Below are resources for early childhood professionals and those serving the early childhood community.
Expanding Preschool Access for Children of Immigrants focuses on four geographically diverse school districts that have unusually high rates of PreK enrollment among low-income immigrant families. The authors identify findings that relate to the critical leadership roles that school districts and elementary schools play in ensuring that there are negligible or nonexistent gaps in PreK enrollment among children of immigrants and children of US-born parents.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) First Five Years Fund published its latest addition to its ESSA toolkit of resources, “Early Learning in State ESSA Plans: Implementation Snapshot” that provides an early look at where states are leveraging ESSA to develop new or bolster ongoing early childhood education efforts.
Groundbreaking Report on Financing ECE The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee of experts to study how to fund ECE that is accessible, affordable for families and of high quality. In its report, “Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education,” the committee concludes that “transforming the financing structure for ECE to meet the needs of all children and families will require greater coordination among financing mechanisms, as well as significant mobilization of financing and other resources across the public and private sectors.” The report is a follow up to the vision outlined in the 2015 report “Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8.”
Study Identifies Practices That Increase Immigrant Children’s Enrollment in Preschool Translated materials, interpreters, and staff members who speak parents’ language were important factors in helping families enroll their children. Some sites also supplemented state PreK funding with federal and local sources to reach more children. (Education Dive)
Framework in Action: Administrator Effectiveness – addresses the important roles and responsibilities of elementary principals, Early Care and Education directors/managers (from PreK, Head Start, and child care), and other district-level or program-level administrators. Much attention, both positive and negative, has been paid to administrators’ effectiveness in supporting young children’s learning and in building alignment between the traditionally disparate systems of birth-to-five and K-12.
IL – Long-term Gains: Pre-K Programs Lead to Furthered Education Later in Life Largest study to date of publicly funded early education program shows a major, sustained educational boost. (Scientific American)
