On the Cusp in California

This report seeks to help policymakers and advocates in California focus more on PreK-3rd -- the promise of the reforms, the hurdles, and the steps the state can take to overcome them. High-quality preschool is a critical component to any PreK-3rd system, and this report begins by surveying the state's current programs, examining their quality, and determining how many children are being served by them. It also looks at efforts over the past two decades to offer slots to more children and improve preschool quality, efforts that have led to both disappointments and signs of progress.

The latter half of this report goes beyond discussions of preschool to address the need for broader PreK-3rd reforms in California. The state is home to some promising local initiatives, as well as some state-level efforts that help lay the groundwork for PreK-3rd. But despite a variety of features that should have encouraged this type of approach, a PreK-3rd movement is just now beginning to emerge in California. This report considers why and examines opportunities for greater linkage and collaboration between the early childhood and school reform movements on shared solutions.