Mississippi

Mississippi recently passed the bipartisan Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 and funding for Mississippi Building Blocks, which established preschool and technical assistance to private child care for the first time in the state. In December 2013, the state awarded the first round of Early Learning Collaborative awards to 11 communities for voluntary preschool. The state legislature approved $3 million for grants in 2013-2014, which will serve nearly two dozen school districts this year and reach an estimated 1,500 four-year-olds per year. Mississippi Building Blocks was also funded at $3 million to help child care center teachers provide help to approximately 1,100 children utilizing the Between the Lions Reading curriculum to teach early literacy. The Governor’s State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) continues to develop a systematic approach to addressing all areas of early education. SECAC is working in six key areas of early education: improving and expanding standards; revising and expanding quality rating systems; promoting quality professional and workforce development; increasing the use of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment; improving stakeholder and community partnerships; and building an early childhood data system.