Learning & Development
Policy Brief/Analysis
Implementing 15 Essential Elements for High Quality
A State and Local Policy Scan
Date
July 29, 2016
See the 2018 report Implementing 15 Essential Elements for High-Quality Pre-K: An Updated Scan of State Policies
In this report we explore the extent to which 41 states, the District of Columbia, and three large cities support high-quality state-funded preschool education. The framework for our assessment of state capacity is provided by “15 essential elements” of high-quality pre-K. These can be categorized into three clusters: enabling environment, rigorous policies, and strong practices. We believe that our assessments of the extent to which each element is present in each state will be useful to policy makers, researchers, and others interested in understanding how much progress each state has made and what the opportunities and barriers may be for further progress. The ratings apply to policies as of June 30, 2016.
The Authors
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.
GG Weisenfeld is a Senior ECE Policy Specialist at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education.