These new programs will be run by the Agape community development center in Canton, Greenwood school district, Grenada school district, and Starkville-Oktibbeha school district. This brings the total number to 14 collaboratives. The Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013, which established the program, provides state funding to local communities to help them start or expand high-quality early education services for children under 4. In 2016, the Legislature increased the total appropriation by $1 million. Officials from the State Education say that the current early learning collaborations have achieved impressive results. All programs’ students scored the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment target score, which means they are ready for kindergarten. The individual readiness score of 71.4 percent was achieved by students participating in collaboratives, an increase of 59 percent from 2015.