The final results of a two-year initiative to improve the quality of Pre-K in Forsyth County show strong student outcomes.
Forsyth County and the city of Winston-Salem funded the Pre-K Model Cohort Classroom initiative in 2023 with $4 million in COVID-19 relief.
The project focused on teacher investment, family engagement and the use of an equity audit tool to identify gaps. Officials presented the final results of the two-year initiative at a public event on Thursday afternoon.
The roughly 700 students in the cohort outpaced NC Pre-K students in math, social-emotional development and more.
Teachers had positive outcomes too, with an 83% retention rate across all cohort sites, and 100% retention in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools classrooms specifically.
Leslie Mullinix, with the Pre-K Priority, says the goal is to scale the model — but that will take state and local funding.
“We do have a work group that is focused around, how do you continue to build advocacy towards that? And how can you realize that when we are sometimes in a scarcity mindset about the funding that's available," Mullinix said.
In the meantime, the Pre-K Priority plans to develop a community-wide children’s health and assessment fair, and help families prepare for the transition to kindergarten.