differs from federally funded programs in that the state allows a multiclassroom center to employ one lead teacher with a bachelor’s degree and staff other classrooms with teachers who have, at a minimum, associate degrees.

In 2015-16, 19,334 Arkansas children ages 3 and 4 were provided early childhood education programs with state and federal funding.