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State Profiles
Vermont
Vermont has a strong history of providing pre-kindergarten for both three and four year olds. The state’s commitment to early education began 30 years ago with the Essential Early Education (EEE) program, designed to serve three and four year olds who have substantial developmental delays. EEE is still in place and programs are typically run within the local public schools, but increasingly offered off-site and in collaboration with child care and Head Start.
The state also provides pre-k through its school funding formula. This system, Average Daily Membership funded Prekindergarten (ADM), allows district superintendents to use state education funds to provide 10 hours per week of pre-k for children in their districts, regardless of family income or risk factors. However, superintendents are not mandated to provide pre-k through this system, and as a result it is not available in every district.
In an effort to ensure that children who are most in need but do not qualify for EEE have access to quality pre-k, the state’s department of education also created the Early Education Initiative (EEI), which includes classroom- and home-based education for at-risk three and four year olds, parent involvement, and parent education. Unfortunately, EEI has struggled with consistently inadequate funding, and currently, only about half of eligible children are served. In total, ADM and EEI serve approximately 45 percent of four year olds and 13 percent of three year olds in the state.
All three pre-k programs are of moderate to high quality. The Vermont Department of Education requires them to employ bachelor degree-holding teachers with early childhood specialization; maintain a staff-child ratio of 1:10 or better in each classroom; keep class sizes to 20 or fewer children; and adhere to the state's comprehensive early learning standards. Additionally, ADM and EEI programs are offered in a mix of schools and community-based organizations, which helps meet the needs of families while maximizing program effectiveness.
Key Milestones
| 1975 |
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In response to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Vermont begins the Essential Early Education pre-k program. Funded by the department of education, this program is intended to provide high-quality pre-k to three and four year olds with substantial developmental delays. |
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| 1987 |
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The legislature gives the school board the authority to admister pre-k in addition to K-12. The State Board of Education then issues a ruling allowing district superintendents to use state education dollars to provide pre-k for three and four year olds in their districts.
The Early Education Initiative is created to increase access to high-quality pre-k for children at risk of school failure. The program receives initial funding of $500,000 as part of a planned five-year roll out which is intended to culminate in funding of $2.5 million. Funding is provided in small grants, and thus is not available statewide. |
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| 1991 |
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EEI appropriations are increased to $1.4 million. In addition to increaing EEI funding to its highest level, the legislature requires that EEI be offered in all school districts. Funding has since remained essentially flat with no for cost of living adjustments.
While EEI funding remains stagnant, more and more schools and communtiy-based settings begin to offer pre-k through the ADM school funding formula. |
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| 2006 |
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The Vermont legislature creates the Pre-Kindergarten Education Study Committee to gather information about pre-k in Vermont, study existing research about pre-k, and make recommendations for future funding and initiatives in the state. |
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| 2007 |
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The study committee releases its final  report, which explicitly recognizes the importance of state-funded pre-k, but in an effort to control costs and create a more cohesive system, recommends capping the number of children receiving school funding formula monies for pre-k.
The legislature votes to adopt the study committee's recommendations and codify pre-k as part of the school fundng formula while encouraging a system of diverse delivery. The new law also establishes a cap on formula funded enrollment. |
Next Steps for Vermont
Advocates, business leaders and state legislators will work to ensure program quality remains high and to remove the cap on the total amount of children each district is allowed to serve.
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Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
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Video: Briefing on America's Pre-K Movement
Pre-K Now held a briefing for congressional staff, cosponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kit Bond, on October 1. Hear what a governor, three superintendents, two directors of early childhood programs, and a national teacher of the year think Congress should do to increase families' access to quality, state-funded pre-k.
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Tour a Pre-K Classroom
Through our virtual classroom tour and our short video following real children through their pre-k year, we will help you recognize high quality, understand why it makes a difference, and show you how children benefit.
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