A new evaluation by NORC at the University of Chicago found that the city of Tempe’s preschool program, Tempe PRE, increased kindergarten readiness and expanded opportunities for parents to enhance their own education and employment. 

The evaluation was funded by a $1.3 million grant from Helios Education Foundation, according to a city release.

Approved by city council and launched in 2017, Tempe PRE began as a two-year pilot program offering families free preschool. 

NORC’s long-term evaluation of the pilot program validates the city’s initial intentions: increase access to high-quality preschool, prepare students for school success and enable more families to thrive with new work and school opportunities and connections to city resources like housing, according to the release.

Director of NORC’s Early Childhood Research & Practice Collaborative Marc Hernandez said in the release that 47% of 4-year-old children from low-income backgrounds nationally were not enrolled in a preschool program as of 2019.

“There is a greater demand than supply, and programs that are available are often expensive, with insufficient subsidized options that meet low-income and working families’ needs,” Hernandez said. 

A 2017 study found only about one-third of Tempe’s 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in preschool, leaving more than 1,000 preschoolers unserved per year, the release explained. Such data supported the city’s resolve to create a preschool program.

Evaluation process

The NORC evaluation focused on Tempe PRE’s early beginnings, a $6 million, two-year pilot preschool program was housed within classrooms in two of the city’s school districts, Tempe Elementary and Kyrene school districts.

Tempe PRE, a free, full-day program, provided before- and after-school care to make it accessible to working families. The program also hired certified teachers and paid them salaries and benefits in line with district kindergarten teacher compensation, according to the release. 

The teachers underwent training on how to implement an evidence-based curriculum that emphasizes student-led learning, building social-emotional skills and empowering students to resolve conflicts.

NORC’s Early Childhood Research & Practice Collaborative worked with local partners to evaluate the program’s impact, the release stated.

Through classroom observation and interviews with principals, teachers and parents, NORC found that the program’s curriculum was faithfully implemented despite pandemic-related disruptions and benefited both students and their families.

Participating students were more prepared for kindergarten and had better vocabulary and social-emotional skills than their peers.

NORC shared these results in real time with local partners, allowing them to continuously improve the program.

According to the release, the program's HighScope curriculum promotes:

• Active learning,
• Student choice,
• Small group time,
• Individual work/playtime,
• Social-emotional skills,
• Conflict resolution and 
• Family and partner feedback.

Families interviewed during the evaluation applauded Tempe PRE for low teacher turnover, structured curriculum, before and after-school options, affordability and more. 

Teachers and school leaders also noted the benefits to families in the release, with one principal saying, “We’ve had parents get jobs. We’ve had parents, you know, be able to get better housing. So, all of those things, I think have really improved the quality of life for those families.”

City commitment

Tempe PRE has evolved over the years and currently has the capacity to serve 200 children in 11 classrooms on eight school campuses in the Tempe Elementary School District.

“NORC’s evaluation allowed us to demonstrate the pilot program’s success to Tempe City Councilmembers, who then committed ongoing funding for the program,” said Tim Burch, Tempe’s Community Health and Human Services director. “By clearly defining the program’s benefits, we were able to expand our reach to more children and families who otherwise would not have had access to this education and care.”

The City Council extended the program and introduced a sliding-scale tuition plan, and the program also began accepting DES childcare assistance. Those moves helped widen availability to families and add to the program’s financial sustainability. In 2023, the City Council strengthened its commitment to Tempe families by permanently funding Tempe PRE.

Preschool classrooms also participate in Quality First, a program of First Things First, which partners with regulated early childhood providers in Arizona to make quality improvements that help young children thrive. 

Tempe PRE now serves as a model for other cities wishing to start or enhance their own preschool programs.