STARS Montana Early Education Program

Governor Steve Bullock recognizes that our greatest obligation is to the next generation of Montanans. It’s with this in mind that he’s put together a plan to make voluntary, high-quality early childhood education available to every Montana four year-old.

"Japan is using only half its population, so how can it compete internationally?"

"The longer policymakers wait to invest in American children, the less likely it is that they will achieve their full potential."

"The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to Policy for a New Generation of Pre-K."

"We found that about 80 percent of children with full-day preschool were at or above national norms in terms of school readiness, compared with 58 percent of children at a part-day program."

Montana qualified for the grant because it does not have a public preschool program.

How can K-12 education improve if policymakers don’t know how well children are doing in early learning settings?

Write to local leaders — or call, email, and Tweet. Congratulate them on winning their elections, O’Leary advised, and encourage them to focus on expanding and improving education for the state’s youngest children.

Watson explained what the goal of the new preschool is: "really trying to close the achievement gap."

"rich students are increasingly entering kindergarten much better prepared to succeed in school than middle-class students," and they’re staying that way.