A Fresh Look at the State of Preschool

The National Institute for Early Education Research will release its latest findings on the state of preschool on Thursday, May 12 in New York City. If this sounds like a new venue for the yearbook’s release, it is—and not without reason. Joining me and the research team at the press conference will be Mayor Bill de Blasio and Libby Doggett, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education.

This year’s findings contain some terrific news in states that have maintained their focus on increasing quality and access, but there are troubling findings where states have wavered in their commitment to young children years after the Great Recession ended. The fact that some of these states have the largest populations of minority kids should serve as a wake-up call, not just in those states but also across the nation. I will address this situation at the press conference.

The new edition of the yearbook has expanded in scope. New survey questions on workforce and Dual Language Learner policies provide important data on areas critical to developing quality programs for our ever more diverse cohort of preschool-age kids. As always, our communications team will be reaching out to news organizations and education stakeholders across the country, but we could also use some help from those in the education and policy communities as they communicate with their networks of influence. As the song goes, “Start Spreadin’ the News.”

Steve Barnett, NIEER Director