How Much Does Quality Preschool Cost? W. Steven Barnett and Kenneth B. Robin. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) (2006). Working paper by NIEER presents current state spending on preschool, identifies aspects of programs that are related to cost, and offers estimates of the state funding necessary to achieve various levels of program access and quality.

Is More Better? The Effects of Full-Day vs. Half-Day Preschool on Early School Achievement. Kenneth B. Robin, Ellen C. Frede, & W. Steven Barnett. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) (2006). NIEER working paper presents the findings of a randomized trial comparing the effects of extended-day, extended-year public preschool to half-day public preschool on children's literacy and mathematics learning. NIEER found that children who attended an extended-day, extended-year preschool program experienced greater improvement in test scores compared to peers who attended half-day programs.

Estimated Impacts of Number of Years of Preschool Attendance on Vocabulary, Literacy and Math Skills at Kindergarten Entry. W. Steven Barnett and Cynthia Esposito Lamy. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) (2006). Study by NIEER examines the effects of attending preschool for one or two years on measures of early vocabulary development, literacy and math skills in a sample of kindergarteners living in high poverty communities. Study found significantly greater increases in vocabulary scores for children who attended pre-k for two years when compared to children who attended for one year at age four, and no statistically significant difference in print awareness skills and math skills between the two groups. For all skill sets, children who attended a pre-k program for either one or two years performed significantly higher than children who did not attend. Authors conclude that there should be further study of whether improved program quality could lead to greater gains in print awareness skills and math skills for children attending pre-k for two years.

The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool. Committee for Economic Development (CED) (2006). Report finds that implementing preschool programs for all can be expected to generate $2 to $4 in net present-value benefits for every dollar invested and provide a boost to long-term economic growth. CED recommends that state and federal governments make access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-K an economic and educational priority, that pre-K programs meet quality standards necessary to deliver potential benefits, and that the broad economic benefits of pre-K should be considered when allocating resources in the face of competing uses and demands for funding.

The State of Preschool: 2005 State Preschool Yearbook. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) (2005). Third in a series of annual reports evaluates state preschool programs in 2004-2005 in three areas: access, quality and resources. Included are individual state profiles and general and comparative information on state-funded preschool programs.

Leadership Matters: Governors' Pre-K Proposals - Fiscal Year 2007. Pre-K Now (2006). Report analyzes governors' proposals on funding for preschool in the states and finds that 24 governors proposed increased spending, outpacing proposed flat or decreased funding by more than two to one.

Funding the Future: States' Approaches to Pre-K Finance. Pre-K Now (2006).
Report examines the diverse ways in which the states finance prekindergarten programs.

Two-way and Monolingual English Immersion in Preschool Education: An Experimental Comparison. W. Steven Barnett, Donald J. Yarosz, Jessica Thomas & Dulce Blanco. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2006). Working paper by NIEER presents the findings from a randomized trial of the effects of dual language or two-way immersion (TWI) and monolingual English immersion preschool programs on children's learning. Programs used in the study were compared on measures of children's growth in language, emergent literacy, and mathematics. Authors conclude that on balance, TWI pre-k classess appear to be a cost effective and promising approach to improving the education of both English language learners and native English speaking children.

The Effect of State Prekindergarten Programs on Young Children’s School Readiness in Five States. W. Steven Barnett, Cynthia Lamy & Kwanghee Jung. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2005). Study by NIEER of the effects of state-funded, high-quality pre-k programs in five states -- Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia. Study finds that children in each of these states showed significant gains in early language, literacy, and mathematical development. School readiness gains were significant for all children, regardless of ethnicity or economic background. A common factor in each of the state programs studied is that all, or nearly all, teachers have a four-year college degree and specialized training in early childhood education.

Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation
Among Immigrant Families. Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen. Center for Law and Social Policy (2006). Policy report finds that children of immigrant families are less likely to participate in center-based early care and education programs than non-immigrant children, yet they are at greater risk of negative early childhood development and would benefit greatly from high quality early education programs.

Pre-Kindergarten in 11 States: NCEDL's Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten and Study of Statewide Early Education Programs (SWEEP). National Center for Early Development and Learning. (2005). Report on the results from a study of 240 state-funded prekindergarten programs in eleven states (CA, GA, IL, KY, NY, OH, MA, NJ, TX, WA & WI). The selected state-funded programs, when compared to other preschool settings, maintain relatively high quality standards, particularly in the areas of class size and teacher-child ratios. However, report finds that these programs still have many teachers without college degrees who are paid substantially less than public school teachers, and lower than anticipated opportunities for learning.

Head Start Impact Study: 2000-2006. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (2005). First year results of a multi-year study of Head Start's effectiveness. Study is significant because it is the first large scale national study of Head Start using an experimental design. Study found gains in 14 of 30 areas for 3-year-olds and 6 of 30 for 4-year-olds. The largest cognitive gains for both age groups were in pre-reading and parent-reported literacy skills. Three-year-olds, but not 4-year-olds, showed gains in social-emotional domains. No measurable gains were found in math. Overall, study showed modest gains for children participating in Head Start, indicating a need to further improve quality standards in the program. However, study's findings are limited, since they are based on only one year of Head Start, whether at age three or four.

Full-Day Kindergarten: A Study of State Policies in the United States. Education Commission of the States. (2005). Report provides state policy overview of kindergarten in the states and finds most states lack: (1) definitional clarity on what constitutes full-day kindergarten; (2) policies that provide universal access to full-day kindergarten; (3) adequate funding policies to provide for full-day kindergarten; and (4) policies that address the quality of full-day kindergarten. Report makes a case for expanding access to full-day kindergarten in the states.

Full-Day Kindergarten: Expanding Learning Opportunities. WestEd. (2005). Policy brief summarizes the most recent research available on full-day kindergarten in light of state efforts to close the achievement gap. Brief provides information on state and local reform efforts, identifies policy implications, and highlights characteristics of an effective kindergarten program.

Preliminary Rural Analysis of Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort. National Center for Rural Early Childhood Education Learning Initiatives. (March 2005). Research brief presents a rural analysis of the ECLS-K -- the kindergarten cohort of an ongoing study of a nationally representative sample of children beginning with baseline data in 1998. Brief compares rural and non-rural children and finds disparities in kindergarten readiness skills between such children on many indicators, with rural children less prepared for kindergarten and even wider disparities when rural black children are compared to non-rural white children. The analysis also finds that rural children are significantly less likely to attend a center- based program the year before entering kindergarten.

Leadership Matters: Governors' Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2006. Pre-K Now. (2005). Report analyzes governors' proposals on funding for preschool in the states and finds that 20 governors proposed increases, although most proposed level funding. Five governors - Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico and Tennessee - proposed substantial increases to preschool programs and three governors - Alaska, Missouri and New Jersey - proposed decreased funding.

The Benefits of Prekindergarten for Middle-Income Children. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (March 2005). Report analyzes research on access to and gains made in high quality preschool programs for children from middle-income families and recommends expansion of public preschool programs to include middle-income children and the strengthening of quality standards for existing childcare and early education programs.

Effects of Preschool on Educational Achievement. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (March 2005). This working paper concludes that education policies that expand the definition of schooling to include high quality, comprehensive early education programs are more likely to make significant progress toward closing the achievement gap than ones that focus exclusively on K-12 improvements.

Promoting Children's Social and Emotional Development Through Preschool. Judi Boyd, W. Steven Barnett, Elena Bodrova, Deborah J. Leong, Deanna Gomby, Kenneth B. Robin, and Jason T. Hustedt. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2005). Policy brief emphasizes the importance of social and emotional development for children’s success in school; reviews the research evidence that high-quality preschool can promote social and emotional development; describes characteristics of programs most likely to benefit children; and recommends expansion of high quality programs.

All Together Now: State Experiences in Using Community-Based Child Care to Provide Prekindergarten. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). (February 2005). Paper studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which pre-kindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes findings of CLASP survey of states that was undertaken to understand the policy choices, opportunities, and challenges of including community-based child care providers in state pre-kindergarten programs.

The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (November 2004). Report evaluates state preschool programs in 2003-2004 in the areas of access, quality and resources. Provides individual state profiles as well as general information on the overall status of state-funded preschool.

Class Size: What’s the Best Fit? W. Steven Barnett, Karen Shulman, & Rima Shore. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2004). Policy brief examines how class size and staff-child ratios affect quality, educational effectiveness, and cost of preschool programs and recommends states gradually phase in class size reductions while ensuring adequate financial support.

Who Goes to Preschool and Why Does It Matter? W. Steven Barnett and Donald J. Yarosz. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (Revised November 2007). Policy brief recommends expansion of high-quality preschool education to reach disadvantaged children not currently being served, as well as moving beyond targeted programs to increase access for middle-income children. It also recommends action be taken to address regional imbalances in preschool access.

The Universal v. Targeted Debate: Should the United States Have Preschool for All?
W. Steven Barnett, Kirsty Brown & Rima Shore. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2004). Policy brief recommends states move toward universal preschool programs while maintaining high quality standards and providing more intensive services to disadvantaged children and children with disabilities.

Report of Governor’s Pre-Kindergarten Funding FY05. Trust for Early Education. (2004). Report examines state budget proposals by the nation’s governors to determine support for preschool education. Of the 41 states that currently fund a preschool program, only 11 governors proposed increased spending for preschool; 16 governors proposed flat spending; and 4 governors proposed to cut spending for preschool.

The State of Preschool: 2003 State Preschool Yearbook. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). (2004). Report evaluates state preschool programs in 2002-2003 in the areas of access, quality and resources. Provides individual state profiles as well as general information on the overall status of state-funded preschool.

Prekindergarten Policy Framework. National Prekindergarten Center at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. (2004). Policy framework presents summaries of the research on preschool education, research-based information on high quality programming, and examples of state preschool programs.

High Quality Pre-K: The Key to Crime Prevention and School Success. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. (2006). A series of state policy briefs by a national anti-crime organization made up of members of law enforcement and crime victims urges increased public funding of quality prekindergarten programs as a means of reducing crime and increasing high school graduation rates.

The Price of School Readiness: A Tool for Estimating the Cost of Universal Preschool in the States. Stacie Carolyn Golin and Anne W. Mitchell. Institute for Women's Policy Institute. (2004). Report presents a model to estimate the cost of universally accessible preschool at the state level. Report details how policymakers, advocates, researchers and other stakeholders can use the model to estimate the cost of universal preschool in their jurisdictions.

Prekindergarten: Four Selected States Expanded Access by Relying on Schools and Existing Providers of Early Education and Care to Provide Services. United States Government Accountability Office. (September 2004). Report reviews the design, funding, and implications of expanded public preschool programs in four states--Georgia, Oklahoma, New York, and New Jersey. Examines reasons for reduced participation, and notes challenges for collaborating with community-based providers. Discusses trade-offs between targeted and universal approaches.

Issue Brief: How Do We Establish Universal Preschool in a Way That Builds the Early Care and Education System as a Whole? 2004 Learning Community on Early Care and Education Finance Reform. Alliance on Early Childhood Finance. (2004). Paper provides overview of state policies on preschool program design, governance, standards and professional development.

Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age. Voices for America’s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center. (2004). Report by national child advocacy organization analyzes public spending on early learning in twelve states, highlights gaps in spending, and calls for increased public spending on preschool education programs.

Blending and Braiding Funding to Support Early Care and Education Initiatives. The Finance Project. (January 2003). Report provides an overview of the major funding sources supporting early childhood education and care programs and proposes strategies to blend funds effectively.

Policy Briefs from the National Governors Association Forum on Quality Preschool. National Governors Association. (December 2003). Policy briefs cover an array of issues relating to preschool education policy, including program delivery and governance; qualified workforce; alignment of preschool with state learning standards; finance; and the role of state leadership.

Early Childhood Education: A Call to Action from the Business Community. The Business Roundtable. (2003). Paper by an association of chief executive officers of major U.S. corporations argues that America’s continuing efforts to improve education and develop a world-class workforce will be hampered without a federal and state commitment to early childhood education for 3- and 4-year-old children.

Preschool for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society. Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development (CED). (2002). Report outlines current state and national early care and education policies and programs, highlights shortcomings of the current system and makes recommendations on how to move towards universal preschool for all 3 and 4 year olds.

Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin School. Economic Policy Institute. (2002). Using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), the report explores the relationship between children’s cognitive ability and socioeconomic status. Differences in achievement between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers are shown to begin even before kindergarten.

High Quality Preschool: Why We Need It and What It Looks Like. Linda M. Espinosa. National Institute for Early Education Research. (2002). Policy brief describes the lack of quality in most early education and care programs, particularly those serving disadvantaged children, and sets forth a blue print for moving programs toward research-based standards of high quality.