Result 3. All children are curious learners progressing towards their full potential

Indicator 3.3. % of 3 and 4 year olds enrolled in school

Current Value

38.0%

2021

Definition

Line Bar

About the Data

This indicator includes all 3 and 4-year-old children. The margin of error based on a 90-percent confidence interval is presented alongside each estimate.

All quantitative data and narrative related to the data on this page was prepared by CI NOW for ReadyKidSA.

Why Is This Important?

Attendance is an important factor in school success among children and youth. Studies show that better attendance is related to higher academic achievement for students of all backgrounds, but particularly for children with lower socio-economic status. Beginning in kindergarten, students who attend school regularly score higher on tests than their peers who are frequently absent. (http://www.childtrends.org/indicators/student-absenteeism/)

Race/Ethnicity

SCHOOL TYPE: Bexar County, 2021

	2020
	# of Children Enrolled (MOE)	% of Enrolled Children (MOE)
Public School	13,480 (±2,134)	61.9% (±7.0%)
Private School	8,298 (±2,003)	38.1% (±7.0%)
Total	21,778 (±2,842)	38.0% (±4.3%)

Source: US Census Bureau; ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S1401, 2021.

RACE/ETHNICITY: Bexar County, 2021

	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian	Black or African American	Hispanic or Latino	Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	Other	Two or More Races	White, not Hispanic
% of Enrolled Children	9.4%	30.8%	46.0%	38.9%	NA	23.5%	43.8%	47.0%
(MOE)	(±15.5%)	(±11.8%)	(±13.4%)	(±3.1%)	NA	(±22.9%)	(±15.2%)	(±5.8%)

Source: US Census Bureau; American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples: 5-Year estimates, 2021. All race categories are non-Hispanic.

Geographic Distribution

Bexar County, 2021

Story Behind the Curve

What factors are pushing up on the data?

Pre-K 4 SA & ISD having space for more children
Increase in Public Awareness
Geographic distribution and needs
Closing of private Pre-K due to expansion of public Pre-K
Not enough physical space for more children
Remote learning during the Pandemic

What factors are pushing down on the dat?

Accessibility - Transportation
Full day Pre-K vs. Half-days scheduling issues with/parents
Not enough spots
Eligibility Requirements
Decrease Workforce Participation
Value of Early Education
Public schools asking to form partnerships with ECE's

Partners

School districtsgsgsgsg
COSA
Early Matters
SA mayor
Elected officials
Family Service

Community Agencies
Family, friends, neighbors
Corporations
Hospitals
CCR

What Works

Evidence-based practices

Expanding Pre-K SA
Home-based programs
Group based programs

Promising Practices

No Cost/Low Cost

Increase of Public Awareness
Integrate information into 0-3 programs

Outside the Box Thinkingafafaffeafeafeafasgfsgfaf

More State $
More Slots
Universal Pre-K
Office of Early Education

Solutions and Strategies

Direct Service

Utilize parents and early learning practitioners to promote the benefits of prekindergarten and kindergarten to children and families.

Policy/Systems Change

Encourage all public and private early learning programs serving Bexar County to adopt a consistent, standardized enrollment process.
Shift the public's perception of, and value for, universal prekindergarten and kindergarten through common shared language beginning in early learning programs.

Funding

Assist families to better understand and leverage the network of supports available to help identify and access quality early learning programs.

Other

Leverage relationships with local celebrities to raise awareness of the importance of kinder readiness.
Use a database to track early learning programs to understand opportunities for improvement as well as the impact of collective efforts over time.

Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.