Alabama School Readiness Alliance (ASRA) supports the growth
of high quality pre-k in Alabama. ASRA is a joint effort of
  • Alabama Giving,
  • Alabama Partnership for Children,
  • A+ Education Partnership, and 
  • VOICES for Alabama's Children.
In 2006, these four powerful voices for children agreed that the highest priority issue facing Alabama's future was closing the achievement gaps among children entering kindergarten.

ASRA's work is to ensure that high-quality pre-k is a continuing priority for Alabama's children, parents, community leaders, legislators and governing officials.


What is School Readiness?

The Five Domains of School Readiness
There is consensus, based upon a wealth of research, that a child’s readiness for school should be measured and addressed across five distinct but connected domains:

  • Physical Well-Being and Motor Development.
  • Social and Emotional Development.
  • Approaches to Learning.
  • Language Development.
  • Cognition and General Knowledge.

For more information:
Getting Ready Website

Why Pre-K?

Pre-k is the single best investment in our state's economy. By closing achievement gaps in a child's earliest years, Alabama will have fewer high school drop outs and a higher quality workforce.
Alabama's Pre-K program is best in the nation for quality. In fact, for the past 6 years, the National Institute for Early Education Research ranked the quality of Alabama's Pre-K program as a perfect 10! 
A majority of Alabama voters support the expansion of high quality, voluntary pre-k and approve of a budget increase to provide greater access for children according to voter polls conducted by ASRA.
ASRA's number one priority is to make a high quality pre-kindergarten education available to every 4-year-old in the state. Alabama's pre-kindergarted program is 100 percent voluntary.
More than 200 individuals, businesses and community organizations have already expressedt heir support for the expansion of high-quality, voluntary pre-k by joining the Alabama School Readiness Alliance.
High quality pre-k has been proven to reduce the social and economic costs associated with retaining students in lower grades and students eventually dropping out of high school. High-quality pre-k is a strategy for improving the overall economic condition of our state by building tomorrow's workforce today and by improving the lives of all children.