Foundation for Child Development

New PreK and K Data Reveal Local Inconsistencies

The Early Education Initiative, in partnership with the New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project (FEBP), has expanded the FEBP database to include data on publicly-funded Prekindergarten at the state and school district levels.

The new data include funding and enrollment for fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for:

  • State-funded PreK programs, where such programs exist;
  • Head Start programs; and
  • Federal special education services for 3-to 5-year-olds provided through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Section 619. 
 

The FEBP database serves as a reliable resource for policymakers, journalists, parents, teachers, and community members seeking information about education funding in their local districts or states.

 Counting Kids 

An issue brief from the New America Foundation, Counting Kids and Tracking Funds in Pre-K and Kindergarten: Falling Short at the Local Level, released in concert with the expansion of the FEBP database, details the problems that stem from states' lack of data and outlines policy recommendations. 

PreK-12 State Longitudinal Data Systems

FCD's Policy to Action Brief, PreK-3rd: Next Steps for State Longitudinal Data Systems by Donald J. Hernandez, recommends that the federal government convene a national advisory group to develop guidelines that will assist states in developing fully integrated PreK-12 longitudinal data systems.