Preschool Matters Today
Engaging Educators in High-Quality Pre-K
November 15, 2018
Our National Teacher of the Year Program (NTOY) recognizes educators across the country and empowers them to participate in policy discussions that will have a direct impact on their students. Through this program and other educator engagement initiatives, we’ve been fortunate to build partnerships with teachers in a variety of ways and welcome their expertise…
Essentials of Quality Public Preschool
November 8, 2018 Quality and Curriculum • State & Local • State Pre-K Evaluations
NIEER’s new state-by-state analysis evaluates how well 59 state-funded preschool programs satisfy a list of “ essential elements ” characterizing high-quality programs—and finds widespread change is needed to provide the high-quality early learning opportunities children need to succeed. Implementing 15 Essential Elements for High-Quality Pre-K: An Updated Scan of State Policies reviews policies in place across 44 states and DC as well as implementation and the enabling environment in which preschool…
ECD Implementation Insights: Demand and Affordable Preschool in India
November 1, 2018
In India, there is a high demand for affordable private preschools (APSs). Unfortunately, despite the motivations of parents and their investments, students’ learning outcomes remain poor. PIPE: A case study of systems approach for scaling quality early education solutions presents the nonprofit FSG’s approach to addressing the challenge of poor learning outcomes in urban India by leveraging existing desires and motivations of the various actors (including parents, APS owners, and…
Childcare Workforce Crisis: An Insider Perspective
October 26, 2018
I have owned an accredited early learning center for the past 13 years, serving 150 children and employing approximately 30 people. But this year we, like many others in the childcare field, are struggling to hire teachers, as early childhood centers confront a growing workforce crisis. Centers are caught between increases in the minimum wage…
Seattle Preschool Program: Public Investment Paying Off for Quality
October 19, 2018
As voters consider whether to continue investing public dollars in the Seattle Preschool Program, our multi-year evaluation indicates that, so far, it has been money well spent. Four years ago, Seattle voters approved a $58 million property tax levy to finance “accessible high-quality preschool services for Seattle children designed to improve their readiness for school…
My Love-Hate Relationship with the State of Preschool Yearbook Survey
October 5, 2018 Quality and Curriculum • State & Local
Fall is a harbinger of so many things. For some, it’s the start of a new school year and the promise of new learning and skills. For others, it’s the start of football season and the possibility of the NY Giants making the playoffs (I know, I know…but a girl can dream, can’t she?) For…
ECD Implementation Insights: Will this program work here? Assessing Feasibility
October 4, 2018 International • Outcomes
Family involvement programs can look great on paper and yet fail miserably. Programs can have defined goals, a well-defined time frame and program structure, research-based curricula, proven results for a specific target population, and still fail to produce the positive outcomes we expect. Why do some well-designed intervention programs fail? One common reason is implementation….
Bright Horizons Plans to Pay for Teachers to Get Degrees: Questions, Concerns, and Thoughts
September 14, 2018 Outcomes • Quality and Curriculum • Workforce
This blog was first published by New America. Since Bright Horizons Family Solutions announced a new initiative this summer to pay for its teachers to obtain an AA or BA degree, about 200 employees have started classes, and more have meetings set with advisors who will help them chart their educational plan. Jasna Losic, the Associate…
ECD Implementation Insights: Why an Implementation Focus is Needed
September 6, 2018 International • Quality and Curriculum
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is proud to partner with the Early Childhood Development Action Network ( ECDAN ) on this blog series exploring issues highlighted in the recent Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Special Issue Implementation Research and Practice for Early Childhood Development . Nurturing care is necessary for children’s healthy development, yet there is little understanding of…
Lesssons Learned
July 26, 2018 State & Local
The annual CEELO/NAESC-SDE Roundtable brings together state early education specialists, national experts and advocates to share ideas, generate new ones, and reboot our collective enthusiasm for the challenge of improving children’s lives through education policy. This year, about 140 participants spent two days tackling issues during work sessions. But the best part is the informal interaction among colleagues,…