Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) Program

Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) Program is sponsored by Tennessee Department of Education. State-funded pre-school program for four-year-old children from families meeting income eligibility requirements.

TENNESSEE FAMILIES: Multiple Promotion Pathways Available for 3rd Grade Students The Voluntary Pre-K initiative provides Tennessee's three- and four-year-old children—with an emphasis on four year olds who are at-risk as defined in T. C. A.

49-6-104—an opportunity to develop school readiness skills (pre-academic and social skills). Voluntary Pre-K classes promote a high-quality academic environment, which fosters the love and joy of learning and promotes success in kindergarten and throughout the child's life. Please direct all inquiries to Jessica Franklin .

History of Voluntary Pre-K The legislation for the Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) for Tennessee Act of 2005 was passed by both the House and the Senate in May of 2005. This law provided for the use of $25 million in excess lottery dollars in the 2005-06 school year to establish quality pre-kindergarten classrooms through a competitive grant process.

In subsequent years (2006-07 and 2007-08), Governor Bredesen's approved budget included additional state funding to expand Tennessee's VPK program classes to reach an ever growing number of at-risk pre-K children. Currently, over $85,0000,00 from the state education budget was allocated to school districts to operate 935 classrooms, which is serving 18,000 four year olds across the state. In 2016, the state legislature passed S.

B. 1899 (H. B.

1485.) This bill, referred to as the Pre-K Quality Act, requires the following: Competitive grant based on quality Pre-K and kindergarten student growth portfolios Legislative intent added that VPK prepare students for kindergarten Alignment between pre-K and K-12 instruction Office of Early Learning will develop definition of quality with which programs will comply Voluntary Pre-K Fact Sheet