Rand study supports need for early childhood education in California

The Rand Corporation has released a new report "Strategies for Advancing Preschool Adequacy and Efficiency in California."

Among the reports key findings:

• Disadvantaged children, who are more likely to start school behind and stay behind, are also the least likely to attend high-quality preschool programs.


• California's underfunded preschool system serves only half the eligible three- and four-year-olds, and the system does not reward higher-quality providers.


• Increasing access to high-quality preschool for disadvantaged children can narrow existing achievement gaps.


• In the short term, California can allocate existing resources more efficiently and provide infrastructure supports for raising quality in the future.


• In the longer term, new resources should be used to expand access to and raise the quality of preschool programs for those who can benefit most.

Rand Research Brief

.pdf version of Report