With the increasing focus and funding on preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, high-quality programs and their subsequent benefits have been sweeping across the nation. Once these students enter the primary grades—kindergarten through third grade—it is possible that this high level of quality may diminish, leading to fade-out of high-quality preschool effects.
To capitalize on their early investments, state policymakers can continue to expand access to high-quality early care and education, but also can turn to the kindergarten through third grade spectrum to continue enhancing quality and set up children on successful, lifelong trajectories.
Areas such as full-day kindergarten (FDK), social-emotional learning (SEL), kindergarten entry assessments (KEAs), English language learner reclassification procedures (ELL) and student-teacher ratios (Ratios) are strong areas to focus and summarized in the link below.