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State Initiatives and Resources to Support School Readiness/Prekindergarten

Over the past ten years, many States have made considerable investments in initiatives to give 3- and 4-year-old children the experiences they need to be ready for kindergarten. The following resources provide information on selected State prekindergarten initiatives and related State-level studies about the impact of these initiatives on prekindergarten children. Publications with descriptions of initiatives in several States are included in the section on General and Multi-State Resources.

Selected State and Local Initiatives

Connecticut

  • Toward Continued Growth of the School Readiness Initiative: Increasing Capacity and Quality (November 2005), by Peg Oliveira, published by Connecticut Voices for Children describes the issues involved in addressing capacity and quality in school readiness programs in Connecticut. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.ctkidslink.org/publications/ece05schoolreadiness11.pdf.
  • School Readiness (2005), by the Connecticut Department of Education and Connecticut Department of Social Services, describes the school readiness initiative in Connecticut that is designed to provide access to high-quality school readiness programs by significantly increasing the number of spaces in accredited and/or approved programs for young children. The document lists the quality components of school readiness programs. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/readiness/SROverview.pdf.
  • School Readiness Need and Costs to Serve all 3- and 4-Year-Old Children in the 18 Priority School Districts: A Report to the Connecticut General Assembly (January 2005), by the Connecticut State Board of Education, presents a summary of responses of the priority and former priority school districts eligible to receive a school readiness grant under Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-16p (c). This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/readiness/SR_Report.pdf.
  • School Readiness (2004), prepared by the Connecticut Department of Education, describes a State-funded initiative jointly funded by the Connecticut Departments of Education and Social Services that administers a network of school readiness programs. Legislation passed in 1997 under Public Act 97-259 established a grant program to provide spaces in accredited or approved school readiness programs for eligible children in priority school districts and severe-need schools. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/readiness/SROverview.pdf.
  • Closing the Achievement Gaps: Removing the Barriers to Preschool in Connecticut (November 2003), a report of the Connecticut State Board of Education, proposes a course of action for improving access and preschool services for all of Connecticut’s children by putting into place a coordinated, affordable, and effective early childhood education system that envisions high-quality preschool programs in a variety of settings. This report is available on the Web at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Early/PreschoolReport.pdf.

Delaware

  • Head Start ECAP Outcomes Report: State of Delaware, Fiscal Year 2001–2002 (2003), by Janet R. Cornwell and Patsy G. Kersteter, for the Delaware Department of Education, Delaware Early Care and Education Office, presents information about the involvement of Federally funded Head Start Programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and State funded Early Childhood Assistance Programs (ECAP) for 4-year-olds in the Head Start/ECAP Outcomes Project. The project provides a systematic method for measuring child, family, and community outcomes for Head Start and ECAP programs in Delaware. Results of the data collected from the Child Developmental Outcomes Forms for Head Start and ECAP programs indicate that children being served by these programs are progressing in all areas of development tracked by their respective assessment instruments, including communication, cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.doe.state.de.us/early_childhood/research/State%20Report%20-Total%2001-02.pdf.

Florida

  • “School Readiness Program’s Potential Is Beginning to Be Realized, But Is Hindered by Partnership Guidance Issues” (January 2004), an OPPAGA Program Review No. 04-06, by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), an office of the Florida Legislature, reports on a performance review of Florida’s school readiness program administered by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Agency for Workforce Innovation, and school readiness coalitions. This report determines the progress made by the Partnership implementing the school readiness program; assesses program’s efficiency and outcomes; and evaluates the ability of the school readiness program to effectively implement the Universal Pre-K Program recommended by the State Board of Education. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/0406rpt.pdf.
  • “School Readiness Coalitions’ Progress Varies in Implementing the Program Over Two Years” (December 2003), an OPPAGA Program Review No. 03-75, by OPPAGA, focuses on local program activities and examines the progress made by local school readiness coalitions in implementing five essential elements of the program. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/0375rpt.pdf.

Georgia

  • Report of Findings From the Early Childhood Study: 2001-2002 (August 2003), by Gary T. Henry, Laura W. Henderson, Bentley D. Ponder, Craig S. Gordon, Andrew J. Mashburn, and Dana K. Rickman, published by Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, presents findings from a study that examined the development of 4-year-olds enrolled in Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program (Georgia Pre-K), in Head Start as 4-year-olds (Head Start), and in private preschools or child care centers (private preschool) who are eligible for the Georgia Pre-K Program. Children who attended preschool in Georgia made gains of a least four points against the national norms on all four standardized assessments from the time they entered preschool until they entered kindergarten the following year. Higher levels of program quality benefited children from all three groups. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwsps/publications/2003/earlychildhood.pdf.
  • Longitudinal Study of the Georgia Prekindergarten Program: Final Report 1996-2001 (May 2003), by Gary T. Henry, Laura W. Henderson, Bentley D. Ponder, Craig S. Gordon, Andrew J. Mashburn, and Dana K. Rickman, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, reports on a 12-year longitudinal study established in 1993 of the lottery-funded voluntary Georgia Prekindergarten Program for 4-year-olds. The evaluation is designed to follow approximately 4,000 prekindergarten children through their school careers in order to study the effects of prekindergarten on future educational achievement. In addition, the study contributes to the understanding of how young children develop and benefit from various educational experiences. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwsps/publications/GPKLSFinalReportMay2003.pdf.

Illinois

  • Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children At Risk of Academic Failure: FY 2003 Evaluation Report (June 2004), by the Data Analysis and Progress Reporting Division, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), describes general findings of a study of public school districts that have received State grants to conduct preschool education programs for children ages 3 to 5 who are at risk of academic failure. Since the beginning of the program (FY 1987), ISBE has been collecting data in order to follow the academic progress of the children who participated in the program. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.isbe.net/research/pdfs/prek_evaluation.pdf.
  • Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children At Risk of Academic Failure, FY 2000 Evaluation Report (June 2001), the Illinois State Board of Education, provides information on how State grants are issued to public school districts to conduct preschool education programs for children ages 3 to 5 who are at risk of academic failure. Since 1987, ISBE has been collecting data to follow the academic progress of the children who participated in the program. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.isbe.net/research/pdfs/atrisk.pdf.

Maryland

Since 2001, the Maryland State Department has issued an annual report entitled Children Entering School Ready to Learn: School Readiness Information for State and County. These reports provide profiles of children’s skill levels in seven major domains when they enter school. They include trend data about the school readiness levels of specific groups for children in the State and its 24 jurisdictions. The report also looked at the relationship between school readiness and prior early care experience. The Work Sampling System (WSS) ™ was selected as the early childhood assessment system to be used in kindergarten for the purpose of assessing entering kindergartners’ skills for seven curricular domains.

Massachusetts

  • Early Care and Education in Massachusetts Public School Preschool Classrooms (2002), by Nancy L Marshall, Cindy L Creps, Nancy R Burstein, Frederic B Glantz, Wendy Wagner Robeson, Steve Barnett, Jennifer Schimmenti, and Nancy Keefe, published by Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates Inc., presents findings from the second phase of the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study, which examined the quality of early care and education in 95 school-based, publicly-administered preschool classrooms. Findings indicate that most of Massachusetts’ publicly-administered preschool classrooms provide early care and education that meets or exceeds national standards for good quality. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.wcwonline.org/earlycare/earlycareII.pdf.

Michigan

  • Effects Five Years Later: The Michigan School Readiness Program Evaluation Through Age 10 (January 2002), prepared by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation for the Michigan State Board of Education, describes the Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP). The program provides nine months of educational experiences beginning at age 4. The program curriculum is designed to promote children’s intellectual and social growth through developmentally appropriate activities. The program also encourages family participation and provides parenting support, guidance, and referrals to community services as needed. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.highscope.org/Research/MsrpEvaluation/msrp-Age10-2.pdf. Additional information about this evaluation project is available on the Web at http://www.highscope.org/Research/MsrpEvaluation/msrpmain.htm.
  • Points of Light: Third Year of the Michigan School Readiness Evaluation Report (February 2000), by Zongping Xiang, Larry Schweinhart, Charles Hohmann, Charles Smith, Eileen Storer, and Sherri Oden, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, assessed the implementation and effectiveness of the Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP). For three years, the MSRP Evaluation’s Longitudinal Study followed two cohorts of children from kindergarten through the primary grades. The two cohorts were selected in seven sites from across the State. The students who had participated in the MSRP remained significantly higher in overall development on the Child Observation Record and five out of the six subscale scores in kindergarten, compared to the students who had not participated in the program. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.highscope.org/Research/MsrpEvaluation/pointsoflight.pdf.

Minnesota

  • Minnesota School Readiness Year Three Study: Developmental Assessment at Kindergarten Entrance Fall 2004 (March 2005), by Northland Foundation, describes the results of study of a strategically selected sample of school districts, with the purposes of strategically selecting entire school districts across the State and assessing all kindergarten children on their school readiness from the chosen districts and engaging communities in planning to increase the percentage of children ready for school success. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.northlandfdn.org/pr2003/ses3sr.pdf.
  • School Readiness in Child Care Settings: A Developmental Assessment of Children in 22 Accredited Child Care Centers (February 2005), by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, describes the school readiness for kindergarten of 226 children participating in the study in April-May 2004. Five key developmental areas–personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, arts, and physical development and health–in children were researched. The department also examined the effectiveness of an assessment tool, Work Sampling System, to gauge how well these child care settings prepared children for school. This report is available on the Web at http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-4362-ENG. Additional information about child care research in Minnesota is available on the Web at http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/children/documents/pub/DHS_id_008779.hcsp.
  • The Minnesota School Readiness Year Two Study: Developmental Assessment at Kindergarten Entrance Fall 2003 (February 2004), prepared by the Minnesota School Readiness Study Team representing the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), describes findings from Year Two of the assessment of school readiness with a random sample of 1,852 children entering kindergarten in Fall 2003. The study used the five domains in the Work Sampling System of child assessment that correspond to the domains of physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, cognition and general knowledge, and creativity and the arts. This resource is available on the Web at http://education.state.mn.us/mde/static/002605.pdf.

New Jersey

  • Giant Steps for the Littlest Children: Progress in the Sixth Year of the Abbott Preschool Program: Year Three Initial Update, 2004-2005 (May 2005), by Cynthia Esposito Lamy, Ellen Frede, Holly Seplocha, Janis Strasser, Saigeetha Jambunathan, Jo Anne Juncker, and Ellen Wolock, for the Early Learning Improvement Consortium (ELIC), presents initial findings of the third year of the ELIC study. In addition, comparisons to similar information collected by the Center for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in 1999–2000 and 2000–2001 are made to measure change over time. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.nj.us/njded/ece/abbott/giantsteps/.
  • A Rising Tide: Classroom Quality and Language Skills in the Abbott Preschool Program Year Two Preliminary Update, 2003-2004 (September 14, 2004), by Ellen Frede, Cynthia Esposito Lamy, Holly Seplocha, Janis Strasser, Saigeetha Jambunathan, Jo Anne Juncker, and Ellen Wolock, for the Early Learning Improvement Consortium (ELIC), presents preliminary findings of the second year of the ELIC study. In addition, it makes comparisons to similar information collected by the Center for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 in order to measure change over time. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.nj.us/njded/ece/tide.pdf.
  • Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations: Standards of Quality (July 2004), by the New Jersey Department of Education, serves as guidance to the adults working with young children. The document sets a standard for all districts in the State for preschool learning outcomes and serves as a benchmark for determining how effectively the classroom curriculum is being implemented. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.nj.us/njded/ece/expectations/expectations.pdf.
  • Case Study: Public Preschool In New Jersey Is One Roadmap To Quality (June 2004), by Betty Holcomb, published by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), looks at issues that New Jersey had to address in order to bring high-quality preschool programs to Abbot school districts. The case study studies the guiding principles for governance, who should be in charge, which structures and practices work best, what training teachers need, what the ingredients are of a good classroom, and how existing programs can collaborate with local public schools to create quality programs. This resource is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/files/NJCaseStudy.pdf.
  • Inch by Inch, Row by Row, Gonna Make This Garden Grow: Classroom Quality and Language Skills in the Abbott Preschool Program Year One Report, 2002-2003 (March 26, 2004), by Cynthia Esposito Lamy, Ellen Frede, Holly Seplocha, Janis Strasser, Saigeetha Jambunathan, Jo Anne Juncker, Heidi Ferrar, Lorraine Wiley, and Ellen Wolock, of the ELIC, describes research conducted by the ELIC to obtain information to improve policy and practice in the Abbott Preschool Program in New Jersey. In 2002, the ELIC administered tests of oral language development and early literacy skills to randomly selected kindergarten students Statewide. This gave a general picture of children’s “readiness” to succeed in school. In 2003, structured classroom evaluations were conducted on 13 percent of the Abbott preschool classrooms to provide information on classroom practices likely to influence child learning. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.nj.gov/njded/ece/abbott/inch.pdf.
  • Abbott Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines (February 2003), by the New Jersey Office of Early Childhood Education, provides guidance from the Department of Education to enable New Jersey school districts to plan, develop, and realize high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year old children in the 30 highest poverty districts in the State. Guidelines are offered in the following areas: curriculum, the learning assessment and documentation process, teacher training, supporting English language learners, special education, continuity and transition, health and nutrition, family services, and program evaluation and improvement. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.state.nj.us/njded/ece/abbott/guidelines/guidelines.pdf.

New York

  • Raising All Boats: Community-Based Programs as Partners in Universal Prekindergarten (2005), by Kristi S. Lekies, Taryn W. Morrissey, and Mon Cochran, published by the Cornell Early Childhood Program, presents findings from a survey of directors of child care centers, nursery schools, Head Start programs, private preschools, group family day care homes, and preschool special education programs that provide universal prekindergarten (UPK) services in New York State. Key areas of UPK implementation are addressed, including school-community collaboration, teachers and staff, curriculum and programming, financing, program impacts, and evaluation. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.human.cornell.edu/HD/CECP/Resources/upload/raising_all_boats.pdf.
  • The State with Two Prekindergarten Programs: A Look at Prekindergarten Education in New York (1928-2003) (June 2004), by Anne Mitchell, published by NIEER, provides a short history of prekindergarten education in New York starting in the early 20th century. It documents the birth and evolution of the Experimental Prekindergarten Program that began in 1966 and the Universal Prekindergarten that began in 1997. The report also gives a data-based status report on these two prekindergarten programs for the 2002-2003 school year. Finally, using information from interviews with district administrators, the paper describes how these two programs are managed in school districts that administer both programs. The Executive Summary is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=103. The full report is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/files/NYCaseStudy.pdf.
  • Universal PreKindergarten Takes Off in New York State (February 11, 2000), by the New York State Education Department, describes a study undertaken by the Universal Prekindergarten Resource Partnership, a project of Child Care, Inc. and State Communities Aid Association, to increase understanding of the factors that influenced local school districts in implementing universal prekindergarten, the various challenges faced, and the lessons learned. A survey of school districts eligible to implement Universal Prekindergarten in the first year (1998-1999) was conducted with preliminary findings reported in this document. Also reported are data analyses from years one and two about actual and projected grant and student counts. The full report is available on the Web at http://www.ecsgnyc.org/docs/blendedfunding.pdf.

North Carolina

  • More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program Progress Report to the North Carolina General Assembly (January 2005), by the North Carolina Office of the Governor, describes the progress of North Carolina’s More at Four prekindergarten program, which was created to ensure that at-risk 4-year-olds start school with the necessary skills for success. In 2004-2005, More at Four served over 12,000 4-year-olds Statewide with an appropriation of $51.1 million. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/Office/Education/_pdf/Jan%202005%20Legislative%20Report.pdf. The 2004 Progress Report is available on the Web at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/Office/Education/_pdf/050104LegislativeProgressReport.pdf.
  • Child and Program Characteristics of the North Carolina More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program: Year 1 (January-June 2002) (June 2003), by Ellen S Peisner-Feinberg, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, for the Office of the Governor, More at Four Pre-kindergarten Program, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, describes the North Carolina More at Four Pre-kindergarten Program, the diversity in the children, and the variation among programs that were involved in the More at four Pre-kindergarten program. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~mafeval/pdfs/MaF_Yr1_Rpt.pdf.
  • School Readiness in North Carolina: Strategies for Defining, Measuring, and Promoting Success FOR ALL CHILDREN (June 2000), prepared by Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) and submitted to the North Carolina School Improvement Panel, North Carolina State Board of Education, outlines the process undertaken by the Ready for School Goal Team to develop a readiness profile and presents recommendations for actions to ensure that all children in the State of North Carolina are ready to succeed in school and that all schools are ready to support children and families in the learning process. It includes a definition of children’s readiness for school and explores what strategies other States have used to determine if children are ready for school. The team identifies assessment tools and processes that can be used to assess how well North Carolina is doing in preparing children for entering school. In addition, it includes a definition of schools’ readiness for each child and a “Ready Schools Self Inventory.” This resource is available on the Web at http://www.smartstart-nc.org/professionals/schoolreadinessfull.pdf.

Oklahoma

  • “The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development” (November 2004), CROCUS Working Paper Number 4, by William T. Gormley, Jr., Ted Gayer, Deborah Phillips, and Brittany Dawson, published by the Center for Research on Children in the U.S. (CROCUS), reports on the school readiness of children who attended the universal prekindergarten program in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 2002-2003 school year. Using a quasiexperimental regression-discontinuity design, the researchers estimate the overall effects of exposure to pre-K. They also look at the effects for children varying in race, ethnicity and income, and for children in full-day and half-day programs. The authors found that Hispanic, black, white, and Native American children all benefit from the program, as do children in diverse income brackets, as measured by school lunch eligibility status. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.crocus.georgetown.edu/reports/oklahoma9z.pdf.
  • “The Effects of Universal Pre-K in Oklahoma: Research Highlights and Policy Implications” (October 2003), in CROCUS Working Paper Number 2, by William T. Gormley, Jr. and Deborah Phillips, published by CROCUS, presents results from an evaluation of the prekindergarten program in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Results are discussed in light of contemporary controversies regarding targeted or universal prekindergarten programs; full- or part-day programming; public school or multiple delivery sites; strategies for ensuring high-quality, effective programs; and the need for rigorous program evaluations. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.sde.state.ok.us/acrob/Georgetownwkpaper2.pdf.
  • “Promoting School Readiness in Oklahoma: An Evaluation of Tulsa’s Pre-k Program” (October 2003), in CROCUS Working Paper Number 1, by William T. Gormley, Jr., and Ted Gayer, published by CROCUS, analyzes the short-term effects of prekindergarten on children in Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma. It found that Oklahoma’s universal prekindergarten program offers tangible benefits to young children, especially low-income and minority children. No impact was found on social/emotional test scores. The positive effects of Tulsa prekindergarten are greatest for Hispanic children, followed by black children. Children who qualify for the full free-lunch program were also more impacted than the population as a whole. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.crocus.georgetown.edu/reports/working.paper.1.pdf.

South Carolina

  • Keeping the Promise: Fifth Anniversary Report 1999–2004: Five Years of Results (2005), by South Carolina First Steps, describes the results of a Statewide, comprehensive, results-driven education initiative to help prepare children to reach 1st grade healthy and ready to succeed. Through county partnerships, it provides public and private funds and support for high-quality early childhood development and education services for children and support for their families’ efforts toward enabling their children to reach school ready to learn. After five years, First Steps has touched the lives of 282,890 children throughout South Carolina in all 46 counties. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.scfirststeps.org/5yr.pdf.
  • What Is the Penny Buying for South Carolina? Child Development Programs for Four-Year-Olds: Longitudinal Studies of Later Academic Achievement, 1995–96 through 1999–2000 and 2000–01 through 2001–02 (December 2004), by the South Carolina State Board of Education, is an annual assessment report to the General Assembly. This report uses two longitudinal studies to focus on the later academic achievements of students who participated in child development programs in South Carolina. It notes that results of assessments at each grade level from 1st grade through 5th grade showed the benefits for the children who participated in child development programs appear to last over time. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.myscschools.com/offices/research/PennyBuy2004.pdf.
  • First Steps and Further Steps: Early Outcomes and Lessons Learned from South Carolina’s School Readiness Initiative, 1999-2002 Program Evaluation Report: Full Report (2003), by South Carolina First Steps, presents the 1999-2002 evaluation of South Carolina’s First Steps to School Readiness, a comprehensive early childhood initiative aimed at improving early childhood development by providing services to children (birth to age 5) and support to their families in an effort to help children reach school ready to learn. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.scfirststeps.org/docs/CTfullreport.pdf.

Texas

  • The Report of the State Center for Early Childhood Development Advisory Committee on Senate Bill 76: Feasibility of Coordinating Government-Funded Child-Care Programs in a Manner that Promotes Access to Child-Care Programs and Results in Improved School Readiness (September 2004), by the State Center for Early Childhood Development, University of Texas, details the key findings and recommendations for promoting school readiness among 3- and 4-year-old children in Texas. The findings and recommendations revolve around a strong focus on accountability through integration of educational services and the use of resources demonstrated to promote learning in literacy, language, math, and social functioning. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.uth.tmc.edu/circle/pdfs/sb76.pdf.

Wisconsin

  • The Status of Early Care and Education in Wisconsin (2004), by Jeannine Love, Erica Williams, and Anne Mitchell, published by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), focuses on meeting the needs of preschoolers and their families as a crucial step in providing all children and families in Wisconsin access to high-quality care. It serves as a general overview of the need for expanded early care and education for 3- and 4-year-olds and provides a snapshot of existing programs. It also includes general policy recommendations for moving toward a system that ensures that quality early care and education is available to all preschool-aged children and families in Wisconsin. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R262.pdf.

General and Multi-State Resources

  • Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2007 (May 2006), by Pre-K Now, reviews the State of the State addresses and proposed budgets of the nation’s governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia to assess their individual commitments to high-quality prekindergarten for all. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.preknow.org/documents/LeadershipReport_May2006.pdf.
  • The Effects of State Prekindergarten Programs on Young Children’s School Readiness in Five States (December 2005), by W. Steven Barnett, Cynthia Lamy, and Kwanghee Jung, published by NIEER, used a rigorous research design to estimate the effects of five State- funded preschool programs on entering kindergartners academic skills. Receptive vocabulary, early literacy and math skills were assessed in a sample of 5071 children from Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia. The study found these State-funded preschool programs have statistically significant and meaningful impacts on children’s early language, literacy and mathematical development, with some evidence of an enhanced program effect for print awareness skills for children in low- income families. This resource is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/research/multistate/fullreport.pdf.
  • The State of Preschool: 2005 State Preschool Yearbook (2005), by W. Steven Barnett, Jason T. Hustedt, Kenneth B. Robin, and Karen L. Schulman, published by NIEER, is an annual report that rates State-funded prekindergarten programs serving 3- and 4-year-old children. The report measures the quality of programs in 2004-2005 school year by evaluating several indicators such as curriculum, parental involvement, and level of education of teachers. The full report is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf. Links to an interactive database and State data are available on the Web at http://nieer.org/yearbook/.
  • School Readiness Indicators: A Tool to Advocate for the Whole Child (November 2005), an Advocacy Brief, ed. Catherine B Walsh, published by Voices for America’s Children, discusses how the States that participated in the School Readiness Indicators initiative understood the importance of addressing the comprehensive nature of school readiness. The 17 States that participated in the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative were Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Examples are presented of the ways that States used their school readiness indicators to change policy on behalf of young children and their families. This resource is available on the Web at the Voices for America’s Children web site.
  • Early Education in the States: A Year in Review: 2004 (March 2005), by Staffanie Clothier, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), provides a detailed analysis and summary of legislative activity on early education issues in 2004 legislative sessions. The report includes an introduction to preschool and early childhood programs; a summary of research on child outcomes and economic data about early education; a description of the role of legislators; a narrative summary of State legislative actions on prekindergarten and early education including proposed bills and enacted legislation; and a State-by-State compilation of individual legislation including act/bill numbers and legislative summaries. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.ncsl.org/print/cyf/prekreport.pdf.
  • Success Stories: State Investment in Early Care and Education in Illinois, North Carolina and Rhode Island (2005), by Anne Mitchell, published by Smart Start’s National Technical Assistance Center, describes three States that made investments in early care and education services, with the investments often serving as engines for efforts to raise the quality of services and to forge them into more cohesive systems. Using an admittedly crude measure (total State funds invested in child care and prekindergarten services and infrastructure compared to the number of resident children under age 5), the per child investment ranges from $584 in North Carolina to $650 in Illinois to over $1,000 in Rhode Island. The report tells the story of how each State secured these investments and discusses the factors common to their success. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.earlychildhoodfinance.org/Publications/SuccessStoriesPDFDraft2.pdf.
  • Pre-Kindergarten in Eleven States: NCEDL’s Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten and Study of State-Wide Early Education Programs (SWEEP) (May 2005), by Diane Early, Oscar Barbarin, Donna Bryant, and Margaret Burchinal, published by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL), presents combined data from two studies of State-funded prekindergarten programs: the Multi-State Study of Prekindergarten that includes six States and the State-Wide Early Education Programs Study that includes five States. These two studies provide detailed information on prekindergarten teachers, children, and classrooms in 11 States. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.fpg.unc.edu/NCEDL/pdfs/SWEEP_MS_summary_final.pdf.
  • From Planning to Practice: State Efforts to Improve Early Childhood Education (March 2005), by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), describes efforts by six States (Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wyoming), as part of a project by NASBE, to improve early childhood education. Each State profile contains an overview of the State’s early childhood system, a chart illustrating program standards and certification requirements, a description of Early Childhood Network Grant Activities, and a summary of outcomes. Common themes in efforts to develop high-quality preschool systems include: partnerships and ongoing collaboration, sustained political leadership, strategic planning by the lead agency, a standards-driven system, teacher quality, program quality, and integration of special education. Information about this resource is available from NASBE at 800-220-5183 or on the Web at http://www.nasbe.org/.
  • “Part 1: Who’s Teaching our Youngest Students? Teacher Education and Training, Experience, Compensation and Benefits, and Assistant Teachers” (March 2005), in From Capitols to Classrooms, Policies to Practice: State-Funded Prekindergarten at the Classroom Level, by Walter S. Gilliam and Crista M. Marchesseault, published by NIEER, uses data from the National Prekindergarten Study (NPS), which evaluates the implementation and classroom practices of State-funded prekindergarten systems. This report details the characteristics of teachers and assistant teachers. It includes information on teacher training, experience, and compensation as well as information on assistant teachers’ credentials and planning time. This resource is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/files/NPSteachers.pdf.
  • “NCEDL Pre-kindergarten Study” (Spring 2005), Early Developments Vol. 9, No. 1, published by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is an issue devoted to research by NCEDL on public prekindergarten classrooms, teachers, and children. Articles in this issue include: “Pre-K Education in the States”; “Who Goes to Pre-K and How Are They Doing?” “Who Are the Pre-K Teachers? What Are Pre-K Classrooms Like?” and “How is the Pre-K Day Spent?” This journal is available on the Web at http://www.fpg.unc.edu/%7ENCEDL/PDFs/ED9_1.pdf.
  • All Together Now: State Experiences in Using Community-Based Child Care to Provide Pre-Kindergarten (February 2005), by Rachel Schumacher, Danielle Ewen, Katherine Hart, and Joan Lombardi, commissioned by the Brookings Institution, published by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which prekindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes preliminary findings of the CLASP survey of States that was undertaken to understand the policy choices, opportunities, and challenges of including community-based child care providers in prekindergarten programs. States included in the study are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.clasp.org/publications/all_together_now.pdf.
  • Getting Ready: Findings from the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative: A 17 State Partnership (February 2005), by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, sponsored by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, reports on the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, which was an initiative in 17 States, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Initiative developed sets of indicators at the State level to track results for children from birth through age 8. This report shares the core set of common indicators and the lessons learned from the collective work of the participating States. This resource is available on the Web at the Getting Ready web site.
  • Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness (January 2005), published by the National Governor’s Association (NGA), presents different options for State action and provides a policy framework for coordinating State decisions across programs and agencies. It is designed to assist governors and other State policy-makers in implementing intervention policies and strategies that will support early childhood programs in their States. The task force adopted a framework for school readiness that incorporates the elements of ready schools, ready communities, ready families, and ready children. It also added a newly emerging element, Ready States, which refers to the State systems and infrastructure that support the other elements of the framework. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0501TASKFORCEREADINESS.pdf.
  • Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: A Governor’s Guide to School Readiness (January 2005) , published by the NGA, is a companion piece to Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness. It ties the State policy recommendations of the task force to concrete examples of State initiatives to promote school readiness. It includes key considerations for State policy-makers and resources to help inform their decisions. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0501GOVGUIDEREADINESS.pdf.
  • Building an Early Learning System: The ABCs of Planning and Governance Structures (December 2004), by Charles Bruner, Michelle Stover Wright, Barbara Gebhard, and Susan Hibbard, published by the State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network, presents helpful models for States to consider when developing planning and governance structures for an early learning system. It notes that multiple planning and governance structures are needed to build an early learning system. The appendices include descriptions of State planning and governance structures and a chart that illustrates State structures responsible for planning and governance in early childhood and school readiness. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.finebynine.org/pdf/SECPTAN_Build_PROOF.pdf. A four-page policy brief is available on the Web at http://www.buildinitiative.org/pdf/Governance_policybrief.pdf.
  • The Status of Early Care and Education in the States (October 2004), by Erica Williams and Anne Mitchell, published by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), outlines the need of working parents and their young children for a universal, voluntary, early care and education system that will provide all families with access to a dependable, safe, and nurturing system of care. It discusses the benefits of such care for children and provides an overview of the programs that currently exist. The report presents national and State-by-State data on the availability, quality, and cost of early care and education programs. The authors recommend steps for States and the Federal government to expand and improve current early care and education programs. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R264.pdf.
  • Prekindergarten: Four Selected States Expanded Access by Relying on Schools and Existing Providers of Early Education and Care to Provide Services (September 2004), by the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO), focused on four States—Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma—that have expanded their preschool programs to serve more children. In these States, the GAO study addressed how prekindergarten programs were designed and funded; the potential implications of these program features for children’s participation and other programs that serve 4 year-olds; and the outcome data that have been collected on participating children and families. The report GAO-04-852 is available on the Web at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04852.pdf.
  • State Efforts to Evaluate the Effects of Prekindergarten, 1977-2003 (April 2004), by Walter S. Gilliam and Edward F. Zigler, published by NIEER, updates an earlier paper by the authors, and summarizes and analyzes the results of all reported State evaluations of State prekindergarten programs to date. It notes that while many States mandate formal evaluation of implementation and impact of their preschool programs, most States have not formally evaluated their programs. This resource is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/research/StateEfforts.pdf.
  • “What Can Be Learned From State-Funded Prekindergarten Initiatives? A Data-Based Approach to the Head Start Devolution Debate” (2004), in The Head Start Debate (Friendly and Otherwise), by Walter S. Gilliam and Carol H. Ripple, eds. Ed Zigler and S.J. Styfco, published by Yale University Press, looks at how States have fared with implementing their own prekindergarten programs, as a way of predicting how States might manage if they gained control over Head Start funds. Specifically, the authors look at State-funded preschool programs in terms of program structure, program accessibility, program duration and intensity, classroom characteristics, comprehensive services, and parent involvement efforts. This resource is available on the Web at http://nieer.org/resources/research/HeadStartChapter.pdf .
  • State-funded Prekindergarten Initiatives (March 2004), by Ron Banks, Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative, provides information on State-funded prekindergarten initiatives; issues influencing the growth of State-funded prekindergarten programs; the current status of State-funded prekindergarten initiatives; major issues that affect the implementation and expansion of State-funded prekindergarten programs; and what the research says. In addition, it lists State Prekindergarten Web Sites and additional resources. This resource is available on the Web at http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/prek.html.
  • State-Funded Prekindergarten: What the Evidence Shows (December 2003), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reviews evidence to determine the likelihood that States can meet the challenge of providing high-quality, comprehensive early childhood education and whether States would be dedicated to this effort. It examines the role that States play in comprehensive early childhood education by reviewing States’ level of support for prekindergarten programs, the quality and effectiveness of State-funded prekindergarten, and State efforts to build integrated, comprehensive early childhood systems for children from birth through age 5 that have a focus on school readiness. This resource is available on the Web at http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/state-funded-pre-k/index.htm.
  • State-Supported Prekindergarten Programs in SREB States: Growing in Hard Times (June 2003), by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), profiles State-funded prekindergarten programs in the SREB States (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia) and includes information on program characteristics, 2002-2003 enrollments and funding, and recent or anticipated changes in program operations. Numbers of 4-year-old children served by State prekindergarten programs and Head Start are compared with estimated numbers of 4-year-olds living in poverty to measure how States are doing in providing high-quality pre-K opportunities to at-risk children, as called for in the SREB Goals for Education This resource is available on the Web at http://www.sreb.org/programs/srr/pubs/State_Prekindergarten.pdf.
  • Inside the Pre-K Classroom: A Study of Staffing and Stability In State-Funded Prekindergarten Programs (2002), by Dan Bellm, Alice Burton, Marcy Whitebook, Linda Broatch, and Marci P. Young, for the Center for the Child Care Workforce (now a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation), documents the current state of staff qualifications, stability, turnover and compensation in State-funded prekindergarten programs, and identifies the conditions under which Pre-K initiatives promote a more skilled, stable, and better compensated early care and education workforce. The study selected a sample of programs in five States: California, Georgia, Illinois (Chicago only), New York and Texas. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.ccw.org/pubs/ccw_pre-k_10.4.02.pdf.
  • At the Starting Line: Early Childhood Education Programs in the 50 States (December 2002), by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), lists State data on the status of prekindergarten programs and provides baseline information about States’ provision of early childhood education, including the policies of preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and kindergarten for 5-year-olds.. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/EarlyChildhoodreport.pdf.
  • Education for All Young Children: The Role of States and the Federal Government in Promoting Prekindergarten and Kindergarten (April 2001), by Anne Mitchell of Early Childhood Policy Research, published by the Foundation for Child Development, presents options for Federal and State policy-making to create incentives for States and communities to make preschool education available to all young children. Four distinct delivery systems for preschool education in communities with local, State, and Federal support are noted: kindergarten, Head Start, child care, and prekindergarten. Steps that States can take toward universal preschool education are delineated, including establishing one set of regulations that apply to all early childhood programs, raising staff qualifications, establishing program standards, and ensuring that a necessary infrastructure is funded. The report includes a table delineating how much each State and the District of Columbia budgets for its State prekindergarten program or the Head Start supplement, and the schematic diagram for constructing universal preschool. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.ffcd.org/uploaddocs/ecpc%20mitchell.pdf.
  • Prekindergarten Programs in the States: Trends and Issues (March 2001, revised July 2001), by Anne Mitchell of Early Childhood Policy Research, lays out a working definition of “prekindergarten program”; gives a brief history of these programs over the last century; describes current practices, trends, and issues; and ends with recommendations for prekindergarten policy. It includes the table “State Investments in Prekindergarten Programs 1999-2000.” Prekindergarten programs in this study have four defining characteristics: they are supported by State funds, focused on early learning for school success or school readiness, aimed at prekindergarten-age children (under 5 years old, usually 3- and 4-year-olds), and designed to deliver group learning experiences at least several days a week. This resource is available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/prekinderprogtrends.pdf.
  • “A Critical Meta-analysis of All Evaluations of State-Funded Preschool from 1977 to 1998: Implications for Policy, Service Delivery and Program Evaluation” (October 2000), in Early Childhood Research Quarterly Vol. 15, No. 4, by Walter S. Gilliam, looks at the evaluations of the 13 State preschool programs that have completed a formal evaluation of the program’s impact on child outcomes. For additional information, contact Walter S. Gilliam at walter.gilliam@yale.edu.

Additional Resources

  • The Early Learning Guidelines topic under the Popular Topics section of the NCCIC Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/index.html#elg has information about tools, resources, and State initiatives related to States developing and implementing early learning guidelines.
  • The State and Locally Funded Universal Prekindergarten Initiatives document in the State Initiatives topic under the Popular Topics section of NCCIC’s Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/univprek.html includes a sample of information about State and locally funded initiatives, and publications about universal prekindergarten.
  • A Policy Primer: Quality Pre-Kindergarten (Fall 2004), by the Trust for Early Education (TEE), (now Pre-K Now) uses research, commentary, and analysis to help the experienced early education professional who needs a reference manual to answer occasional questions about the finer points of pre-kindergarten. It is also designed to give information to the beginner looking for a detailed guide to the field. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.trustforearlyed.org/docs/TEE-Primer4.pdf.

Updated June 2006