Giving Compass' Take:

• This Education Dive post reports on recent findings that show how funding gaps are limiting access to early-childhood programs in North Carolina.

• This article also discusses a shift from short-term benefits in pre-K programs to longer-term thinking. How might donors help bridge some of the funding shortfalls?

• Here's a pre-K evaluation roadmap for optimizing effectiveness.

While North Carolina has a reputation for supporting high-quality early education programs, a new analysis by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) finds that the state's current funding method creates barriers that limit children's access to pre-K. Currently 47% of eligible children in the state attend the state-funded program.

NC Pre-K, launched in 2001, has produced good results in most children with access. Research by Duke University found participation boosted math and reading test scores, lowered the likelihood children would repeat a grade by the end of primary school and reduced the need for special education.

NIEER recommends state policymakers develop targets to enroll 75% of eligible children based on census data, increase the state pre-K reimbursement rate which was set in 2012, encourage new pre-K start ups with grants to cover expansion costs and require school districts to enroll all eligible children in the program.

Read the full article about lack of funding limits North Carolina's pre-K initiative by Amelia Harper at Education Dive.