In 2024–25, California enrolled 46 percent of 4-year-olds in public early childhood education programs and 11 percent of 3-year-olds.
California struggles to meet quality benchmarks for preschool programs, report says
Category: Early education
Benefits of redshirting kindergarteners don’t last long, brief finds
Between 2017 and 2025, roughly 5 percent of kindergartners were redshirted per year on average with a peak of 6.4 percent in fall 2021 during the pandemic, according to NWEA’s March brief “Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits.”
Resources to communicate prekindergarten options to families
The California Department of Education, as part of its universal prekindergarten (UPK) initiative, recently published a toolkit that local educational agencies can use to find tips on communicating early learning options to families.
Research emphasizes professional development needs for assistant pre-K teachers
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.
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.”