By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
For the sixth year, the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) has received national recognition for high-quality preschool programming. The award, presented by CityHealth and the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, recognized Seattle’s publicly funded preschools, which include SPP, Seattle’s Pathway program, and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, for the second year in a row with a gold medal rating.
The honors are based on the results of an annual national report released by NIEER that rates how 75 of the largest U.S. cities are foremost on programs that address well-being and health, including 10 standards for high-quality, accessible pre-K. According to officials, Seattle was one of 22 cities, out of 75 rated by CityHealth, to receive a gold medal award for high-quality, accessible preschool programming this year.
Leilani De La Cruz, the Early Learning Director for the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), says being honored in this way speaks volumes about the work Seattle’s education advocates are putting in to make sure three- to four-year-olds in the region are prepared when they begin kindergarten.
“We have just received this wonderful award from CityHealth, and so we are very pleased for the second year to get national gold,” says De La Cruz. “It just speaks to the quality of programming that we are able to provide.”
Between 2018 and 2021, SPP received silver medal awards from CityHealth. With ongoing improvements to the program, including new dual-language classrooms, SPP received its first gold award in 2022.
According to De La Cruz, the key component in the program receiving a gold medal was their efforts to increase enrollment. The program, which started with 380 kids in 2015, now serves almost 2,000 children in Seattle.
“Prior to last year, we were coming in at silver because we would meet all the other quality benchmarks with the exception of getting to higher enrollment,” says De La Cruz. “One of the markings is serving 30 percent of the eligible four-year-olds in your city, and when we started Seattle Preschool in 2015, we started with 380 kids, and this year it’s about 2000 kids, and by the end of the 2025-26 school year, our goal is to get 2500 kids.”
The Seattle Preschool Program is funded by the 2018 Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy and is an integral component in the City’s strategy to eliminate race-based opportunity gaps in educational outcomes. Research shows that children who attend high-quality preschool programs have better academic and life outcomes and are more likely to have better grades, graduate, attend college, and have better mental and physical health.
“I’m so proud of the work Seattle has done to set the standard for what early childhood learning can do for families,” said Dr. Dwane Chappelle, Director of the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning, which administers the City’s preschool program. “I want to thank all our SPP providers and my staff at DEEL for their work making high-quality preschool programs available to our city’s early learners, to get them ready for kindergarten and a lifetime of learning.”
Studies have shown that children who attend high-quality preschool programs fare better academically and in life experiences, experiencing better grades, graduation rates, and post-secondary education.
Children attending programs such as SPP also experience healthier mental and physical health outcomes. According to data, 73 percent of SPP families enrolled are from BIPOC communities. Seattle Mayor, Bruce Harrell agrees that the SPP experience has been nothing but stellar in setting students up for success.
“The award-winning Seattle Preschool Program continues to do life-changing work in our city, setting our youngest learners up for success in school,” said Harrell. “Embracing our One Seattle values of collaboration and innovation, the Department of Education and Early Learning has shown a commitment to working in partnership with early-learning educators across the city to close opportunity gaps and help every child reach their full potential. I encourage all Seattle families with 3- and 4-year-old children to apply to SPP and start their kids on a pathway to a bright future.”