The Arizona Department of Education got confirmation this week that their preschool improvement efforts can look forward to another round of $20 million in grant money. Arizona was one of 18 states to receive federal funding.
The money is part of a four-year federal grant intended to help states expand access to high quality preschool for children from low- to moderate-income families.
In 2015, the project helped the state improve and add slots for children in high need communities, or communities with a high number of English-language learners and students on free and reduced lunch.
The state has also allotted some of the money to offer scholarships to teachers pursuing early-childhood education certifications.
When the grant period ends in 2019, schools who have received funding will be responsible for strategizing how to continue their improvements.