Universal Pre-K

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley speaks during a session at the New England Mayors Convening on Universal Pre-K in Providence, R.I., on Nov. 19, 2025.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley speaks during a session at the New England Mayors Convening on Universal Pre-K in Providence, R.I., on Nov. 19, 2025.
David Santilli/City of Providence
Early Childhood Q&A How One Mayor Is Working to Expand Pre-K Access
Mayor Brett Smiley discusses early education access and workforce development.
Jennifer Vilcarino, November 21, 2025
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5 min read
Photograph of the rear view of a 4 or 5 year old school girl with her hair in pig tails and she's wearing a bookbag as she walks into her kindergarten classroom.
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Early Childhood Q&A As Pre-K Expands, Here's What Districts Need to Know
As states seek to expand universal pre-K, an early education policy expert offers insight.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 29, 2025
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6 min read
Transitional kindergarten teacher Amy Weisberg helps a young student at Topanga Charter Elementary School in the Topanga district of Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2012. A California law requires public schools to add a grade level this fall designed to give the very youngest students a boost when they enroll in kindergarten, but charter schools say the law does not apply to them, pitting them against the state Department of Education.
Transitional kindergarten teacher Amy Weisberg helps a young student at Topanga Charter Elementary School in the Topanga district of Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2012. California will require public schools that offer kindergarten to add free, inclusive prekindergarten this school year.
Nick Ut/AP
Early Childhood Q&A How a State's Transitional Kindergarten Expansion Has Gone So Far
California is gearing up to help more 4-year-olds get ready for kindergarten.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 1, 2025
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6 min read
Teacher Grismairi Amparo works with her students on a reading and writing lesson at Head Start program run by Easterseals South Florida, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami.
Teacher Grismairi Amparo works with her students on a reading and writing lesson at a Head Start program run by Easterseals South Florida on Jan. 29, 2025 in Miami. The organization gets about a third of its funding from the federal government.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Early Childhood Pre-K Programs Expand Nationwide, But Quality Falls Behind
Preschools experienced a boost in funding and enrollment nationwide, but a deeper look reveals a disparity in quality.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 29, 2025
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6 min read
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Evan Vucci/AP
Federal How Schools Fare in Biden's Proposed Budget
President Joe Biden released his fiscal 2024 budget, which calls for more money for preschool, Title I, and special education.
Libby Stanford, March 9, 2023
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7 min read
preschool
Early Childhood Which States Offer Universal Pre-K? It's More Complicated Than You Might Think
Universal pre-K is growing in popularity. Here are the states that have already established universal preschool programs or policies.
Libby Stanford, January 25, 2023
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2 min read
A Pre-K student plays with the class guinea pig at Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 17, 2021. Oklahoma is one of a handful of states offering universal pre-k to all students.
A prekindergarten student plays with the class guinea pig at Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City, Okla., in 2021. Oklahoma is one of a handful of states offering universal pre-K.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Early Childhood Support for Universal Pre-K Grows as More States Jump on Board
New Mexico became the latest state to approve investments in pre-K programs.
Libby Stanford, January 17, 2023
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5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Early Childhood Opinion The Not-So-Certain Science of Pre-K
Much of the support for universal preschool proceeds with a blind assurance that leaves difficult questions aside.
Rick Hess, May 24, 2022
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4 min read
Image of a teacher and preschool students.
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Early Childhood What the Research Says Early Education Pays Off. A New Study Shows How
Students from state-funded universal preschool, but not federal Head Start, took more-challenging courses in high school, a study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 29, 2022
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4 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Early Childhood Opinion The Problems With Biden’s Universal Pre-K Proposal
An early-childhood education leader expresses concerns that the universal pre-K plan risks separating pre-K from the wider child-care sector.
Rick Hess, October 4, 2021
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5 min read
President Joe Biden addresses Congress from the House chamber. Behind him are Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, as Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., applaud.<br/>
Chip Somodevilla/AP
Federal Biden Pitches Plan to Expand Universal Pre-K, Free School Meal Programs, Teacher Training
The president's $1.8 trillion American Families Plan faces strong headwinds as Congress considers other costly administration proposals.
Evie Blad, April 28, 2021
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8 min read
Education Sanders Details Pitch for Free, Universal Prekindergarten in New Plan
Calling access to early-childhood education and child care in the United States an "international embarrassment," Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders pledges to fund free, universal prekindergarten.
Evie Blad, February 24, 2020
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3 min read
Federal Bill de Blasio, Who's Expanded Pre-K, Sparred on Education, Seeks Presidency
The New York City mayor has pushed universal pre-K, championed a controversial school turnaound program, and picked a schools chief backing a divisive effort to diversify selective high schools.
Evie Blad, May 16, 2019
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2 min read
Federal Video ‘I Believe in the Work That Teachers Do’
Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year who was elected to U.S. Congress, discusses her stances on universal pre-K, college alternatives, and civics education.
January 4, 2019
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