ED Releases Guidance to Support Preschool Expansion

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released guidance for how states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools can use Title I funds to expand access to high-quality preschool for three- and four-year olds in a range of quality settings including schools, Head Start, and community-based organizations.

ED has revised its Non-Regulatory Guidance on Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to help states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools leverage these critical resources to expand access to preschool and enhance program quality. The revised guidance will help schools expand high-quality preschool for more students by providing actionable information on how LEAs can utilize Title I, as well as other federal funds like Title III and IDEA Part B, to reach more children. The skills and knowledge that children acquire in their early years are the building blocks for life. 

ED also released a Dear Colleague Letter encouraging state, local, and school leaders to ensure early school success by aligning programming between early childhood settings and the early grades.

The release of these resources also follows the release of the President’s Executive Order to Increase Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, which directed the Department of Education to update its guidance on how schools and local educational agencies could expand access to high-quality preschool.