1

Project Abstract

2014 Preschool Development Grants – Expansion Grants

State of New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department

• Overview

The federal Preschool Development – Expansion Grant competition provides New Mexico with 

an opportunity to create an ambitious and achievable plan to ensure that many more four-yearold children have access to improved early learning programs and enter kindergarten with the 

skills, knowledge and dispositions they need to be successful.

• Project Objectives and Activities

New Mexico’s Preschool Development-Expansion Grant proposal has five primary goals to 

increase quality and access to high-quality preschool programs: 

(1) Build on the state’s commitment to high-quality preschool programs to expand access 

to High-Quality Preschool Programs. New Mexico’s State Preschool Program, New Mexico 

PreK, is a voluntary program created by the Pre-Kindergarten Act of 2005 and jointly 

administered by the Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) and the Public Education 

Department (PED). The purpose of New Mexico PreK is to ensure that every child in New 

Mexico has the opportunity to attend a high quality childhood program before entering 

kindergarten. It is expected that New Mexico’s eligibility of receiving up to $12.5 million per 

year for four years will result in up to 1,000 additional children served in New Mexico PreK in 

at least 50 classrooms within the identified High-Need Communities.

(2) Expand high-quality preschool programs in high-need communities to increase 

preschool program slots in New Mexico’s identified Early Childhood Investment Zone 

communities. Thirty-five school districts (of 89 statewide) have been identified as New Mexico 

Early Childhood Investment Zones based on both socio-ecological factors and public school 

factors that indicate higher levels of risk for school failure. Communities within the Early 

Childhood Investment Zones will be funded to either expand existing New Mexico PreK slots 

or create new New Mexico PreK programs through a competitive proposal process.

(3) Ensure quality in New Mexico preschool programs by implementing:

• FOCUS, New Mexico’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System;

• Common Program Standards across all publicly funded New Mexico PreK Programs; 
2

• Comprehensive Assessment System as the basis for continuous quality improvement;

• The New Mexico Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA); and

• The New Mexico early learning data system providing information for educators, 

families and policymakers.

(4) Collaborate with our Subgrantee, Regional Education Cooperative (REC) IX to ensure 

strong partnerships. REC IX is an educational consortium serving several rural districts within 

New Mexico. REC IX will work with preschool programs to increase the number and 

percentage of eligible children served in High-Quality Preschool Programs during each year of 

the grant period, beginning no later than the end of year one of the grant period, through the 

creation of new and expanded programs in the Early Childhood Investment Zones.

(5) Align the state’s High-Quality Preschool Programs within a birth through third grade 

continuum. New Mexico PreK Programs will meet age appropriate standards and expectations 

that fit within the growth, development and learning benchmarks of New Mexico’s Early 

Learning Guidelines for children birth to eight years old.

• Proposed Project Outcomes

a) Serve more children in High-Quality Preschool Programs in Early Childhood Investment 

Zones including small, rural, and tribal communities

b) Increase the percentage of students ready for kindergarten 

c) Identify more children in need of early intervention through increased screenings and 

provide services

d) Increase parental engagement

e) Improve classroom environments and children and adult interactions

f) Increase inclusion of students with disabilities and dual language learners

g) Increase workforce competencies through high-quality professional development and 

university scholarships

• Names of other organizations for Collaboration: New Mexico Public Education 

Department;	Regional Education Cooperative IX; UNM Continuing Education, New 

Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children.