The best plans for improving early education do little good if they never find their way into classrooms.
It might seem obvious, but high-quality early learning curricula are rarely used in public preschools. This is partially because there has been little research on just how they can be carried out on a bigger scale.
That's the code to crack for a team of educational policy researchers from the University of Michigan, as well as Harvard and Northwestern universities and the policy research firm MDRC.
The team has received funding from the Gates Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation to produce a series of case studies focused on the approaches particular states and school districts have taken to implement high-quality early learning curricula.
Christina Weiland, co-director of U-M's Education Policy Initiative as well as a professor of education and public policy, is co-author and principal investigator on the project. On occasion of the release of the first brief in the series, she discusses the effort and its potential impact on schools across the country.
What is the overarching mission of the project? What are you trying to learn and discern that hasn't been sufficiently studied up to this point?
The research is clear that high-quality early learning curricula can have substantial impacts on instructional quality and children's learning. However, this type of curricula is not widely used. Our goal is to illuminate the stories of states and districts that are leading the way in shifting to these curricula. We are interested in what it takes to implement high-quality early learning curricula on a larger scale and what are the lessons learned that can guide other states and districts looking to make this shift.
The first installment examines early learning in Mississippi, and it has, as you've said, "blazed a path for others to follow." Can you tell me why you started there and what were some of the key findings?
As of 2027-28, Mississippi will be the first state to require evidence-based curricula in all its state-funded preschool classrooms. From state administrators, coaches, principals and teachers, we learned the ins and outs of what it has taken to get there. This includes state policy that requires the use of evidence-based curricula, systematic supports for teachers, and anticipating and tackling implementation challenges as they arise.
How is the early reaction or response from this case study informing or affecting your work on future installments?
We have presented our findings to state education leaders in multiple states. We are learning from their questions about what else they would like to know, particularly around costs and fit with commonly used assessment tools in the field.
I understand the audience is geared toward policy and decision-makers, as opposed to the research community. Can you talk about the early impact of your work with those audiences?
So far, we have had a positive reception to the work. State education leaders are interested in learning about best practices and lessons learned from their peers in other states. We have had demand for the next brief, which is focused on Maine and which we are writing up now.
Is there anything else you feel would be important to know?
Mississippi is an education bright spot for its strong work improving third grade reading scores, via investments in evidence-based instruction K-3. It is exciting to see a state understand the critical importance of preschool instruction as well and commit to resources to their youngest students.
Weiland's co-authors from U-M are Michelle Bellino, associate professor of education; and Lauren O'Hair and Anne Taylor of the Education Policy Initiative. Others are Melanie Muskin and Terri Sabol of Northwestern, and Dana McCoy of Harvard.
