Policy

North Carolina Should Focus on Early Childhood Learning in Order to Raise Achievement in Predominantly Disadvantaged School Districts

To raise achievement in predominantly disadvantaged school districts, the Program Evaluation Division (PED) of the North Carolina General Assembly recommended focusing on early childhood learning, defined as the years birth through 3rd grade. The PED summarized their work: “predominantly disadvantaged districts that perform well [average or better on standardized state tests] are already demonstrating above […]

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Practical Guide for State Education Agencies to Promote Success of English Learners PreK-Grade 3

This report provides a series of recommendations to state education agencies and early childhood education partners that are aligned with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) publication, Promoting the Educational Success for Children and Youth Learning English (2017). The report aims to support coherent, research-based policy by guiding thinking, discussion, data collection,

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Fostering Pre-K to Elementary Alignment and Continuity in Mathematics in Urban School Districts: Challenges and Possibilities

This report takes an in-depth look at two school districts’ efforts to increase alignment and continuity between PreK and elementary schools, paying particular attention to mathematics. The comparative case study approach lays bare the complexity of this work – and also highlights how it can look quite different from one district to another. The authors

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Connecting the Steps: State Strategies to Ease the Transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten

This report examines strategies implemented by four states to improve the kindergarten transition process: West Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. The authors describe actions each state has taken to address the difficulties that often arise in the transition to kindergarten and the opportunities and challenges with their various approaches. The report concludes with four policy

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A False Dichotomy: Elementary Principals on Academics and Play

Research suggests that play, particularly up through 3rd grade, has become less prevalent in classrooms. The authors argue that with greater knowledge of child development and appropriate practices, principals would be more likely to understand that scaffolded play can and does lead to learning. In this brief, they conclude that principals who know best practices in

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Why Elementary School Principals Matter

In order for elementary school principals to be effective early education leaders, they must establish a PreK-3rd grade culture and continuum within their schools; build relationships with families and other community early education providers; and ensure effective, developmentally-appropriate teaching and assessment within their schools. Further, to ensure that principals are knowledgeable about the unique nature of

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Bringing it All Together: Elementary Principals are Key to Strong PreK-3rd Grade Classrooms

This brief presents four actions for states and school districts to better support elementary school principals: [1] states should incorporate early childhood education into principal preparation programs; [2] states and school districts should provide ongoing professional learning opportunities related to early education; [3] states and school districts should invest in opportunities to bring elementary school

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Connecting Pre-K and the Early Grades: Principals on Transitions

This policy brief argues that child care centers and Head Start programs should not be the only agencies trying to help their families navigate the new world of Kindergarten and elementary school. It asserts that elementary school principals should recognize the value in establishing relationships with center administrators and building connections between what happens before

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Better Policies for Dual Language Learners: Bridging Research, Policy, Implementation, and Classroom Practice

The New America Foundation publicly launched the Dual Language Learners Work Group in January 2015. Work Group founder Conor Williams identified the following as priorities for their work: Conduct case studies of districts implementing innovative policies for supporting DLLs; Convene meetings of leading DLL advocates, researchers, and policy thinkers; and Provide a steady stream of

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