For Early Childhood Education, Tulsa, Okla., Stands Out

By Claudio Sanchez

Published April 22, 2014 at 5:03 AM EDT

Preschool students from Nikki Jones's class at Porter Early Childhood Development Center in Tulsa line up in the hallway on their way back from outside play.

The federal government spends almost $8 billion on preschool programs across the country, mostly on low income 4-year-olds. States spend billions more. But with at least 30 states planning to expand access to pre-K and President Obama promoting "preschool for all," what constitutes a quality preschool program?

NPR's education team set out to better understand what separates the nation's best programs from the rest, and that journey led to a surprising place: Tulsa, Okla. You can read more about early childhood education and what sets Tulsa apart — and watch a video from a Tulsa preschool classroom, here.