Early Learning expands access
Early childhood education is a critical first step in cognitive development and social-emotional learning. With the recent expansion of universal prekindergarten, Dallas ISD’s Early Learning department is paving the way by providing accessible, engaging and high-quality education for young learners.
Deborah Ramos, the assistant superintendent of Early Learning and Centralized Development, leads a dedicated team of early learning professionals as they implement this and other opportunities for the youngest learners.
Universal pre-K is among the department’s most significant initiatives. The program opens early learning to all preschool-age children for free, and will launch pre-primer programs.
“With primer programs, we will begin adding a new grade level after kindergarten to give children an academic advantage overall,” Ramos said. “We will pilot this at eight campuses in Fall 2026.”
Early Learning includes several areas beyond pre-K that work together to support teachers and classrooms across the district.
“Our goal is to support the instruction and the curriculum initiatives from our Academic Services team,” Ramos said. “They develop and design, and then we help with the implementation.”
One of those areas is Pre-K Partnerships, which collaborates with Dallas ISD childcare centers across the city to expand access to early learning opportunities.
Another is the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, known as HIPPY, which provides families with weekly lessons, books, and activities that empower them to embrace their role as their child’s first teacher. Ramos also oversees an instructional strategy team that visits campuses to support teachers through coaching and small-group instruction, as well as the centralized enrollment team.
Six years ago, the department also launched Reading Academies, a statewide initiative that helped unify and strengthen foundational literacy instruction across classrooms.
Ramos said the department’s balanced focus on reading and math instruction will continue to support teachers as they prepare students for elementary school.
“It is such an exciting experience to shape some of these spaces in early learning,” Ramos said. “The thing that really energizes me is getting to go out to the campuses and see it all come to life. It’s so rewarding to see our 3 and 4 year olds enjoy learning while being so smart and curious.”
One of the department’s newest advancements is introducing phonics concepts, such as sounds and letters, earlier in the curriculum, so students enter kindergarten with stronger academic readiness.
“Students can now get early exposure to foundational learning concepts well before transitioning into kindergarten,” Ramos said. “It will be really exciting to see the long term impact that this will have.”
