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When it comes to early childhood education programs, quality is critical. High-quality preschool gives children a strong start on the path that leads to college and career success. This brief summarizes the substantial body of research on programs demonstrating positive results, as well as the professional standards for early education, including identifying important elements of quality.
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The long-term rewards of quality early education continue to collect an impressive basket of evidence. An overwhelming majority of voters continue to call out the importance of quality preschool, even if the issue has not yet gotten much airtime in the 2016 presidential election. But how do parents know whether a preschool is of high quality?
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This brief identifies important elements of high-quality early childhood education programs as indicated by research and professional standards, with a focus on factors that contribute to meaningful teacher-child interactions. With California the home to 493,877 preschool-age children living in or near poverty, these findings hold particular interest for the Golden State, as low-income children are most likely to benefit from high-quality pre-k programs.
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In 2013, Bill de Blasio campaigned for mayor on a promise of universal pre-K. Two years later, New York City enrolls more children in full-day pre-K than the total number of students in San Francisco or Boston. New York City’s experience instituting a high-quality program so quickly provides valuable lessons for pre-K efforts across the country.
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Does preschool work? Although early education has been widely praised as the magic bullet that can transport poor kids into the education mainstream, a major new study raises serious doubts. A closer analysis, however, underscores the importance of quality if preschool is to have a positive long-term impact on children’s lives.
LPI has conducted research on several individual states, often at the request of state policymakers, to help inform evidence-based policies and support the work of states to reimagine their education systems.
To help inform California’s systemic shifts towards whole child education, the Learning Policy Institute provides critical and timely research across several key issue areas.
Teacher turnover and shortages hurt student outcomes and well-being. Research identifies a number of evidence-based strategies to recruit and retain a diverse, high-quality teacher workforce.
The Learning Policy Institute released its California policy brief, The Building Blocks of High-Quality Early Childhood Education Programs, at a convening co-hosted by Early Edge California and Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) in Sacramento.
Policymakers and researchers gathered in Washington, DC, to attend the forum The Road to High-Quality Early Learning: Lessons From the States to discuss how four states—Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia—devised a set of strategies for delivering high-quality early childhood education programs at scale.
