Chancellor Carranza Announces Pre-K Offers For 65521 Families

NEW YORK – Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza announced that 65,521 families will receive an offer for free, full-day, high-quality Pre-K for All today. 75 percent of families are receiving an offer to their top choice and 88 percent are receiving an offer to one of their top three choices, the same as last year’s record high. All families who applied by the March 18 deadline are receiving a Pre-K for All offer today.

“Pre-K for All is transforming our school system and helping us make New York City the fairest big city in America,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our children, our families, and our entire City benefit when every child has access to free, full-day, high-quality early education. Congratulations to the class of 2033 as they start their journey as New York City public school students!”

“Pre-K for All is a game-changer for tens of thousands of children and families across this city, providing an essential foundation for our students to succeed in the classroom and beyond,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “This work is central to our Equity and Excellence for All agenda, and we’re committed to delivering high-quality instruction and social-emotional support at every Pre-K for All program.”

“Pre-K for All is the foundation of our children’s long-term academic success,” said Josh Wallack, Deputy Chancellor of Early Education and Student Enrollment. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our teachers, staff, and providers who make high-quality pre-K a reality. I'm also proud of our team's efforts to make the Pre-K admissions process easier for families, and I encourage families still interested in a seat to visit myschools.nyc, call 718-935-2009 or visit their Family Welcome Center.”

The DOE is focused on creating diverse pre-K classrooms, and 30 pre-K programs now have Diversity in Admissions pilots, including every district program in District 1. For the second year, NYC Early Education Centers are participating. Schools with Diversity in Admissions pilots give priority in their admissions processes to students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FL or FRL), are Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLLs), are Students in Temporary Housing (STH), and/or have been in the child welfare system or impacted by incarceration. Ten of the 16 schools in District 1 are within their target range for offers, up from nine schools in 2018. The majority of the 14 schools outside District 1 met or exceeded their targets, when applicable.

The DOE continues to provide supports for students in temporary housing, including one-on-one counseling, training sessions and visits to shelters from the DOE Outreach Team during the application period. 49 percent of students in shelter submitted an application by the March 18 deadline, an increase from 38 percent prior to the targeted outreach, which began during the fall 2017 application cycle. The DOE will continue to empower students and families in shelter and ensure every family who wants a pre-K seat has access to one.

Every New York City family with a child born in 2015 is eligible to begin Pre-K for All this fall, and families can still find a seat. There is a seat available for every family in the City. Families that submitted an application after the deadline are placed on the waitlist for all programs on their application, and could begin getting waitlist offers today. Families who need additional assistance can visit myschools.nyc, call 718-935-2009 or visit one of DOE’s 12 Family Welcome Centers.

Families with children enrolled in free, full-day pre-K save an average of $10,000 annually on childcare costs, and every dollar invested in high-quality early education saves taxpayers as much as $13 long-term. A 2017 NYU study found that Pre-K for All increases the chance that a low-income child in New York City is properly diagnosed with asthma or vision problems and receives appropriate treatment. 94 percent of Pre-K for All programs scored at or above the threshold correlated with positive outcomes on a nationally recognized instrument to assess Program Quality -- outpacing or on par with gold-standard programs across the nation. Additionally, independent research from the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity demonstrated high satisfaction with Pre-K for All: 92 percent of families surveyed rated their program as excellent or good, and 83 percent of families said their child learned “a lot” in pre-K. Across the board, the research shows that both students and families are seeing critical benefits from Pre-K for All. 

Together, the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives are building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms, including Equity & Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools, are central to this pathway.

###

Contact:  Chancellor’s Press Office (212) 374-5141