HOT TOPICS
The State of Preschool 2022 Yearbook is HERE!
Over the last 20 years, preschool enrollment has more than doubled and so has inflation-adjusted spending. But that means spending per child (2021-2022 was $6,571) was unchanged from 20 years ago after adjusting for inflation, and it was never enough to support quality, full-day programs. Moreover, even doubling enrollment reaches just a third of children in the nation, so most continue to lack access to high-quality preschool. Remarkably, there are signs this might change dramatically in the next few years. Seven states are currently working towards preschool for all – California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Success in these states (with a quarter of the nation’s children) would dramatically alter the early childhood education (ECE) landscape. In this report, NIEER calls on leaders to take stock of their ECE systems and for the federal government to provide more support to states. See how your state is doing and what more needs to be done.
Read the full report now.
THE STATE OF PRESCHOOL: 2022 FAST FACTS
- Forty-four states, Washington, D.C., and Guam provide publicly-funded preschool to almost 1.53 million children.
- Nine states served more than half of its 4-year-olds; Only D.C. served more than half of its 3-year-olds.
- Enrollment increased by 13% and increased in nearly every state. However, enrollment was still 8% below pre-pandemic levels.
- States spent $9.9 billion on pre-K in 2021-2022, including $393 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
- Spending per child has not changed in 20 years and is too low to support quality full-day preschool.
- Five states met all ten quality standards benchmarks. Nine states met fewer than half.
- Six states still do not fund pre-K programs.
Coming Wednesday, May 24th – The First-Ever State(s) of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education: Looking at Equity Report will be Released
NIEER’s new equity audit of programs for young children with special needs provides a much- needed assessment nationally and state-by-state based on 15 years of data. Our primary focus is on 2020-21 but we examine trends back to 2005-06. The report finds serious equity concerns in both early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE). Get the full report Wednesday, May 24th.
Researchers report that while school librarians are certified to serve prekindergarten (pre-K) students in about half the states, only a few have school library standards for pre-K. They suggest that librarians lack direction on how to best serve preschool children. The study authors discuss implications for future research and policy.
Read the report here.
Digitalization and AI are transforming social and economic life at lightning speeds, creating new demands for education systems. The use of new technologies can help develop the digital skills of young children and enrich their learning environment. But what are the challenges? And how can we support parents, early educators, and caregivers in creating positive technology experiences for young children whilst also understanding and managing the risks that exist? Join the webinar to discover the key findings of the OECD report Empowering Young Children in the Digital Age and hear from experts supporting the careful development of early digital literacy.
RSVP here.
NIEER ACTIVITY
Authored by policy experts including Dr. Milagros Nores, Co-Director for Research at NIEER, the report synthesizes information on the relationship between the opportunity and achievement gaps for young children from birth to age eight and makes recommendations on how to improve conditions and promote success for children – at home, in communities, and in schools.
Read the report.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION POLICY
Weekly Feature
Researchers report persistent positive effects of field-trip activities on the social-emotional skills of children in an experimental study at 12-week follow-up. The study took place in Turkey during the 2015-2016 academic year. The results are considered in light of previous research and suggestions for future research and practice are provided.
Publish in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy (IJCCEP)
- It’s FREE – article processing charges for all articles published in the journal are fully sponsored.
- The journal is indexed by Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and by Scopus.
- All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Authors will retain copyright.
ECE RESEARCH
A new study found that professional development improves physical literacy instructional outcomes of early childhood educators. They also report that it improves greater physical literacy application and knowledge. Suggestions for future research and practice are provided.
Early Childhood Teaching Credentials: Lessons for California
With California poised to fully implement preschool for all, an important new monograph identifies policy strategies to inform California state policymakers and institutions of higher education on “efforts to improve candidate recruitment, program quality and accessibility, and educator success” based “on how eight well-regarded early educator preparation programs across four states with early childhood teacher credentials (Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York) navigated prekindergarten expansion and early childhood credential development.”
New research reveals opportunities for growth and challenges of first-year teachers in implementing developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) within public elementary schools. Recommendations for teacher educators and principals to better support new teachers are provided.
A new review of the literature reports on the prevalence of developmental disabilities among preschoolers in the Arab world. The authors emphasize the importance of early detection and diagnosis of developmental disabilities (DD) and DD-associated risk factors. The study was based on 14 studies from 12 Arab countries.
OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB OPENINGS
The Foundation for Child Development is Currently Accepting Proposals for its 2024 Young Scholars Program
YSP supports scholarships for early-career researchers. The program funds implementation research that is policy- and practice-relevant, and that examines the preparation, competency, compensation, well-being, and ongoing professional learning of the early care and education workforce. To increase the diversity of research perspectives, the Foundation encourages applications from scholars who are from underrepresented groups and scholars who represent a variety of disciplines and methodological approaches. Letter of Intent deadline is Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 8 PM ET. Apply here.
More Opportunities
Managing Director, Policy and Professional Advancement, NAEYC
Director, Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program
Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, JumpStart
Early Childhood Associate/Senior Associate, School Readiness Consulting
Principal Associate – Early Childhood Advising & Strategy Focused, School Readiness Consulting