News Content Page

In recognition of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ release of a landmark five-year study showing that its Prime Time program is a catalyst for improving early literacy and school readiness and for its work with families and communities for more than 35 years to strengthen early literacy, the New Orleans City Council and Mayor Helena Moreno made the declration in the city.

The study’s results, announced at a press conference at the Rosa Keller Library and Community Center branch of the New Orleans Public Library, analyzed data from nearly 1,000 children participating in the free Prime Time Preschool program using Teaching Strategies GOLD® assessment data. The results are definitive: children who participate in Prime Time consistently finish preschool significantly ahead of their peers, particularly in early literacy and foundational math while also contributing cognitive skills (such as attention, persistence and problem solving) that contribute to broader school readiness. In practical terms, Prime Time participation is equivalent to moving a child from the 50th percentile to the 70th percentile in core developmental areas.