Across the nation, early childhood education and care has suffered from poorly organized service delivery systems, inadequate funding, and insufficient attention by the policymakers. The result is a complicated system plagued by competing interests that is in need of reform and alignment. The field's capacity to meet the needs of children and families has been diminished by unresolved governance questions, and improving governance is an important first step toward eliciting stronger program outcomes such as heightened quality and broader access for children. Given parents' growing demand for expanded services and schools' heightened expectations for Kindergarten preparedness, improvement of early childhood service delivery is an imperative that states can no longer choose to ignore.
Nationally, the issue of improving access and quality of early childhood education services is gaining momentum. A growing body of research demonstrates the importance of early care and learning experiences for children's cognitive and social development and links quality preschool experiences to higher academic achievement in later years. Further, economists note the importance of early education and care options for improving a region's overall quality of life and prospects for economic development. State leaders are increasingly acknowledging the role of policy in improving the delivery and quality of early education services and are making change in this area a priority.
Massachusetts policy makers have begun to demonstrate a commitment to confronting and helping resolve the complex challenges that face the early childhood education system in the state. This brief, entitled Improving Early Childhood Education: Framing the Options and Imperatives for State Action Policy has been designed as background information for use in the policy dialogue on early childhood education.
This brief is the product of a secondary analysis of existing data and research on governance in early childhood services across the nation and within the Commonwealth. The review of research was complemented by interviews with key stakeholders and early childhood education leaders in Massachusetts as well as leaders from other states. The Massachusetts Early Education and Care Council Report, as well as testimony at a legislative task force meeting on early childhood issues also informed this policy brief.
In order to provide a range of options for policy makers, we profiled three distinctly different approaches, rather than attempting to determine the "best" systems in existence. The three options that we examined in this brief, include:
- Creating a state-level public-private partnership as has been accomplished in North Carolina and other states;
- Establishing a new state agency or board like Georgia's Office of School Readiness; and,
- Installing an interagency oversight committee that connects the multiple agencies currently managing early education and care services in the state.
Summary of A Case Study of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
On July 1, 2005, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to launch an independent, consolidated department with a primary focus on early childhood learning and care. This innovative governance structure had equal standing with the state's Department of Education and Board of Higher Education. In Massachusetts, and nationally, the new Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) was greeted with excitement, high expectations and a keen sense of watchfulness. The new consolidated Department was expected to improve upon the previous system and forge new ground in early education through the development of a system of universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) for every three-, four-, and five-year-old child in the Commonwealth. The creation of the Department was viewed as an opportunity for Massachusetts "to lead the way in providing coordinated, cost-effective, high-quality early education and care."
The creation of the Department was the culmination of several years of work by advocates and policymakers and was influenced by a growing focus statewide and nationally on the importance of high-quality early education. The primary impetus for the agency was to develop a system of UPK through a mix of private and public providers, which the existing governance structure was not capable of overseeing. Several additional factors contributed to a heightened focus on the needs of the youngest children. Brain research over the past decade has directed increased attention to early education as it showed the long-term impact of high-quality early education and its potential return on investment. Specifically, research has shown that low-income children who participate in a high-quality early education are more likely to excel in school, stay off welfare and out of jail, and to later become good parents themselves. Research into the economics of early education also showed that investments in high-quality early education could lead to as much as a 16% return on investment. Growth nationally in the number of women engaged in the workforce further elevated the focus on the need to provide access to high-quality early education and care --and this growth is projected to continue.
Another important factor influencing the creation of the Department was the move toward standards and accountability in K-12 education, which aspires to have all children achieve to their fullest potential. Increasingly, it has become evident that a high-quality early education experience is a fundamental component of an educational continuum that ensures that children, especially those at-risk, have the necessary foundation to succeed in the K-12 system and in life.
This case study describes the evolution of EEC from its early conceptions to its impact in its first two and a half years. The goal of the study is to provide a reference and resource for other state governments, advocacy groups and philanthropies seeking to develop a consolidated governance structure for early education and care. While this case focuses primarily on EEC's services for children ages three through five, it is important to note that the agency serves children age birth through 14. Through this case, we chronicle the purpose, history and evolution of EEC, articulate "lessons-learned" to date and identify future opportunities and challenges for EEC as it strives to meet its statutory mandates.
The report is divided into the following sections:
- Part One - the consolidation and creation of EEC;
- Part Two - EEC's structure and responsibilities; and
- Part Three - EEC's progress to date, as well as the challenges that lie ahead and lessons for other states.