Programs at a Glance: The National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force

Fact Sheet Read time:
Programs at a Glance: The National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force

Recognizing that quality pre-kindergarten can help provide our nation's children with the skills they need to succeed in school and later in life, states have begun begin to invest billions of dollars for state-funded early education programs.  Yet, few if any, states have built a system to connect outcome standards with assessments of program performance.

Launched in 2005, The National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force brings together leading experts in child development, early education and state policy to help states develop measurement tools to set standards, assess programs and use the results to help improve early education.  It is supported by The Foundation for Child Development, The Joyce Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Task Force, chaired by Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, professor and associate dean at Columbia University's Teachers College, will develop a set of recommendations to guide state accountability planning, development and implementation efforts.  The Task Force report, to be issued early in 2007, will include guidance to help states set and review standards for early childhood programs, select appropriate measures and assessment tools and report and use accountability data.  With proper accountability systems in place, states will be able to chart progress and appropriately improve programs to ensure our young children receive the education they need to succeed.

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

A pair of white and black Adélie penguins standing in the middle of a clump of snow face opposite directions. Seeing Antarctic Change, Scientist Calls for Stronger Action
A shipyard with towers in the foreground, a barge on a river, and a blue sky in the background. Louisiana Primed to Take Helm of Offshore Wind Supply Chain
About a dozen people stand examining large blue bins full of whole fish in a warehouse. Some people are in green clothes, others in blue, and all wear ballcaps. A few hold clipboards. Reducing Risk Strengthens the Seafood Supply Chain
A worker in a seafood market dumps bright orange shrimp from a blue bin onto a bed of ice between a lot of other seafood laid out for sale. Other workers are visible in the background, as are the arms of shoppers placing orders from the other side of the ice bed. Seafood Industry Benefits From Greater Vessel Transparency
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.