Purpose |
This report provides information on Texas public school prekindergarten (PK) programs. This report includes enrolled |
prekindergarten students ages three and four as of September 1 and, therefore, counts may not match counts on other reports that |
include prekindergarten students of all ages. It includes information on the number of school districts and schools that provide full- |
day and half-day programs as well as student enrollment. For students ages three or four as of September 1 of the school year, |
enrollment in public prekindergarten is shown for students by race/ethnicity, gender, average daily attendance (ADA) eligibility, |
economically disadvantaged, Emergent Bilingual (EB)/English learner (EL), and other student programs. Information about the PK |
curricula used, PK class size, and student-to-teacher ratio are included. Additionally, this report provides high-level information on |
prekindergarten funding sources and expenditures. This report is available at the state level and by individual school districts. |
Data Elements |
Data Source |
Data in this report for Texas public school district prekindergarten programs come from the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Public |
Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and from the TEA's Early Childhood Data System (ECDS). In this report, |
public prekindergarten student enrollment is defined as the number of prekindergarten enrollees ages three and four who were |
reported enrolled as of the Fall Snapshot date (last Friday in October) of each year. To protect student confidentiality, small data |
numbers in this report are masked, i.e., shown as asterisks (*) in data tables and graphed as zeros in charts, but not all zeroes in |
charts represent masked data. Data in this report are updated annually. If actual expenditure data are not available for the most |
recent school year, they are not shown. |
Age |
For the purpose of this report and for establishing Foundation School Program eligibility, a student’s age is as of September 1 of |
the school year. |
About the Data |
All Funds Revenue includes all revenue received by the districts, including general fund revenue plus federal grant programs, |
national school lunch revenue, state grant programs, debt service revenue, and capital projects funds. |
All Funds Revenue |
For more information about prekindergarten, see the TEA website at: |
For more information about ADA eligibility and funding sources see the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook at: |
The number of students in average daily attendance. ADA is based on the number of days of instruction in the school year. The |
aggregate number of days of attendance is divided by the number of days of instruction to compute ADA. ADA is used in a formula |
to distribute funding to Texas public school districts. |
Average Daily |
Attendance (ADA) |
A student who is coded as eligible in the attendance accounting system (coded with ADA eligibility as eligible for full-day |
attendance, eligible for half-day attendance, eligible transfer student for full-day attendance, eligible transfer student for half-day |
attendance, or eligible flex attend program participation). |
ADA Eligible Student |
A student is designated as economically disadvantaged if he/she is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or eligible for other public |
assistance as defined in the TEA’s Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) Data Standards. |
Economically |
Disadvantaged |
The program under which Texas public school districts receive resources to provide a basic instructional program and facilities to |
eligible students. |
Foundation School |
Program (FSP) |
The Texas Education Agency’s fiscal year runs from September 1 of the current calendar year through August 31 of the next |
calendar year. |
Fiscal year |
Emergent Bilingual EB)/ |
English Learner (EL) |
Emergent Bilingual (EB)/English learner (EL) refers to students who have limited English language skills. A student is identified as |
EB/EL by the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) according to criteria established in the Texas Administrative |
Code. |
A public school providing full & half-day instruction provides both full-day and half-day prekindergarten programs. |
Full & Half-Day Program |
Full-Day Only/Full-Day |
Program |
A public school providing prekindergarten full-day only student instruction serves all students for four or more hours. |
Students who are in or who have ever been in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services |
(DFPS) (i.e., in foster care) following an adversary hearing are eligible for free prekindergarten. These students include not only |
students who are in or who have ever been in DFPS conservatorship but also students who have been adopted or returned to their |
parents after having been in DFPS conservatorship. |
Foster Care |
The number of students of all ages in a Texas public prekindergarten class. For more information see Calculated Data Elements |
below. |
Class Size |
The name(s) of the prekindergarten curriculum or curricula used for instruction by a Texas public school or district in |
prekindergarten classes. A school or district may employ more than one curriculum. In this report, “Other Unspecified” refers to a |
curriculum used by a district that is not included on the Texas Education Agency’s Instructional Materials approved curriculum list. |
Curricula |
For more information about prekindergarten curricula, see the TEA website at: |
Half-Day Only/Half-Day |
Program |
A public school providing prekindergarten half-day only student instruction serves all students for at least two hours but less than |
four hours. |
Military Child |
A student is eligible for prekindergarten if the student is the child of an active duty, injured or killed member of the armed forces of |
the United States, including the state military forces or a reserved component of the armed forces. |
General Fund Revenue includes revenue for maintenance and operations that may be expended at the designation of the governing |
board of the school district as opposed to having a legally restricted expenditure requirement. Some of the revenue sources include |
M&O taxes, other local M&O revenue, state aid under the FSP, and available school fund revenue. It is audited data reported |
annually to TEA by school districts and charter schools. (The M&O tax rate provides funds for the maintenance and operations |
costs of a school district.) |
General Fund Revenue |
If the student is eligible for prekindergarten because the student is homeless, the student must fit the definition of homeless as |
defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302 or 42 U.S.C. Section 11434(a).The term “homeless child,” as used in the prekindergarten |
statute, TEC, §29.153(b)(3), is defined by 42 USC, §11434a. The definition of “homeless,” “homeless individual,” and “homeless |
person” in 42 USC, §11302, is similar, but not identical, to the definition of “homeless children and youths” in 42 USC, §11434a. As |
the general admission provision in the TEC, §25.001(b) (5), references the homeless definition in 42 USC, §11302, the TEA advises |
school districts to apply 42 USC, §11434a, and 42 USC, §11302, when determining whether a prekindergarten student is eligible for |
enrollment. For definitions, see entry for “Homeless Students” in the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook. |
Homeless |
The Texas Education Agency funds half-day prekindergarten through the Foundation School Program for ADA eligible three- and |
four-year-old students. Eligible students who receive special education services and attend a full day of prekindergarten programs |
are eligible for a full day of attendance. For students who are ADA eligible for half-day attendance and attending eligible full-day |
programs, districts may fund the second half of a full-day program in a variety of ways including but not limited to local funds, state, |
federal or foundation grants. Districts may also provide prekindergarten classes to children who are not ADA eligible on a tuition |
basis or fund half-day and full-day programs in a variety of ways. |
Funding Sources |
Race/Ethnicity |
A public school district is required to offer a prekindergarten program if it identifies 15 or more eligible students who are at least four |
years of age by September 1 of the school year. A school district may offer prekindergarten if the district identifies 15 or more |
eligible children who are at least three years of age. To be eligible to attend a state funded prekindergarten program, the child must |
meet one of the following criteria. |
Prekindergarten Eligibility: |
· is unable to speak and comprehend the English language; |
· is educationally disadvantaged; |
· is homeless; |
· is the child of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States; |
· is the child of a member of the armed forces who was injured or killed while on active duty; |
· is the child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first |
responder; or |
· is or ever has been in foster care. |
A school district may offer a tuition-based program for an additional half day of prekindergarten classes to those children who are |
eligible for free prekindergarten classes or half-day and full-day prekindergarten classes to children who are ineligible for free |
prekindergarten classes. |
Prekindergarten (PK) |
Special education is a program that serves students with disabilities. It provides instructional and related services for eligible |
students with cognitive, physical, and/or emotional disabilities. |
Special Education |
Race/ethnicity is one of the demographic characteristics reported for each student at the time of enrollment. The categories used in |
this report are described in the PEIMS Data Standards as: |
· Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. |
· Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, |
including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and |
Vietnam. |
· Hispanic/Latino - A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, |
regardless of race. |
· American Indian or Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America |
(including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment. |
· White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. |
· Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or |
other Pacific Islands. |
· Two or more races - A person having origins in any two, or more than two, non-Hispanic racial categories, e.g., Black or |
African American and White. |
The Student-to-Teacher Ratio is based on the number of prekindergarten students of all ages and the number of prekindergarten |
teachers of record and assistant teachers. For example, a ratio of 11:1 indicates 11 students for every one teacher. See Calculated |
Data Elements below. |
Student-to-Teacher Ratio |
Student-to-Teacher Ratio |
Including Instructional |
Aides |
The Student-to-Teacher Ratio Including Instructional Aides is based on the number of prekindergarten students of all ages and the |
number of prekindergarten teachers of record, assistant teachers and instructional aides. For example, a ratio of 11:1 indicates 11 |
students for every one teacher. See Calculated Data Elements below. |
Calculated Data Elements |
The number of public school districts (including charter schools but does not include the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for |
the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools) providing a prekindergarten program. |
Number of Districts |
Providing PK |
For the purpose of this report, expenditure per student is calculated as prekindergarten program expenditures divided by the total |
number of enrolled prekindergarten students in membership. The number of prekindergarten students in membership includes |
prekindergarten students of all ages. |
Expenditure Per Student |
The number of prekindergarten students of all ages enrolled in the Texas public school system as of the Fall Snapshot date (the last |
Friday in October) of each year. These enrollment counts include students enrolled in full-day or half-day programs and enrolled |
students who are served less than two hours per day. Prekindergarten enrollment of all ages includes any student served by a public |
school district including charter schools but not including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for the Blind and Visually |
Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools. |
Prekindergarten |
Enrollment of All Ages |
First Grade Enrollment |
All Students |
First Grade Enrollment |
PK Eligible Student |
Programs |
The number of students enrolled in first grade in the Texas public school system as of the Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in |
October) of each year. Student enrollment includes any student served by a public school district including charter schools but not |
including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department |
schools. |
The number of students enrolled in first grade in the Texas public school system as of the Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in |
October) of each year who are either economically disadvantaged, Emergent Bilingual (EB)/English learner (EL), in foster care, |
homeless or are military children. Student enrollment includes any student served by a public school district including charter schools |
but not including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice |
Department schools. |
The median class size is the “middle” class size. Fifty percent of the class sizes are above the median and fifty percent of the |
class sizes are below the median. In this report, ECDS is the data source for number of students in a class. |
Median Class Size |
The number of prekindergarten students ages three or four as of September 1 enrolled in the Texas public school system as of the |
Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in October) of each year. These enrollment counts include students enrolled in either full-day or |
half-day programs; enrolled students who are not served at least two hours per day are not included. Student enrollment includes any |
student served by a public school district including charter schools but not including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for |
the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools. |
Student Enrollment |
For this report, prekindergarten membership is defined as the number of prekindergarten students of all ages who were reported in |
membership as of the Fall Snapshot date (last Friday in October) of each year. These membership counts include any |
prekindergarten student served at least two hours per day by a public school district including charter schools but not including the |
Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools. |
Membership is a slightly different number from prekindergarten enrollment of all ages, because it does not include those |
prekindergarten students who are served in the district for fewer than two hours per day. |
Prekindergarten |
Membership |
Prekindergarten |
Enrollment Age 4 |
The number of prekindergarten students who are age four as of September 1 and enrolled in the Texas public school system as of the |
Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in October) of each year. These enrollment counts include students enrolled in either full-day or |
half-day programs; enrolled students who are not served at least two hours per day are not included. Student enrollment includes any |
student served by a public school district including charter schools but not including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas School for |
the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools. |
Student-to-Teacher Ratio |
The number of prekindergarten students of all ages divided by the number of prekindergarten teachers of record and assistant |
teachers. At the school level, it is the ratio of prekindergarten students and teachers in the school. The district ratio is the ratio of |
prekindergarten students and teachers in the district, and the state ratio includes all prekindergarten students and teachers in |
Texas. In this report, ECDS is the data source for students and teachers associated with a class. |
The number of prekindergarten students grouped into three different ranges based on a student's class size: 1-11, 12-18, and 19 or |
More. The students included in the counts are ages three or four as of September 1 and enrolled in the Texas public school system |
as of the Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in October) of each year. |
Prekindergarten Student |
Counts by Class Size |
Bin |
The number of prekindergarten students grouped into three different student-to-teacher (including instructional aides) ratios: 1:1- |
1:10, 11:1-15:1, and 16:1 or More. The students included in the counts are ages three or four as of September 1 and enrolled in the |
Texas public school system as of the Fall Snapshot date (the last Friday in October) of each year. |
Prekindergarten Student |
Counts by Student-to- |
Teacher (including |
Instructional Aides) Ratio |
Bin |
Total Number of Districts |
The number of active Texas public school districts including charter schools but not including the Texas School for the Deaf, Texas |
School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department schools. |
The weighted average of two student-to-teacher ratios: student-to-teacher ratio including prekindergarten students of all ages in |
classes without aides and a student-to-teacher ratio including prekindergarten students of all ages in classes with aides. Each ratio |
is weighted by the number of students used in the ratio calculation. The ratio calculations consider teachers of record, assistant |
teachers and instructional aides. At the school level, the ratio calculations include only prekindergarten students and teachers and |
aides in the school. The district ratio includes prekindergarten students and teachers and aides in the district, and the state ratio |
includes all teachers and aides in the state. In this report, ECDS is the data source for students and teachers associated with a |
class. |
Student-to-Teacher Ratio |
Including Instructional |
Aides |