States hold significant power and autonomy in creating and implementing early childhood learning policies, and within states, governance in early childhood education is often fragmented across multiple agencies and organizations. Variation in legislation related to early care and learning has led to critical differences across and within states in how preschool programs operate and provide care. For example, states have distinct policies on licensing and qualification standards, teacher compensation and support, and preparation programs for early educators. Early learning standards, class sizes and teacher-to-pupil ratios, and early childhood education financing also differ widely by state.
Variation and fragmentation also shows up in how states address disciplinary decisions in early childhood education. State policy also varies in what terminology is used to describe the exclusion of children from learning environments and how teachers are expected to handle student exclusion. Thankfully, there is a growing body of guidance that can be used to minimize exclusion from early care and learning. For example:
- Legislators can provide clarity and guidance to reduce the overall use and disparities in who experiences exclusion from early care and learning environments.
- State agencies of child development and early education can implement reporting systems that facilitate thoughtful decision-making.
- Early care and learning providers can collaborate with parents.
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The NC Early Childhood Foundation is driven by a bold – and achievable – vision: Each North Carolina child has a strong foundation for life-long health, education, and well-being supported by a comprehensive, equitable birth-to-eight ecosystem. We build understanding, lead collaboration, and advance policies to ensure each North Carolina child is on track for lifelong success by the end of third grade. We invite you to subscribe to our biweekly newsletter to be the first to receive updates.