Pew Report: Pre-K Teacher Training a Significant Factor in Improving Children's School Readiness

Press Releases and Statements Read time:

Navigate to:

  • Table of Contents
Pew Report: Pre-K Teacher Training a Significant Factor in Improving Children's School Readiness

To maximize the benefits of pre-kindergarten investments, states need to create policies that define and support teacher quality, according to a report released today by Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States. The report reviews research on training for pre-k teachers and concludes that educators with at least a bachelor's degree coupled with specialized training in early childhood are best able to foster development of the cognitive, social and emotional skills children need to be ready for kindergarten.

“A Matter of Degrees: Preparing Teachers for the Pre-K Classroom” also highlights state models for increasing teacher quality and shows how raising qualification requirements can professionalize the workforce and improve student outcomes.

“From improved academic outcomes to the economic savings for schools and states, the benefits of high-quality pre-k are irrefutable,” said Marci Young, the director of Pre-K Now. “Rigorous preparation requirements and incentives for teachers to attain higher degrees will help improve student readiness and outcomes so that states get the most out of their investment in early education.”

The report examines the research on pre-k teacher preparation, children's learning and program quality to determine how preparedness influences effectiveness. It explores the potential costs and benefits of professionalizing the pre-k workforce, the challenges associated with increases in preparation standards for early childhood educators and the strategies some states and localities have used to address those challenges. Education experts Marisa Bueno, Linda Darling-Hammond and Danielle Gonzales were commissioned to research and write the report for Pre-K Now.

“Our review of the research indicates that, in general, teachers with bachelor's degrees and specialized training for early childhood support stronger social-emotional and cognitive development for children,” said Darling-Hammond, professor of education at Stanford University. “Ensuring all teachers have this kind of training will help raise the effectiveness of the nation's publicly funded pre-k classrooms.”

The report also describes Pre-K Now's recommendations, which call on states to require higher education levels for pre-k teachers while creating systems that help educators attain advanced qualifications.

View the full report.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.