Skip to main content
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact

Search form

American Institutes for Research

  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Health
    • International
    • Workforce
    • ALL TOPICS >
  • Our Services
    • Research and Evaluation
    • Technical Assistance
  • Our Experts
  • News & Events

You are here

  • Home
26 May 2016
Brief

Ten Questions Local Policymakers Should Ask About Expanding Access to Preschool

Susan Muenchow and Emily Weinberg

The 10, an occasional series by AIR’s Education Policy Center, offers policymakers, educators, and the general public accessible, research-based information on pressing education issues.

Preschool brief coverHigh-quality preschool programs can have far reaching benefits for kids, parents, and communities—and they can provide a high return on initial investments, with projected savings of $2-$4 for every $1 invested. Realizing what a good deal preschool can be for everyone, some local preschool champions have opted not to wait for federal or state action and have started investing in expanding access and improving the quality of preschool provided in their communities, in many cases setting a goal for making quality preschool available to all families, regardless of income.

But scaling up from a model program to citywide or countywide access is difficult. This 10 Series report summarizes our key findings about local preschool initiatives in 10 communities in the United States. The local leaders profiled in our study had to address key issues about the focus, scope, quality components, duration, and rollout of their initiatives. Leaders had to determine an appropriate finance mechanism and develop the political will to secure it.

Based on our examination of these preschool initiatives, we developed 10 questions local policymakers and educators should ask as they consider action on preschool.

  1. Should preschool be for all, or only for the neediest?
  2. Should local initiatives focus on four-year-olds, or three- and four-year olds?
  3. What about teachers’ qualifications and pay, adult-to-child ratios, and other quality factors?
  4. When should preschools be open?
  5. How much does preschool cost?
  6. How do cities pay for preschool?
  7. How long does it take to serve the target population?
  8. What settings work best for preschool?
  9. Who should run preschools?
  10. How can cities win public support?
PDF icon Ten Questions Local Policymakers Should Ask About Expanding Access to Preschool (PDF)

Related Work

10 Dec 2014
Longform Essay

preschoolers-books.jpg

preschoolers with books

What to Look for in a High Quality Preschool

The White House’s announcement December 10 of a $1-billion public-private investment in early childhood education programs raises critical questions about which program features will best help the projected 63,000 children affected learn and thrive. AIR’s early childhood experts weigh in here.
Topic: 
Education, Early Childhood and Child Development
1 Dec 2014
Blog Post

Susan_Muenchow_00241.jpg

Image of Susan Muenchow

Three Important Questions About Publicly Funded Preschools

With government-supported preschool alive, recovering from the recession, and growing again at the state level, Susan Muenchow offers three central questions when considering preschool expansion.
Topic: 
Education, Early Childhood and Child Development

Further Reading

  • Analysis of Options for Funding Universal Preschool in Sonoma County- Updated Report
  • Three Important Questions About Publicly Funded Preschools
  • What to Look for in a High Quality Preschool
  • What's the Research Behind Head Start's New Rules?
  • HighScope Preschool Curriculum and Professional Development Efficacy Study
Share

Contact

Image of Susan Muenchow

Susan Muenchow

Principal Researcher
Emily Weinberg

Emily Weinberg

Senior Researcher

Topic

Education
Early Childhood and Child Development
Child Welfare

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

About Us

About AIR
Board of Directors
Leadership
Experts
Clients
Contracting with AIR
Contact Us

Our Work

Education
Health
International
Workforce

Client Services

Research and Evaluation
Technical Assistance

News & Events

Careers at AIR


Search form


 

Connecting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeInstagram

American Institutes for Research

1400 Crystal Drive, 10th Floor
Arlington, VA 22202-3289
Call: (202) 403-5000
Fax: (202) 403-5000

Copyright © 2021 American Institutes for Research®.  All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap