Guide to Support Pre-K Expansion

Guide to Support Pre-K Expansion

This brief is intended to provide information and guidance for advocates and other stakeholders, especially those new to this issue, as they seek to increase investments in high quality preschool in their states. The benefits of attending a high-quality preschool program are well known, unfortunately access to these programs differs greatly across the United States. To help support policy makers in understanding their states’ needs, advocates and state leaders have distinct but complimentary roles to play. When these stakeholders work together to develop policy priorities they are often more successful at achieving wins in preschool quality and expansion. Strategies that have been most successful include identifying and gathering state-specific data to create compelling stories; using research to target and identify the “ask;” and then communicate the “ask.” The recommendations included in this brief are drawn from interviews with selected ECE advocates and resources previously developed by NIEER.