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UP 4 WS Fact Sheet Universal Preschool for West Sacramento, known as UP 4 WS (pronounced Up for West Sac), is a partnership between the City of West Sacramento, Washington Unified School District, First 5 Yolo and First 5 California, formed to make part-day, quality preschool available to all West Sacramento 4-year-olds. UP 4 WS established four top-priority goals:
The program began in the 2006 school year with 135 pre-existing preschool slots now funded by UP 4 WS. Following a gradual roll-out schedule, there will be 303 slots in the 2007/2008 school year and up to 485 by 2011. Beginning with the 2016 school year, UP 4 WS will offer all West Sacramento 4-year-olds no-cost preschool. UP 4 WS preschool locations will be publicized in English and Spanish on the UP 4 WS Web site. UP 4 WS preschool slots will be funded at various sites, including public and private schools and centers as well as licensed family daycare homes meeting the requirements. UP 4 WS preschool programs must:
UP 4 WS teachers must possess or be on track to acquire the necessary licensure and qualifications to teach within the program. Funding to enhance existing preschool programming and to support workforce development, teacher training and boost preschool teachers' salaries will be provided by UP 4 WS. Annual monetary stipends of up to $1,500 are available for students in the ECE field through existing programs such as CARES and CTC. Additional incentives for college students who complete their ECE degree are being established. At the West Sacramento campus of Sacramento City College, an ECE Degree Case Manager is available to:
Because needs assessments conducted for UP 4 WS revealed an increase in the number of West Sacramento resident families earning at or below the federal poverty level, more Head Start spots will be made available. Five out of eight West Sacramento elementary schools are listed by the state as "low performing" based on low levels of student proficiency. At those same five schools, on average, 93 percent of students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program and are considered low income. West Sacramento is considering extending preschool options to all-day programs for the many working parents who need that for their children. Research shows that quality preschool programs help children succeed in school and avoid crime later in life. Quality universal preschool throughout California could reduce juvenile crime by 19 percent and high school dropout rates by 14 percent. A recent RAND Corporation report predicts that universal preschool across the Central Valley would result in 1,600 fewer high school dropouts and 2,200 fewer criminal charges against juveniles per year. Proposition 82 from the June 2006 ballot and UP 4 WS are NOT related. Therefore, the failure of Proposition 82 has had no effect on UP 4 WS. UP 4 WS is administered by the UP 4 WS Advisory Council, which includes the mayor pro tem of West Sacramento, the assistant city manager, a Washington Unified School District board member, a home preschool provider, a private preschool representative, the County Childcare Planning Council coordinator and Child Care Services coordinator. UP 4 WS is funded jointly with West Sacramento providing two-fifths of the costs, First 5 Yolo and First 5 California each contributing one-fifth and the remainder coming from foundations and other supporters of universal preschool. For further information on UP 4 WS, please contact: |
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