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Strategic Objective
Access to High-Quality Programs and Services
Strategic Objective
Progress Update
While states and the federal government both invest in early learning, these efforts have fallen short of what is needed to ensure that all children can access a high-quality early education that will prepare them for success. Across the nation, 58 percent of 4-year-olds and 85 percent of 3‑year-olds are not enrolled in publicly funded preschool programs through state preschool, Head Start, and preschool special education services.[1] Even fewer are enrolled in the highest-quality programs.[2] Overall, during 2011–13, 4.4 million 3- and 4‑year‑olds were not attending any preschool at all, representing more than half (54 percent) of all children in that age group.[3]
Children’s access to preschool also varies significantly by family income level and geographic region.[4] As of the 2013–14 school year, 41 states and the District of Columbia offered voluntary, state preschool programs for some children.[5] In 2015–16, three states (Indiana, New Hampshire, and North Dakota) had small pilot programs. Hawaii now has a program reaching public school students and their Preschool Development Grant will serve children in the public charter school system. Montana’s Preschool Development Grant has provided that state’s first state preschool program, which by 2018 will provide high-quality preschool to over 5,000 children from low-income families in sixteen communities, eight of which are on Indian lands.
Twenty-nine percent of America’s 4-year-olds were enrolled in a state-funded preschool program in the 2013–14 school year. While total enrollment for 4-year-olds increased by 8,535, nearly half this increase was required to recoup the loss of 4,000 seats in 2012–13. At the May release of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) Yearbook, Secretary Duncan noted, “The current pace of change is far too incremental…We have to think about transformational change.” In fact, as NIEER researchers observed, “at the 2013–2014 growth rate it would take about 75 years for states to reach 50 percent enrollment at age 4 and 150 years to reach 70 percent enrollment.”
While states enroll a total of 1.35 million 3- and 4-year-olds in state preschool, enrollment in individual state programs significantly varies.[6] For example, Florida, Oklahoma, Vermont, and the District of Columbia served more than 70 percent of their 4-year-olds in state-funded preschool, whereas 11 states with programs served fewer than 10 percent of 4-year-olds. These states are: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Delaware; Minnesota; Missouri; Nevada; Ohio; Oregon; Rhode Island; and Washington. Local Head Start programs serve another approximately half million 4-year-olds from the lowest-income families.[7]
While Latinos are the fastest growing and largest minority group in the United States, making up a quarter of 3- and 4-year-olds, Latinos demonstrate the lowest preschool participation rates of any major ethnicity or race with 63 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds not in any preschool programs.[8] The rates were also low for American Indians (59 percent). More than half of African-American and non-Hispanic white 3- and 4-year-olds were not in any preschool programs, which was nearly the same for Asian and Pacific Islander children (48 percent). While most children who have access to preschool attend moderate-quality programs, African American children and children from low-income families are the most likely to attend low-quality preschool programs and the least likely to attend high-quality preschool programs.[9] About one‑third of children served by state preschool programs live in the two states with the lowest quality standards from the NIEER—Florida and Texas.[10] Forty percent of preschoolers—more than half a million—attend programs that meet few of the quality NIEER benchmark standards.
Children with disabilities also have difficulty accessing inclusive preschool programs. In 2013, across all states, 55.6 percent of preschool children served under Part B, section 619 of IDEA participated in at least 10 hours of a general early childhood program. Fewer than half (43.5 percent) of preschool children with disabilities received special education services in their general early childhood programs.[11]
In coordination with the Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance Center (ELC TA) and Preschool Development Grants Technical Assistance Center (PDG TA), the Department, in coordination with HHS, is supporting efforts to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for the 20 ELC and 18 Preschool Development Grants states, as well as nongrantee states, through online early learning communities, technical assistance webinars, briefs, and reports. Additionally, OESE’s national comprehensive center, the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and OSEP technical assistance (TA) centers provide support for all states, including around issues of access and quality.
A critical driver of quality in all early learning and development programs has been the states’ QRIS (or Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (TQRIS) for ELC states). This reform metric helps states set progressively higher program standards and provides supports to programs so they can meet those higher standards. Once programs are enrolled in a state’s TQRIS, the state helps them improve their quality and their ranking. States provide technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and program improvement grants that allow programs to make the necessary quality improvements. Nearly half of all children who live in low-income families in the Unites States reside in the 20 ELC states. ELC states have increased the number of early learning and development programs participating in their TQRIS and are implementing strategies to improve the quality of those programs. The 20 ELC states’ cumulative state data show that the number of early childhood programs included in the states’ TQRIS has nearly doubled from 38,642 at the start of their grants to 72,281 programs in 2014, an increase of 87 percent.
The 20 ELC states also reported on the number of children in various types of early learning and development programs that are in top tiers of their state’s TQRIS in 2014. The report shows a 176 percent increase in the number of children with high needs enrolled in state preschool programs in the top tiers of their state’s TQRIS from the time the states received their grants. More than 200,000 children are now enrolled in these programs, an increase of more than 127,000 children. As a result of the ELC program, there is a 75 percent increase in the number of children enrolled in high-quality programs supported through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF or child care subsidy). 228,760 children with high needs are now enrolled in CCDF-funded programs in the top tiers of their TQRIS, an increase of almost 100,000 children. 151,676 children with high needs are now enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start programs in the top tiers of their TQRIS, an increase of more than 78,000 children.
In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Obama called upon Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool for every child in America, proposing investments that would support a continuum of early learning opportunity from birth through kindergarten entry. He challenged more Americans—elected officials, business leaders, philanthropists, and the public—to help more children access the early education they need to succeed in school and in life. On December 10, 2014, the President convened state and local policymakers, mayors, school superintendents, corporate and community leaders, and advocates for the White House Summit on Early Education, highlighting collective leadership in support of early education for America’s children. Leaders shared best practices in building the public-private partnerships that are expanding early education in communities across the country. Participants discussed effective strategies and programs that support and bring high-quality early childhood education to scale.
Leading private and philanthropic organizations made commits to new actions to spur greater access to high-quality early learning programs. Together with federal awards, this amounts to a collective investment of over $1 billion in the education and development of America’s youngest learners. It includes:
- Over $340 million in new actions from corporate and philanthropic leaders to expand the reach and enhance the quality of early education for thousands of additional children.
- Up to $750 million in new federal grant awards announced by Secretaries Duncan and Burwell, to support early learning for over 63,000 additional children across the country for Preschool Development Grants and the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships.
- The launch of Invest in US, a new initiative created by the First Five Years Fund, a bipartisan nonprofit organization, in partnership with private philanthropic leaders, in response to the President’s call to action.
- New private and philanthropic resources and support for Early Learning Communities, an initiative of Invest in US. Invest in US is working to connect communities and states interested in expanding early learning programs and opportunities with 10 leading partners that have committed to helping connect leaders with resources, planning grants, technical assistance, and other support for their youngest learners.
Since the Summit, significant progress has been made, and bipartisan cooperation has led to a substantial increase in public-private investments in early education.
Congress took an important step in 2014 to address inequities in access to high-quality preschool by supporting the Preschool Development Grants program, a 4-year, federal-state partnership to expand the number of children enrolled in high-quality preschool programs in high-need communities. There was significant bipartisan interest from state governors in this program. Thirty-five states and Puerto Rico applied and the Department made grants to 18 states. During the 2015–16 school year, these states are serving approximately 33,000 4‑year‑olds from low- and moderate-income families in more than 200 communities in high-quality preschool programs. The diversity of the 18 states that received grants reflects the fact that increasing access to preschool is a bipartisan priority across the country. From Massachusetts and Montana to Alabama and Hawaii, Preschool Development Grants are designed to help states move forward with high-quality preschool, whether that means expanding an already successful preschool program or helping to build state-level capacity and put in place quality improvements to serve more children in high-quality settings.
While the Preschool Development Grants will not reach every child in the funded states and there remains a huge unmet need, these states will be another step closer to the goal of expanding access to high-quality early learning across the country. Over the 4-year grant period, and with continued funding from Congress, these states are expecting to enroll an additional 177,000 children in high-quality preschool programs, which will help put children on a path to success in school and in life. About 285,000 preschoolers could have been served in the 18 states that did not receive a Preschool Development Grant. For four years, the Obama administration has requested formula funding to address the enormous unmet need for high-quality preschool and provide preschool for all 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families. In addition, the Administration’s FY 2017 budget request includes funding for continuation grants to support current states, as well as additional dollars to expand Preschool Development Grants to more states, the Bureau of Indian Education, tribal educational agencies, territories, and the Outlying Areas.
The Department is also engaging in specific activities to ensure that infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities and their families have access to high-quality programs and services. OSEP began implementing an RDA system to hold states accountable for both improving results for children with disabilities and complying with requirements in IDEA. As part of RDA, states are being asked to develop a SSIP to focus and drive their efforts to improve results for children with disabilities. Phase 1 of the SSIP was submitted to OSEP in April 2015. States were required to submit SSIPs for both Part B and C of IDEA. The SSIPs included a measurable child result that states will be working to achieve over the next 5 years, and the infrastructure that they will need to have in place to support local programs in delivering high-quality services to meet the state-identified child result. Another component of RDA is ensuring that determinations reflect state performance on results, as well as compliance. OSEP must annually determine if a state “Meets Requirements,” “Needs Assistance,” or “Needs Intervention.” In July 2015, OSEP used child outcome data for the first time in making determinations for Part C programs.
In addition to accountability activities, OSEP is supporting states through technical assistance. Three of OSEP’s national centers specifically focus on supporting states in enhancing their Part C and Part B, section 619 programs, as well as other early learning programs, to increase the quality of services provided to children with disabilities and their families. These centers are working with Part C and Part B, section 619 programs to develop effective and efficient infrastructures, including data and personnel systems, to deliver high-quality services to infants, toddlers, and preschool age children with disabilities and their families. The centers have developed a systems framework that states can use to assess their infrastructure and work towards improving it. In addition, the centers are working with the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) to promote the use of the recently released DEC Recommended Practices, which provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth through age 5, who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.
The Department and HHS released two major early childhood policy statements. Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension Practices in Early Childhood Settings was released December 10, 2014. The statement has influenced local and state efforts to assist states and their public and private local early childhood programs in preventing and severely limiting expulsions and suspensions in early learning settings. A second policy statement, Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs, released on September 14, 2015, supports the goal that all young children with disabilities should have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs, where they are provided with individualized and appropriate support in meeting high expectations. In addition, the Department and HHS, in partnership with Too Small to Fail, have created the Talk, Read, and Sing Together Every Day tip sheets. Made specifically for families, caregivers and early educators, these resources can help enrich a child’s early language experiences by providing research-based tips for talking, reading, and singing with young children every day beginning from birth. The Departments are also collecting public input on policy statements around family engagement in early learning settings and health and wellness promotion in early childhood settings. Each of these efforts contributes to the goal of improving the quality of early learning programs.
In October 2015, the Departments held a three-day annual grantee meeting for the 20 ELC and 18 Preschool Development Grants states. In addition, nongrantee states were invited to attend. In all, over 300 persons participated, and over 35 states were represented. Sessions focused on meeting the needs of states around improving quality in programs, measuring child outcomes, and supporting birth to third grade systems and other reforms.
Metrics in Goal 3 are influenced most by actions taken by states or grantees in response to state and federal policy initiatives, but they are also influenced by factors that are beyond the control of states, LEAs, or the Department of Education.
[1] Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E., Squires, J.H., Clarke Brown, K., & Horowitz, M. (2015). The state of preschool 2014: State preschool yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
[2] Nores, M., & Barnett, W.S. (2014). Access to High Quality Early Care and Education: Readiness and Opportunity Gaps in America (CEELO Policy Report). New Brunswick, NJ: Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes.
[3] Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2015). KIDS COUNT data center. Baltimore, MD: Author. http://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-2015kidscountdatabook-2015.pdf
[4] Cascio, E.U., Whitmore Schanzenbach, D. Expanding Preschool Access for Disadvantaged Children http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2014/06/19_hamilton_policies_addressing_poverty/expand_preschool_access_cascio_schanzebach.pdf
[5] Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E., Squires, J.H., Clarke Brown, K., & Horowitz, M. (2015). The state of preschool 2014: State preschool yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
[6] Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E., Squires, J.H., Clarke Brown, K., & Horowitz, M. (2015). The state of preschool 2014: State preschool yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
[7] Head Start Program Facts Fiscal Year 2014. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/data/factsheets/docs/hs-program-fact-sheet-2014.pdf
[8] Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2015). KIDS COUNT data center. Baltimore, MD: Author. http://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-2015kidscountdatabook-2015.pdf
[9] Center for American Progress. Why We Need a Federal Preschool Investment in 6 Charts. December 9, 2014. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/news/2014/12/09/102737/why-we-need-a-federal-preschool-investment-in-6-charts/
[10] Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E., Squires, J.H., Clarke Brown, K., & Horowitz, M. (2015). The state of preschool 2014: State preschool yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
[11] 2013 Part B Child Count and Educational Environments Data File. Accessed on 4/17/15 at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepidea/618-data/state-level-data-files/index.html
