Preschool/Primary

Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky’s expanded five-star quality rating and improvement system for early care and education programs. Studies show that children who attend high quality early learning environments have better math, language and social skills. The unified system serves all early care and education programs that receive public funding including child care centers, Head Start and public preschool. Kentucky All STARS is based on Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards and research-based indicators of quality. It recognizes programs that have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement. On the path toward higher quality, programs can benefit from supports including training, technical assistance and coaching.

KY All STARS ratings for State Funded Preschool sites

 

To learn more about Kentucky All STARS and to read the Standards of Quality, please visit the Kentucky All STARS website​.

 

Kentucky's preschool education programs are available for all four-year-old children whose family income is no more than 160% of poverty; all three and four-year-old children with developmental delays and disabilities, regardless of income; and other four-year- old children as placements are available based on district decision.​

 

The preschool program is designed to be developmentally appropriate for young children.  "Developmentally appropriate" is defined in law to mean that the program focuses on the child's physical, intellectual, social and emotional development, including interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socialization skills.

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Primary

Kentucky's primary program is that part of the elementary school program in which children are enrolled from the time they begin school until they are ready to enter the intermediate program (fourth grade). The primary program includes the following critical attributes: continuous progress; developmentally appropriate educational practices; authentic assessment; multiage and multiability classrooms; qualitative reporting methods; professional teamwork; and positive parent involvement.