U.S. Department of Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning Libby Doggett will join New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and other experts from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) to unveil the new State of Preschool Report for the 2014 school year on Thursday, May 12, at the Sugar Hill Museum Preschool in New York City.
The annual report looks at enrollment and funding and includes objective state-by-state profiles and rankings for state-funded preschool.
The Obama Administration has called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool for every child in America. Leading economists agree that high-quality early learning programs can help level the playing field for children from lower-income families on vocabulary, social and emotional development, while helping students to stay on track and stay engaged in the early elementary grades. Children who attend these programs are more likely to do well in school, find good jobs, and succeed in their careers than those who don’t. And research has shown that taxpayers receive a high average return on investments in high-quality early childhood education, with savings in areas like improved educational outcomes, increased labor productivity, and a reduction in crime.