CRANE RESEARCH FORUM RECAP – Rebuilding After COVID-19: Does School-Based Pre-K Hold Promise?
September 2024
Early pandemic-related research shows that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are both highly localized and not born equally, with children of color, dual language learners, and children from families with low incomes more negatively affected. As policymakers consider how to invest in shoring up — and in some places rebuilding altogether — the early child care and education sector, it is important to guard against risk and inequities in the face of future pandemics and other potential shocks.
In this presentation, Drs. Cohen-Vogel and Little examined the role of school-based pre-kindergarten (SBPK) in these efforts. SBPK are formal pre-K programs that are situated within elementary schools, as opposed to stand-alone early education centers. The talk covered which communities offer SBPK options, who has access, how these options are unique, and research on their relative efficacy. Additionally, the presenters discussed the potential role of SBPK moving ahead.
Dr. Lora Cohen-Vogel is an expert in vertical alignment between pre-K and kindergarten who has extensive experience using research on policy formation for system improvement. Dr. Michael Little’s research focuses on how leadership and policy impact the bridge between early childhood education and the early grades of school. They are currently collaborating on a federally funded grant to examine whether SBPK programs improve alignment with kindergarten.
RESOURCES
Visit the OECD website to read more about Access and Participation data.
Read the chapter “How do early childhood education systems differ around the world?” from the OECD book Education at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators.
Read the research article (Mis)Alignment of instructional policy supports in Pre-K and kindergarten: Evidence from rural districts in North Carolina by Drs. Cohen-Vogel and Little.
Read the research article A Missed Opportunity? Instructional Content Redundancy in Pre-K and Kindergarten by Drs. Cohen-Vogel and Little.
