Alaska created its Pre-Elementary Grants (PEGs) to support communities in expanding locally designed preschool programs. This is the first study of the implementation of PEG programs, the students served, and their outcomes. The study’s findings may be useful for other predominantly rural states that want to expand preschool options.

Key findings include:

• PEG districts served a higher proportion of some groups of historically disadvantaged students than non-PEG districts did
• Kindergarten students who had participated in PEG programs were more likely to be Alaska Native or enrolled in rural remote schools than were non-PEG students in the same districts
• Most PEG districts used the funding to improve preschool access, capacity, and quality
• Challenges for programs that received PEG funding included low enrollment, insufficient funding, and staff recruitment and retention
• Participation in funded preschool programs was positively correlated to kindergarten readiness, kindergarten and grade 2 English language proficiency, kindergarten and grade 1 attendance, and grade 3 math assessment scores

Report