California’s Universal PreK Expansion: Addressing Emerging Research Needs

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Research to Action: Collaborating With State Education Agencies to Support High-Quality Early Learning (Table 13)

Abstract

Purpose & Perspective
This presenter will provide a researcher’s perspective on the use of research to support the expansion of universal prekindergarten (UPK) in California. California has made historic investments in UPK in recent years, including the expansion of transitional kindergarten (TK) to all 4-year-olds by 2025-26.

The panelist is part of a research and policy institution that has partnered closely with the California Department of Education (CDE) to define a research agenda for UPK, including through participation in a UPK research design team and an advisory board convened by CDE. As a workgroup member, this panelist has helped synthesize existing research to inform state guidance and policymaking. She has also conducted and communicated new research to answer emerging questions.

Methods & Data Sources
This presentation will address the quantitative and qualitative research conducted at the presenter’s research institution to support UPK expansion in California. Studies include the following:

1. Quantitative analyses of an annual CDE survey of over 1,100 local education agencies, providing a snapshot into district implementation of UPK. The analyses include descriptive statistics and data disaggregated by district size and demographics. (Leung-Gagne et. al, 2023; Wang et. al., 2024)
2. A quantitative analysis of the number of preschool teachers needed in California to make UPK available to all 4-year-olds, based on population data from the Census and the California Department of Finance, as well as past preschool enrollment data from CDE. (Melnick, Garcia, & Leung-Gagne, 2022)
3. A report that examines the national landscape of early childhood credentials and provides in-depth case studies of four states’ preschool to third grade (P-3) credential systems based on document review and in-depth interviews with state and local policymakers, with a cross-case analysis that identifies common features of successful credentialing systems and recommendations for California. (Forthcoming)
4. Results from a survey of over 5,000 parents examining how California families make decisions about selecting early care and education for their preschool-aged children. The survey, launched in July 2024, was designed in partnership with California state agency staff. (Forthcoming)

Results & Significance
The institution’s research findings have been reflected in several of California’s policy changes over the past years, demonstrating the impact of research-practice partnerships.
For example, the study of the TK workforce was cited in multiple presentations by state officials and helped build the case for historic workforce new investments to help build a sustainable, high-quality, and diverse teaching workforce (State of California, 2022). The study of P-3 credentialing systems in other states has informed the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s new P-3 credential in California that sets a high bar for teacher candidates’ knowledge of early childhood development and teaching (CTC, 2024). This presentation will provide insight into the research-practice partnership that produced these studies and its impact. Participants will gain insight into the benefits of research-practice partnerships and how they can be built.

Authors

• Victoria Wang, Learning Policy Institute

• Hanna Melnick, Learning Policy Institute

• Melanie Leung-Gagné, Learning Policy Institute

• Abby Christine Winer Schachner, Learning Policy Institute

• Cathy Yun, Learning Policy Institute

• Marjorie Wechsler, Learning Policy Institute

• Emma García, Learning Policy Institute