Preschool/Pre-K

Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Early Childhood Trump Admin. Moves to Dismantle Head Start Quality Standards
The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the federal regulations that have defined Head Start for decades.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 6, 2026
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5 min read
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference on Universal Child Care at Bedrock Preschool on August 04, 2026 in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx borough in New York City. Mayor Mamdani was joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul, Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, and other elected officials on the day families of 2,000 toddlers received their 2-K offers for the program beginning in September across five school districts. More than 5,700 families applied for New York City's inaugural preschool program for 2-year-olds. Mamdani said the city plans to expand capacity to 12,000 children and include Staten Island in the program.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference about the city's pre-K program at Bedrock Preschool in New York City on Aug. 4, 2026. The city is expanding public preschool to 2,000 2-year-olds, with plans to expand it to 12,000 in 2027.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Early Childhood Could Public Preschool for 2-Year-Olds Become the Next Pre-K?
New York City and New Mexico have started "2-K" programs. But are they sustainable?
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 6, 2026
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4 min read
As part of Portland Parks environmental education, preschoolers and their parents take part in a guided nature hike through Laurelhurst Park on Feb. 13, 2026. Fewer than 60% of Oregon parents report their young child has hit milestones to be ready for kindergarten.
Preschoolers and their parents take part in a Portland Parks guided nature hike through Laurelhurst Park in Oregon on Feb. 13, 2026. A growing number of preschools nationwide rely on early assessments to gauge baseline development and progress. But many teachers express concerns.
Ross William Hamilton/oregonlive.com via TNS
Early Childhood Too Young to Test? How Teachers Feel About Early Childhood Assessments
A growing number of early elementary public school students are required to take assessments.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 28, 2026
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5 min read
CapitalCity009
Katrina Fernandez, lower school principal at Capital City Public Charter School, helps organize these preschoolers as they practice along with high school seniors during a graduation rehearsal at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, DC on June 11, 2026. The school's pre-K classes practice "looping," in which 3- and 4-year-olds share a classroom and stay with the same teacher for two years.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Early Childhood Why 'Looping' in Pre-K Helps Kids
As states seek to expand pre-K and teachers report students' lack of readiness, looping may help.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 20, 2026
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5 min read
Children use speech bubbles as a bridge to reach their teacher.
Hua Ye for Education Week
Early Childhood Opinion Why Early Learning Classrooms Need More Chit-Chat
Conversation is a vital pedagogical tool. Why is it waning in pre-K and elementary schools?
Tia Henteleff, July 15, 2026
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4 min read
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Victor J. Blue for Education Week
Early Childhood Video How Play Carts Can Transform Early Education
Play carts make it easy to follow Connecticut’s play-based learning mandate.
Marvin Joseph, July 13, 2026
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1 min read
Screenshot 2026 07 01 at 4.21.57 PM
Early Childhood Video A Charter School Finds 'Looping' Strategy Benefits Youngest Students
Capital City Public Charter School, the first parent-founded charter school in the nation’s capital, takes a unique approach to early learning.
Marvin Joseph & Yi-Jo Shen, July 1, 2026
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1 min read
Students play during a TK class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026.
Students play at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026. Principals leading schools with preschool programs often don’t have enough runway to learn skills and theories before they’re tasked with leading early grades.
Ethan Swope/AP
Early Childhood How Principals Can Make Preschools Better
Principals need to adopt strategies that help their youngest learners thrive.
Olina Banerji, June 29, 2026
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5 min read
Georgia preschool students listen to a teacher read a book Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at The Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center in Atlanta.
Georgia preschool students listen as a teacher reads a book April 22, 2026, at the Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center in Atlanta. Many principals now oversee preschool programs but often lack training in early childhood instruction.
Alyssa Pointer/AP
Early Childhood More Principals Now Lead Preschools. But Are They Ready for It?
Strong efforts to train principals in early-childhood education are still scattered and scarce.
Olina Banerji, June 16, 2026
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6 min read
Handout showing Library at Austin Achieve in Austin, Texas.
A classroom library at Austin Achieve, a charter school in Austin, Texas, which uses Every Child Ready, one of three curriculum series recently reviewed by an external rating organizations.
Every Child Ready
Early Childhood What Are the Ingredients of a Good Preschool Curriculum?
Nonprofit curriculum reviewer EdReports has started reviewing pre-K materials.
Sarah Schwartz, April 28, 2026
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7 min read
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a rock while playing with his classmates outside his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Nov. 1, 2023. Enrollment in state-supported preschool programs reached nearly 1.8 million students in 2024-25, a new record.
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a rock while playing with his classmates outside his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Nov. 1, 2023. Nationwide, enrollment in state-supported preschool programs reached nearly 1.8 million students in 2024-25, a new record; California was among the states with high growth.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Early Childhood State Pre-K Hits Record Enrollment, But Advocates Caution About Quality
State-sponsored preschool programs enrolled 1.8 million children in 2024-25, a new report finds. But some were higher quality than others.
Evie Blad, April 22, 2026
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2 min read
Watercolor illustration of a diverse group of young kindergarten through 3rd grade school children all holding their own digital device.
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
Early Childhood 'Addicted to Screens': Teachers Sound the Alarm on Their Youngest Students
Too many students are entering school unprepared to learn, according to a national survey of early educators.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 2, 2026
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4 min read
A Pre-K 4 SA student walks a beam on the playground, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
<br/>A Pre-K 4 SA student walks a beam on the playground, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
Eric Gay/AP
Early Childhood Quick Answers to Common Questions About Early Childhood Education
Education Week answers some of the most common questions about early childhood education.
Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 25, 2026
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1 min read
Celenia Romero reads to her Prek-5 students in the library at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
Celenia Romero reads to her Prek-5 students in the library at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Many preschoolers struggle with handling books as screen use rises, raising early literacy concerns.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Early Childhood Kids Are Entering Preschool More Comfortable With Screens Than Books. What Now?
Screen time is rising among the youngest students. Experts explain its effect on literacy skills.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 18, 2026
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4 min read