“Preparing Children for Lifelong Learning”

Mission:

The Mission of the Alabama Office of School Readiness is to provide effective, high quality, early childhood experiences that prepare Alabama’s Children for school success and lifelong learning:

Vision:

The Vision of the Alabama Office of School Readiness is that effective,high-quality, early childhood experiences are accessible to ALL of Alabama’s children.

Goals:

The goals of OSR are to (1) fund programs that provide quality preschool experiences to four-year-old children in Alabama that prepare them for school, (2) provide quality training to Pre-Kindergarten teachers and administrators that help them better meet needs of four-year-old children, and (3) increase local and state-wide collaboration among early care and education providers, advocates, and parents.:

­­Why High Quality Pre-K?

Children who Participate in High-Quality Pre-K:

·         Demonstrate higher academic achievement

·         Are less likely to repeat a grade.

·         Less likely to require special education classes

·         More likely to graduate from high school.

·         More likely to enroll in college.

·         Less likely to participate in criminal activity during their juvenile or adult years.

·         Less likely to be victims of child maltreatment or neglect.

·         As adults, are less likely to be unemployed.

·         More likely to have  higher earnings than similar students who do not participate in Pre-K.

·         Less likely to depend on public assistance, become teenage parents, or endanger their health by smoking.