The General Appropriations Act, Article III, Rider 78, was passed by the 85th Texas Legislature, 2017, and signed by Governor Abbott on June 12, 2017. Rider 78 ensures that state-funded prekindergarten programs implement high-quality prekindergarten consistent with the High-Quality Prekindergarten program requirements in Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.167 – 29.171 and consistent with the provisions of TEC Chapters 41 and 42. 

These requirements include the use of a curriculum aligned with the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines, increased prekindergarten teacher training and/or qualifications, implementation of student progress monitoring, program evaluation and development of a family engagement plan. 

In implementing the high-quality prekindergarten components referenced in Rider 78, a school district shall make data from the results of program evaluations available to parents. Please click here to view information on the High-Quality Prekindergarten Self-Assessment and program evaluation results and next steps.