Katherine Brandt has been very familiar with the first-rate quality of Durham PreK programs for some time now. After all, she has served as Provider Supplements and Data Manager for Early Years for more than five years.

Now Brandt is the parent of a child who is beginning pre-school in the 2026-27 school year. And her confidence in DPK only deepened when she reviewed and analyzed the overwhelmingly positive results of the Early Years Parent Survey for the 2025-26 school year. The survey is administered toward the end of each school year to assess how satisfied DPK parents are with their children’s preschool experience. (Beginning in 2026-27, Early Years will add a fall survey as well.)

“Overall, parents report that they’re really satisfied with their DPK programs,” said Brandt.

Quantitative data points gathered from the survey were overall very positive. They include:

• 88 percent of respondents reported a “good or very good experience” with Durham PreK
• 93 percent reported that their child enjoyed attending their DPK program
• 93 percent would recommend Durham PreK to their friends
• 92 percent feel that their child is better prepared for kindergarten as a result of participating in a DPK program. 

The impact behind the numbers

These results were underscored by written comments that parents were given the opportunity to share as part of the survey. Following are just a few of the many quotes received from happy DPK parents:

• “Durham PreK has been an amazing fit for our child. I have seen her grow socially, emotionally, and academically. I am an educator myself and am constantly impressed with the teachers, content, and enrichment activities she interacts with every day. I really do think this year of PreK has prepared her to enter kindergarten ready to hit the ground running! We are so thankful for Durham Pre-K!”
• “Through Durham PreK, my child has learned more than I ever expected a 4-year old could know. He’s learned about science, he can do some basic math, and he’s learning to read. Most of all, his teachers have encouraged him and have instilled a love and curiosity for learning that is so wonderful to see.”
• “(DPK) has really helped my daughter develop. She is now very social and loves school. Her site helped her become comfortable and welcomed her. She now wakes up and wants to go to school. It has helped me at home with my teaching and helping with homework. I am convinced she is learning at school because I can see the impact.”
• “My kid was having behavior issues before PreK. He has learned a lot in PreK, including speech/communication, literacy skills, and independence. He behaves so much better now and follows directions and even does chores. He communicates so well, and I am so pleased with his program. It has made such an impact.”
• “My child has grown across the board—academically, socially, emotionally, and physically—and is far more prepared for kindergarten than she would have been otherwise. The structure and level of engagement go well beyond what we experienced in traditional childcare, and she is genuinely being challenged in a way that feels appropriate and supportive. I feel much more confident navigating the school system and supporting her learning, which directly impacts her success.  Financially, it has been a lifeline. For families like ours who do not qualify for childcare assistance but still feel the strain of high childcare costs, Durham PreK fills a critical gap. It has made high-quality early education accessible in a way that would otherwise be very difficult.”

Listening to and learning from a broad audience and taking action for improvement

The purpose of the survey is to ensure not only that parents are happy with their children’s preschool experiences, but also to be transparent in our attempts to discover where there might be room for improvement, said Brandt. 

“The whole program is very data driven. I think the real desire is to fully understand parents’ experiences with the program,” said Brandt. “We want to confirm that what we hope to have occurring in the classroom is actually happening, and that the support that is needed in our classrooms is really there.”

Early Years took extra measures to ensure that not only as many parents as possible completed the survey, but also to ensure representation of parents from all backgrounds served in DPK programs. This included three reminder emails to parents, as well as direct phone calls to doubly ensure that parents had received the survey and would be willing to complete it. Surveys were available in English and Spanish.

Early Years routinely aims to reach its goal of having at least 30 percent of parents complete the annual survey, which is generally considered an ample completion rate. For the 2025-26 survey, there was a completion rate of 37 percent.

“We go out of our way to make sure the surveys are completed,” said Brandt. “We make sure that we have a good balance of parents who participate. I’m always proud to see that the people who complete our survey truly represent the people we serve.”

Looking ahead: What's new for 2026–27

While surveying parents at the end of the school year has been extremely helpful to Early Years in making plans for greater success in the subsequent years, Brandt said that for the 2026-27 school year surveys will be administered both near the beginning and end of the school year. This will bolster efforts to address any issues or concerns parents might have come across over the first several weeks.

Strong and effective communication between and among parents, teachers, and administrators is one area that often pops up in surveys, and one which DPK seeks to continually improve. Other areas include hours of operation and transportation issues, said Brandt.

Also new for the 2026-27 school year is the development and implementation of a new DPK database. Within this new tool will be a refined application and enrollment process. The new database is expected to be unveiled in early 2027. There will be more information about the new database in the coming months.