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Do State-Funded Pre-K Programs Improve Long-Run Outcomes?

In a recent IZA Discussion Paper, Maya Mikdash and Jiee Zhong examined the long- term effects of state funded pre-kindergarten by exploiting the phased rollout of Texas's public Pre K program and analyzing restricted administrative data across districts and birth cohorts. The study found that access to state funded Pre K substantially increased preschool enrollment and, in districts serving both three- and four-year-olds, increased high school graduation rates by about four percent and earnings at age 27, although it did not affect college enrollment. No long-term benefits were found in districts that served only four-year-olds.

This study suggests that providing pre-k for three- and four-year-olds could be more effective than just serving four-year-olds for one year prior to Kindergarten. Other studies have found better outcomes associated with two years of high-quality preschool. NIEER’s own evaluation of New Jersey’s state-funded Abbott Preschool Program found that attending the program for two years beginning at age three had roughly twice the effects on later achievement as one year at age four.

First Five Years Fund Report Uses NIEER State of Preschool Data to Detail the Impact of Federal PDG B-5 Grants

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant that supports states by building upon existing federal, state, and local early learning and care investments.

The First Five Years Fund has released a new resource on the impact of the PDG B-5 program, including data from NIEER’s fall 2025 survey conducted for the 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook.

Featuring examples from Alabama, California, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and more, the new brief details how the program has supported investments in quality improvement, family engagement and choice, coordinated mixed-delivery models, and workforce recruitment, retention, and professional development.

NIEER Activity 

The Essentials of Early Childhood Special Education

Last month, NIEER's Karin Garver and Concetta Lewis from the Council for Exceptional Children shared "The Essentials of Early Childhood Special Education" with education reporters from across the country at the Education Writers Association's 79th National Seminar in Baltimore. Moderated by independent journalist Lana Cohen, the session discussed the current ECSE landscape, barriers to access, and the impact on young learners.

Check out NIEER's research on special education and early intervention here.

Read Garver's special 50-state report, "State Policies that Support Full Participation of Preschoolers with Disabilities in State-Funded Preschool."

NIEER Policy Brief: State Policies and Guidance Relating to Outdoor and Nature-Based Experiences in Preschool

Widespread and serious children’s health problems that have worsened in recent years may be related to decreased outdoor time (and associated increased screen time) and decreased exposure to nature. These worsening problems include increased weight and obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity, stress, asthma, allergies, and other hypersensitivity diseases. NIEER’s Preschool Learning Activities Survey found that about half of all children ages three to five and not yet in kindergarten do not play outdoors every day.

NIEER’s brief, State Policies and Guidance Relating to Outdoor and Nature-Based Experiences in Preschool, authored by Steve Barnett, Kate Hodges, and Tracy Merriman Jost, examines how state policy might better promote outdoor time in preschool.

Check out the brief here.

The Real Cost of Rolling Back Head Start Wage Requirements

A new NIEER policy brief concludes that rolling back Head Start wage requirements could reduce Head Start's capacity to fulfill its mission. On May 12, 2026, the Office of Head Start published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to rescind 2024 Head Start teacher wage regulations. The regulations required the creation of wage scales and progress toward pay parity by 2031, with Head Start salaries reaching public pre-K levels or 90% of kindergarten teacher pay.

The new report, "The Real Cost of Rolling Back Head Start Wage Requirements," authored by NIEER’s Morgan Healy, Rachel Fidel, and Steve Barnett, sheds light on the relationships linking inadequate teacher pay to staff shortages, lower quality, and weaker child outcomes. It includes state-by-state data, including comparisons between Head Start and K-12 teacher salaries.

Read the report.

Dive Deep into State-by-State Preschool Data

Designed for researchers, policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders seeking a deeper understanding of state preschool policies and programs, Appendix A of NIEER’s 2025 State of Preschool report contains comprehensive data tables with information above and beyond what can be found in the report’s state profiles.

Topics addressed in the Appendix include:

• Access and Enrollment
• Program Operating Schedule
• Preschool Eligibility Criteria
• Preschool Program Standards
• Early Learning and Development Standards
• Curriculum
• Preschool Child Assessments
• Workforce and Compensation
• Resources and Funding
• Accountability
• Outdoor/Nature-Based Learning

Read more.
 
 

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy (IJCCEP) Weekly Feature 
 

Sustaining Collaborative Preschool Partnerships and the Challenges of Educating the Whole Child

In the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, Ryan Alverson, Laken Ginn, and Jaesook Gilbert examined how Preschool Partnership Grants supported sustainable, whole child approaches to early childhood education through a case study of 79 funded school districts across the state of Kentucky, USA. The study found that grant funding expanded access to high quality preschool by strengthening public-private collaboration, increasing professional development opportunities, and enhancing intervention services for children and families. Districts identified relationship building, trust, and ongoing collaboration as critical to sustaining quality programming while also acknowledging challenges in maintaining partnerships over time. The findings suggest that early childhood policies should prioritize long term, collaborative partnerships that support holistic development and improve outcomes for young children.
 

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
 

Associations Between Preschool-Age Care Arrangements and Low-Income Children’s IEP Receipt During Elementary School

In Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Sophie E. Rodosky, Anne Martin, Deborah A. Phillips, and Anna D. Johnson examined how preschool care arrangements were associated with the likelihood and timing of Individualized Education Program (IEP) receipt among low-income children during elementary school. Using administrative data from the Tulsa SEED Study, the researchers compared children who attended Head Start, public school -based pre-kindergarten, or parental care at age four and found that children from Head Start and parental care were more likely to receive an IEP between kindergarten and fourth grade than children who attended school based pre-k, although the timing of IEP receipt did not differ across groups. The authors suggest that these findings may reflect differences in the types of disabilities among children entering each preschool setting.

Pedagogical Practices and Play-Based Approaches for Teaching English to Preschool Pupils: A Systematic Literature Review (2020-2025)

Nur Fatanahanis Hamid and Kamariah Abu Bakar, writing in the International Journal of Special Education, conducted a systematic literature review of 24 empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025 to examine play based pedagogical practices for teaching English to preschool children. The review found that strategies such as music, storytelling, dramatic play, and technology enhanced children's vocabulary, pronunciation, speaking skills, engagement, and confidence while reducing language learning anxiety. Structured play activities with clearly defined learning objectives produced the strongest outcomes, although teachers frequently reported challenges related to limited training, unclear instructional goals, and pressure to prioritize traditional academic instruction. The authors conclude that play-based approaches hold strong promise for early English language learning but emphasize the need for improved teacher preparation, stronger assessment practices, and greater understanding of parents’ perspectives to support successful implementation.

Using Background Music in Preschool and Primary Education: A Systematic Literature Review

In the Journal of Elementary Education, Ligita Stramkale conducted a systematic literature review of research published between 2014 and 2024 to examine the effects of background music in preschool and primary education. The review found that background music supported preschool children's cognitive and socioemotional development, while in primary education it was associated with improved reading comprehension, cognitive processing, and the quality of written work. The findings also suggested that the most effective background music is structured, rhythmically balanced, melodic, instrumental rather than vocal, and played at a moderate tempo and volume. The author concludes that thoughtfully selected background music can enhance learning environments and support children's academic and developmental outcomes across the early years.

Interventions to Reduce Screen Time in Preschool-Aged Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Meenushree Chandrasekaran, Qiyang Zhang, Padmapriya Natarajan, Aishworiya Ramkumar, Shang Chee Chong, Gayatri Kembhavi, Bryce McLeod, Keri McCrickerd, Jason Chow, and Anna Fogel, writing in Obesity Reviews, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 randomized controlled trials, including 43 studies in the meta-analysis, to evaluate interventions designed to reduce screen time among children from birth to age five. Most interventions focused on caregiver-child pairs in settings such as preschools, healthcare, and online programs. Overall, 62% of the interventions achieved their screen time reduction goals, and the meta-analysis found a small but statistically significant reduction in screen time (g = 0.16). Healthcare based programs, interventions delivered by research teams, and those targeting caregivers were most likely to be successful, while interventions for children ages two to five produced the largest effects. The findings suggest that caregiver focused, evidence-based interventions can effectively reduce screen time during the preschool years, although the overall effects are modest.

Opportunities

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center: Strengthening Recruitment and Retention in EI/ECSE Workforce (August-October 2026)

This free, five-session webinar series provides state and local leaders with practical, evidence-based strategies to effectively recruit, retain, and sustain a strong workforce in early childhood education, early intervention, and early childhood special education. Drawing on resources from the FPG Child Development Institute’s Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, participants will explore key areas of recruitment and retention strategies, including:

• Compensation and incentives
• "Grow Your Own" pathways
• Supportive work environments
• Leadership and advancement opportunities
• Ongoing professional learning
• Public awareness

The sessions will feature real-world examples and interactive planning activities. Each session is designed to help teams translate national guidance into actionable, data-informed workforce solutions.

Register here.

Data Collector, NIEER

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship, SSRC

RTI International: Project Director, Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Study (Baby FACES)

Senior Manager, Fund IRL State Coalition, Children’s Funding Project

Chief Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns Officer, Save the Children

Principal Researcher/Sr. Fellow & Project Leader, Mathematica

Managing Director, CALDER, AIR

Postdoctoral Associate in Early Literacy Research and Development, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Program Officer, Children and Families, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation

Lead Advocacy Officer, ZERO TO THREE

Vice President, Early Childhood Policy, Center for American Progress

Early Childhood Policy Manager, Zero To Five Montana