Dive Brief:

• Over 1,800 Indiana families have submitted applications for the state's pre-K pilot, "On My Way Pre-K," which will begin its first phase next month.
• The program was meant to enroll only 350 four-year-olds during its rollout, however, the high demand means the state will expand to accept 100 extra students.
• Students will be selected through a randomized lottery.

Dive Insight:

According to the Associated Press, Gov. Mike Pence says the high interest in the program confirms the necessity for the state to provide early education options to low-income and disadvantaged students.

The need for pre-K in low-income communities is not just illuminated through high-application rates, but research as well. For example, a new report out of Washington state highlights the positive benefits of early education on disadvantaged students. Researchers from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that students who enrolled in the state's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program when they were three and four years old had a 7% higher passing rate on the fifth grade reading test and a 6% higher passing rate on the math test than students who were eligible for the program but didn't enroll.