New online guide to help boards expand local options for quality preschool 

Research suggests that providing high-quality preschool program opportunities for young children can have a profound, positive impact on their readiness for school and beyond. Recent research has also found that high-quality preschool programs have a positive return on the public’s investment. In spite of this research, almost half of all children in California are not enrolled in preschool programs.

In California and across the nation, policy-makers and organizations are working to expand access to high-quality preschool programs to all children. Many school districts are becoming more involved in building partnerships and providing programs to support preschool-age children. And in 2003, the California School Boards Association’s Conditions of Children Council identified early childhood education as its priority for the year.

With financial support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, CSBA partnered with six local education agencies to investigate several issues related to universal preschool, including governance, finance and facilities, program quality, personnel, access and partnerships. While conducting site visits in the San Jose Unified School District, Elk Grove Unified School District, Merced County Office of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, Santee School District, and Romoland School District as well as the Orange First 5 County Commission, school board members and administrators encouraged CSBA to develop a resource and policy guide to support local school leaders who were interested in expanding access to high-quality preschool programs.

The result is a new online guide, “Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs: A Resource and Policy Guide for School Leaders,” designed to support local school district and county office of education efforts to expand access to these programs in their community. Recognizing that each school district, county office and community is unique, the guide was developed with a full range of resources for school leaders, such as:

• where to learn more about the research and statewide policies on preschool;
• examples of local, statewide and national efforts to expand access to high-quality preschool programs;
• strategies for school boards and district leaders to identify and develop local partnerships;
• strategies to help get community members involved in the district’s preschool-related activities;
• where to find technical assistance and financial resources to support preschool programs;
• policy development strategies, including sample board policies; and
• links to other preschool-related resources.

The guide is free of charge and is currently only available online in a printable format.