Awards and Recognition
Pre-K division receives Customer Service Award from Gov. Sonny Perdue
The Pre-K division of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning was presented with a Governor's Customer Service Award during a ceremony at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Pre-K division, one of 636 nominations submitted to the Governor's office, was chosen to receive the Governor's Award for Team Excellence in Customer Service by an independent panel from the private sector.
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National Institute for Early Education Research
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) issued the State of Preschool 2003 State Preschool Yearbook to provide information on state Pre-K programs. Georgia's Pre-K Program received quality ratings in the areas of teacher specialized training, teacher in-service requirement, maximum class size, staff-child ratios, screen/referral requirements, family support service requirements and meal requirements.
Center for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement
The Center for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) evaluated early math and language/literacy standards for preschool programs nationwide. Georgia's Pre-K Content Standards received an "A" for meeting quality instructional standards in early childhood literacy and math. The reviewers examined emphasis on skills, research base, clarity, balance and manageability, comprehensiveness, and appropriateness in multiple settings.
The ECS State Innovation Award
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) recognizes a state for excellence in a policy area related to the current chairman's initiative. Georgia's Office of School Readiness received the 2000-01 award for offering universal preschool on a statewide basis to all four year olds. Georgia's Pre-K Program was recognized for its commitment to early learning and an outstanding example of the work advanced through the ECS Early Learning Initiative.
Innovations in American Government Award
Georgia's Pre-K Program was recognized as the most comprehensive and unique preschool initiative in the nation, receiving the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award in November 1997. The Ford Foundation established the awards program to honor exemplary programs that address important social and economic initiatives that can be replicated. Administered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the program celebrates the capacity of federal, state, and local governments to meet critical societal needs in a period of reduced resources and increased public skepticism about government.