Welcome!

The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) was established July 1, 2000 by the state law known as the A Plus Education Act. The mission of GOSA is to provide accountability for all of Georgia's education system from prekindergarten through postsecondary levels that will result in:

      Improving student achievement and
      Improving school completion.

As part of this mission, GOSA is proud to present its annual report on Georgia's Pre-K program that was formerly administered by the Office of School Readiness but is currently administered by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.  While the name of the agency has been changed and the scope of responsibility greatly magnified, GOSA will continue to report on Georgia's Pre-K Program. The purpose of Georgia's Pre-K Program is "to provide children with quality preschool experiences necessary for future school success."  GOSA hopes that the information contained in this report and future reports will be used to make positive changes in education that will support prekindergarten efforts and help parents and students.

About Bright from the Start

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, was created July 1, 2004 as a result of Senate Bill 456 passed by the 2004 Georgia General Assembly. The new department assumes the responsibilities of the Office of School Readiness, the Georgia Child Care Council, and the Child Care Licensing Division of the Office of Regulatory Services in the Department of Human Resources.  Bright from the Start administers Georgia's Pre-K Program, license center-based and home-based child care, administers federal nutrition programs, houses the Head Start Collaboration Office, oversees the state's network of resource and referral agencies, administers Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) quality dollars, and works collaboratively with Smart Start Georgia to blend federal, state, and private dollars to enhance early care and education.To learn more about Bright from the Start, visit www.decal.state.ga.us

2005-2006 Report Card:

This report card on Bright from the Start includes two indicators that reflect the extent to which prekindergarten services are delivered to Georgia's four-year-olds and the quality of those services. Data are reported as provided to GOSA by Bright from the Start.  During the 2005-2006 school year, some sites participating in Georgia's Pre-K Program closed or moved during the year while others opened mid-year. Some sites may have changed ownership and operated under two different names during the year. For these reasons, some sites will appear to have incomplete information. GOSA's report on Bright from the Start reflects the sites for which there was complete data.

Accessibility Indicator

The first indicator is accessibility of prekindergarten services to four-year-olds and focuses on Pre-K enrollment and the proportion of economically disadvantaged, or at-risk, students served during the 2005-2006 academic year. Participation in Georgia's Pre-K Program is voluntary for program providers and for families. Information is available for each of the 1,722 lottery-funded prekindergarten programs, by each of the 159 counties, and at the state level.

For each Pre-K program, GOSA reports:

• Number of four-year-olds enrolled
• Number of four-year-olds identified as at-risk
• Percent of Pre-K enrollment comprised of at-risk students

For each county, GOSA reports:

• Number of four-year-olds enrolled in a Pre-K program
• Percent of county's estimated four-year-old population served by a Pre-K program in the county
• Number of four-year-olds identified as at-risk enrolled in Pre-K program within the county
• Percent of total Pre-K enrollment comprised of at-risk students

At the state level, GOSA reports:

• Number of four-year-olds enrolled in a Pre-K program in the state
• Percent of state's estimated four-year-old population served by Pre-K programs
• Number of four-year-olds identified as at-risk
• Percent of total Pre-K enrollment comprised of at-risk students

Bright from the Start provided GOSA with all the data included in this report. Enrollment figures for the 2005-2006 school year are based on Bright from the Start's February 2006 roster count collected on each Pre-K program. The estimates of four-year-old population are based on the latest census data which was analyzed by the AppliedResearchCenter, Andrew Young School Of Policy Studies at GeorgiaStateUniversity.

Quality of Pre-K Services

The second indicator focuses on the quality of services provided by Georgia's Pre-K programs. Beginning with the 2002-2003 fiscal year, Bright from the Start implemented a formal data collection process using its newly developed Program Quality Assessment (PQA). In the PQA, a representative from Bright from the Start visits each prekindergarten facility and verifies the certifications of instructors as well as evaluates staffing levels, the physical facilities of the location, and instruction and curriculum. This information is collected on an annual basis by Bright from the Start staff.  Bright from the Start provided the PQA database to GOSA. GOSA's report on Bright from the Start includes the PQA ratings for each program. At the state level, the report shows the percent of programs receiving each rating on the following key elements that define a quality Pre-K program:

• Lead teachers are certified, degreed, and meeting all other program requirements.
• Facility has implemented the approved curriculum appropriately.
• The classroom is arranged into clearly defined learning areas that enhance children's growth and development.
• The Language and Literacy area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• The Math/Manipulative area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• The Dramatic Play area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• The Art area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• The Block area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• The Science area is equipped to provide many opportunities for children to explore, manipulate, investigate, and discover.
• Music and movement materials are provided for children's use.
• Facility meets child/staff ratios.
• Facility has an appropriate daily routine.
• Facility provides an environment and instruction that promotes language development.

Bright from the Start evaluates the above key elements for each program using the following ratings:

• Meets Bright from the Start Standards - meets the required level of classroom and instructional quality as defined in the Bright from the Start Pre-K Operating Guidelines and The Georgia Prekindergarten Quality Assessment documents. Documents are available on the Bright from the Start website: www.decal.state.ga.us
• Exceeds Bright from the Start Standards - represents a higher level of classroom and instructional quality.
• Partially Meets Bright from the Start Standards - indicates potential areas of concern and technical assistance opportunities.  
• Does Not Meet Bright from the Start Standards - indicates specific areas in need of technical assistance.

It should be noted since Bright from the Start has the responsibility to ensure the quality of prekindergarten services to Georgia's four-year-old population, the agency has the authority to discontinue providing lottery funds to any program that does not meet a minimum standard on a sufficient number of the key elements in the PQA survey.