The preschool teacher embedded in Franklin Elementary School through the Green Hills AEA calls her students to the colorful rug in the front of the room. She outlines the posted schedule for the day and asks the class a question about today’s weather. Several hands shoot up, begging to be called on. The children aren’t yet in kindergarten, but they are learning classroom routines, the structure of a school day, and literacy at their level. With the support of Iowa West Foundation funding of $16 million over the past 18 years, Green Hills Area Education Agency has provided high-quality preschool programming for 4-year-olds throughout Pottawattamie County.
In 2022, 86 percent of kindergarteners met the fall benchmark for the early literacy screening in Pottawattamie’s Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) area, ranking 1st among all 38 areas. The 86 percent was a 30 percent increase from 2018-2019. Source: Iowa Department of Education.
*Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) areas comprise multiple counties based on population density. Pottawattamie is one of a few ECI areas represented by a single county.
“Attending full-day preschool is undeniably beneficial for all students.”
-Dr. Jason Plourde, Chief Administrator, Green Hills AE
The Iowa West Foundation has awarded $16 million over the past 18 years, specifically to preschools in Pottawattamie County.
The goal of preschool is kindergarten readiness because that readiness has a multiplier effect on third-grade reading ability, high school graduation rates, and future achievement outcomes.
High-quality preschool participation leads to:
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