State Network Mulls Early Literacy, Math, Pre-K Expansion, and More

Members of NASBE’s Early Childhood Education State Network convened in Washington, DC, on June 2-3 to explore policies and initiatives for expanding pre-K and meeting early learners’ needs, including through the development of curriculum, early literacy and math policies, mixed delivery systems, and supporting English learners. State board members and staff from Arkansas, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Guam, and the District of Columbia were all in attendance.

“Passing a reading law is the first step, not the last step,” RAND’s Anna Shapiro said during an early-literacy panel. “The real work is getting the funding, resources, and knowledge to implement a big change. Well-funded, supported legislation is always going to be better than an unfunded mandate.”

In a session on early math, Patrick Lyons of the National Conference of State Legislatures identified family engagement, governance, assessment and improvement plans, and professional development as top trends across states, and MDRC’s Shira Mattera led attendees in a shape-building activity that helps early math development.

Pre-K enrollment and funding have increased overall but not consistently across states, said Lori Connors-Tadros of the National Institute of Early Education Research, which recently released its 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook. She was joined by experts from the First Five Years Fund, Teaching Strategies, and the Bainum Family Foundation.

At Educare of Washington, DC, a local childcare provider and part of the national Educare Learning Network, state board members toured classrooms and listened to staff explain how their wraparound services for children and families as well as teacher training and professional development to improve program quality. Following the visit, attendees reflected on the role of public-private partnerships in their states and the impact of high-quality childcare on students’ later success.

“This convening helped clarify the key questions our board will need to ask when reviewing literacy and numeracy initiatives,” said Deb Stevens, vice president of the Delaware State Board of Education. “It will also help us structure our meetings to ensure we’re having ongoing, meaningful conversations about our work.”

To learn more about the ECE Network, or to subscribe to our newsletter focused on early learning, contact Winona Hao.