Early Childhood Education

Kids who were babies at the height of the pandemic are starting preschool and kindergarten with more behavior problems than before COVID. And those behavior patterns can be a sign of developmental delays. On today’s In The NoCo, we hear more about why some of these kids are struggling – and what schools and teachers are doing to help.

Chalkbeat Colorado Early Childhood Reporter Ann Schimke joined us to discuss new proposed preschool quality rules for 2024.

A new report shows preschool enrollment rates dropped significantly during the pandemic. In the Mountain West, the rates of decline varied widely.

Colorado’s universal preschool plan called for children to get up to 30 hours a week at no cost to their families, provided there was enough money. It turns out there isn’t.

Chalkbeat Colorado Senior Reporter Ann Schimke joined us to discuss how things are going for the state’s new pre-K program.

A new report on the state of preschool highlights the big differences in access to early childhood education among states in the Mountain West, with several flunking and New Mexico at the head of the class.

A Chalkbeat analysis found some parts of the state are awash in preschool seats and others don’t have nearly enough.

As state leaders prepare to launch Colorado’s free preschool program next fall, some educators and advocates fear young children with disabilities will lose out under the new system.

Colorado’s 2022 legislative session proved positive for schools still struggling from the pandemic. Gov. Jared Polis signed bills into law that will have big impacts on education and educational institutions around the state, but it may take a while for these changes to be felt in classrooms.

In the first year of the pandemic, Colorado’s kindergarten enrollment plummeted. A year later, many young students are back in public schools, with statewide kindergarten enrollment trending back up.