Governor Ron DeSantis is ordering changes to Florida's VPK program.
Voluntary Pre-K readiness rates from the 2017-2018 academic year just released show that 42 percent of children who took part in the VPK program were not ready for kindergarten.
The governor says the failure rate is "not defendable." He has asked Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to create a plan to ensure children get a good start to their education and directed funding to make it happen.
DeSantis did not go into detail on what steps might be taken.
Here's more from prepared statements:
“A 42 percent failure rate is simply not defendable and certainly not good enough for Florida’s youngest learners," DeSantis said. "I have asked Commissioner Corcoran to prioritize this issue and direct available funding to make enhancements. Nearly three-quarters of Florida parents rely on VPK programs to lay the academic and social foundation necessary for their children to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”
Corcoran writes: "We must have a real accountability measure for all our school readiness programs. We are highlighting this data to serve as a rallying cry going forward that we will improve our early learning opportunities for students."