Gov. Ivey: NIEER again ranks First Class Pre-K as nationâs best (Source: WSFA 12 News) By Jonathan Grass | April 19, 2021 at 2:43 PM CDT - Updated April 19 at 2:59 PM MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Gov. Kay Ivey says the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has ranked Alabama First Class Pre-K as the nationâs highest quality state pre-kindergarten program for the 15th consecutive year. âEnsuring our youngest learners have a strong start to their educational journeys is important now, more than ever. Alabama continues to set the nationwide bar for our success with the Alabama First Class Pre-K program,â Ivey said in a news release.