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KEY ISSUES
*We have an updated version of this page, please refer to our Early Care and Education Key Issue page.
Forty-four states, plus the District of Columbia, fund pre-K programs, which are often seen as critical to early childhood development. Research shows short- and long-term benefits, from academic gains to social and emotional development, for students who enroll in high quality pre-K. The resources on this page cover outcomes, funding models and policy trends.
REPORT
Policy Reports
Relevant context and state policy examples concerning pre-K.
Blog Posts
Legislative trends and other news with implications for pre-K.
Attendance declines and interruptions to instruction and care have led to a rise in behavioral issues and growing gaps in literacy and math for young children. Given these challenges, the transition into kindergarten has come into focus as a critical junction where education systems can support early learners by focusing on the whole child and taking a more comprehensive approach.
Policies that expand access to high-quality medical care and early childhood programs provide important benefits to children and families, such as improved literacy and numeracy skills and executive function at kindergarten entry and beyond.
Young children with disabilities and developmental delays experienced unique hardships during the pandemic, including a significant decline in access to early childhood special education services (ECSE).
COUNSEL
State Information Requests
Brief issue scans, typically provided within 48 hours, that provide top-level information on pre-K.
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View all available pre-K resources:
Explore our State Education Policy Tracking resource:
Browse pending legislation on our State Education Policy Watchlist: