Support for publicly funded pre-kindergarten has increased tremendously in recent years as parents, educators and policy makers have come to recognize the many benefits of high-quality early education. As of 2008, 38 states and the District of Columbia invest in pre-k programs, and many school districts are doing so on their own with local and…

In this report, Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States, evaluates gubernatorial proposals to determine which leaders see voluntary, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs as essential. The news is good: The majority of governors are prioritizing pre-k, and though more modest than in recent years, gubernatorial proposals for FY10…

In this report, Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States, reviews state budgets to see which legislatures understand the economic and educational value of high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten. In light of the tough fiscal environment, the news for young children is surprisingly good. A chart that documents pre-k budget allocations…

Pre-kindergarten programs are expanding in states around the nation. Decades of research on the impact of these programs show that high quality standards produce substantial benefits for children, working families, and communities. As state leaders seek to increase investments in pre-k, they face a number of choices and potential tradeoffs that…

Across the nation, policymakers are paying increasing attention to the latest research on early childhood development--from brain development to cost-benefit analyses to longitudinal studies--and they are coming away with one conclusion: high-quality pre-kindergarten programs make the most of young children's immense learning potential and give…

Rural communities face significant obstacles in providing access to the high-quality pre-k programs needed to help mitigate these problems. In addition to limited local tax revenues, many rural areas experience high rates of poverty and a scarcity of qualified teachers. Given these and other challenges, federal investments may be necessary in…

The momentum behind high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten is growing dramatically across the country--in families, in communities, and in the halls of academia and government. Thanks to this strong wave of support, state spending on pre-k increased from $2.4 billion to $4.2 billion nationwide between 2002 and 2007. This investment is built upon…

Every day, millions of three- and four-year-old children attend early education programs. The range of early childhood education program models includes, among others, state-funded pre-k, Head Start, and child care programs. Children attend these programs in public schools, private schools, colleges, businesses, community-based centers, and homes.…

Even as states across the United States make impressive progress toward providing pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds, many children in urgent need of high-quality early education still lack access. As states look to expand pre-k by first targeting those with the greatest need, policymakers should consider how the children of the…

Despite widespread support for early education among policymakers and business and community leaders, the most frequently cited obstacle to expanding quality or access is fiscal constraints. Thus, in an attempt to accommodate these publicly supported programs within the confines of limited state budgets, policymakers leverage states' general…

Arkansas has made important commitments to enhance the quality of and access to early education opportunities for young children, particularly those from disadvantaged families. These commitments are valuable, but they do not yet ensure that all children have access to pre-k programs. At issue is whether it makes economic sense to expand…

Today, policymakers with an interest in school success no longer debate why states should provide pre-kindergarten; that case has been made successfully to voters, educators, and researchers. Instead, policymakers now wrestle with how to get the job done. Increasingly, they turn to what those in the pre-k field call "diverse" or…

The Latino population in the United States is growing at a rapid pace, and the proportion of our nation's under-five year olds who are Latino is increasing even faster. Many of these children lack access to the high-quality pre-kindergarten experiences that promote academic achievement and future success. By providing Latino children with…

Pre-kindergarten programs enhance the lives of children and have widespread benefits for society. By improving educational performance, expanding career opportunities, and raising wage-earning potential among participating children, high-quality pre-k reduces crime, increases tax revenues, decreases dependency on public assistance programs, and…

This paper considers the economic impact to the K-12 education system in the state of Wisconsin and in the district of Milwaukee from expanding provision of pre-kindergarten, which is known in Wisconsin as four-year-old kindergarten (4K). The proposed investment would make 4K available to a significantly larger number of children in the state.…