More than three dozen laws that support early learning were enacted in 25 states this year, according to the Denver-based Education Commission of the States.
Among the initiatives are the creation of statewide prekindergarten programs in Hawaii and Mississippi; a mandate that early-elementary teachers in Ohio must pass a test in principles of scientifically-based reading instruction; and the expansion of home-visiting programs in Arkansas.
Emily Workman, a policy analyst with the ECS who researched the new laws, said the legislative efforts show that states are considering creative ways to boost early learning, even as a federal proposal to expand early-childhood education seems bogged down in Congress.
