A new report from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) explores state preschool policies related to assistant teacher qualification requirements, strategies to meet those requirements, compensation policies, and professional development (PD) supports available to, and required for, assistant teachers.
Category: Early education
New report outlines current early education and child care policy and spending by state
The National Women’s Law Center on Jan. 9 published the report, Progress and Setbacks: State Child Care and Early Education Updates 2025, which examined depleting federal support for the child care sector and how it has impacted state spending.
Addressing trauma among young children and families is vital to long-term success
Mi Escuelita Preschool, founded in 2006, has made headlines over the last few years due to the trauma-informed learning environment it provides for students and their families, and the educational results it’s been producing.
Research shows streamlined access to Head Start supports all students
The benefits of participating in Head Start are well documented, but enrollment difficulties negatively impact student groups that benefit the most from strong early education opportunities, according to a recent study from the Children’s Equity Project (CEP) at Arizona State University. The report reviews research […]
Recommendations for a multilingual-ready early childhood workforce in California
Drawing on successes observed in the Central Valley, Ensuring a Multilingual‑Ready Universal Pre‑Kindergarten Workforce, a recent report from Californians Together, offers a glimpse at promising workforce development strategies to support multilingual learners.
New report examines pre-K teachers’ stress-levels and more
Managing student behavior and supporting their well-being, low pay and other factors are among the most stressful for prekindergarten teachers across the country, according to the latest American Pre-K Teacher Survey. A report released May 6 by Rand Corporation details the survey findings, which examine […]
New report highlights the state of preschool in US and California
The National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) 2024 State of Preschool report found that although state-led initiatives to advance early childhood education (ECE) hit “historic highs” in 2023–24, and preschool participation rebounded from the pandemic, overall progress has been “highly uneven from state to state.”
Ensuring reading difficulties screeners are equitable for multilingual learners
By June 30, local educational agencies across the state will need to adopt one of four approved reading difficulties screeners for implementation in 2025–26. A May report from Californians Together and Teach Plus, Considerations and Suggestions When Adopting a Reading Difficulties Screener for Multilingual Learners, includes guiding questions for LEA leaders for adoption and implementation and other resources.
Pre-K teachers need additional support around curriculum and planning time, survey shows
Prekindergarten teachers often blend curriculum materials to meet the needs of their students, but face time constraints similar to their K-12 colleagues, according to a study released April 9 by the RAND Corporation. Researchers, who surveyed more than 1,300 public school pre-K teachers across the […]
Survey results highlight need for streamlined data collection in early education
The latest results from the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) 2024 public opinion polling show many early childhood administrators understand that data is essential for their work and want better access to it, but many also shared that data collection and reporting requirements tend to be […]







