https://www.fcd-us.org/when-worlds-collide-universal-prek-brings-new-challenges-for-public-elementary-schools/
In a November/December 2008 Harvard Education Letter article, David McKay Wilson looks at Universal PreK and the challenges its implementation brings to public elementary schools.
PreK is the fastest-growing sector in public education, with many elementary schools adding PreK classes or developing early childhood centers for young children. According to Wilson, adding another grade to a school isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when those being taught are three or four years old.
One emerging option offered is the PreK-3rd School. As described by Ellen Frede, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, creating a PreK-3rd School allows school leaders to focus on the younger students while also integrating PreK classrooms into the entire school. Professional development at a PreK-3rd School can also be effectively focused on early childhood development for all grades.