Quality pre-K education has a direct impact on later academic success. Despite decades of strong research on brain and child development, many young children spend their days in settings that fail to provide them with the full range of support they need to start school eager to learn. Curricula are haphazard. Teachers are underqualified and underpaid, even though studies consistently find that college-educated teachers are more effective than non-college educated teachers. Many pre-kindergartens have babysitting as their primary function, not school readiness.

As a consequence, 35% – even 50%, by some estimates – of our children are not fully prepared when they enter kindergarten. As a result we see higher than necessary rates of grade retention, remediation, and special education placements. Giving all children access to high-quality pre-K is one of the most effective ways to improve academic success and tackle these challenges early.


Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Guide to Head Start Reauthorization
Trust for Early Education 2004 Guide to Improving Quality Through Head Start Reauthorization" - This guide is designed as a chart to assist policy makers and child advocates in supporting pre-kindergarten solutions that raise Head Start’s quality.


Monday, June 09, 2003
TEE Policy Brief: Teacher Education: One Strong Step to Ensuring High Quality
If we want children to enter kindergarten ready to learn, our pre-kindergarten programs must be able to attract and retain well-educated pre-kindergarten teachers. The pattern is clear. High quality learning environments and high quality classrooms are associated with high quality teachers: teacher with a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) and specialized training in early childhood education.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Governors on Early Education
Recognizing the wealth of research demonstrating the importance of children attending high quality pre-Kindergarten programs, Republican and Democratic Governors are voicing their support for early education programs. Even in perilous economic times, state executives recognize the importance of providing children with the tools they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.