University of Wisconsin–Madison
Progressive Local Government
For the 21st Century

ProGov21 Policy Library

Policy Area
Policy Area Scrollable Checkbox List
Material Type
Material Type Scrollable Checkbox List
Level
Level Scrollable Checkbox List
State
State Scrollable Checkbox List
Source
Source Scrollable Checkbox List
Year
Head Start and Preschool Partnerships: Lessons Learned from Preschool Development Grantees
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town, Other Boards and Agencies, School District, State
State(s) All States, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Vermont
Source PDG TA Center
Policy Areas Children & Families, Education
Partnerships between Head Start and state preschool programs can improve quality, expand access, and provide more options for families by leveraging the resources and expertise of both programs. This brief presents lessons from four Preschool Development Grant (PDG) states - Maine,...
Tags
Early Childhood Education is a Top Priority for Voters
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2014
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source First Five Years Fund
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights
The bipartisan research team of Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research recently completed a survey of 800 voters throughout the United States. It revealed overwhelming support for ensuring that children gain the knowledge and skills necessary to start kindergarten off on the...
Tags
Opportunity-Rich Schools and Sustainable Communities: Seven Steps to Align High-Quality Education with Innovations in City and Metropolitan Planning and Development
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2011
Level School District, City or Town, School Board
State(s) All States
Source UC Berkeley Center For Cities & Schools
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Children & Families
This report aims to help community development and regional planning practitioners collaborate on cross-sector educational improvement efforts, increase productivity, and foster social equity. Its seven-step process recommends developing an understanding of the educational landscape,...
Tags
Students Experiencing Homelessness: The Conditions and Outcomes of Homelessness Among California Students
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 2021
Level City or Town, County, State, School District, School Board
State(s) California
Source Learning Policy Institute
Policy Areas Education, Children & Families
A contribution to a host of previous efforts to better understand the opportunities and academic outcomes of students experiencing homelessness. The report describes the population of students experiencing homelessness in California in 2018–19 and then, drawing on earlier data from...
Tags
What Does Good Child Care Reform Look Like?
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2017
Level City or Town, State
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
Achieving high-quality early care and education for all children will require meaningful public policy interventions and investments. Effective childcare reform must tackle the current system's main problems: lack of resources for parents to stay home with very young children, lack...
Tags
Playbook for City Projects and Funding at the Intersection of Early Childhood & Environmental Impacts
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source National League of Cities
Policy Areas Children & Families, Community Development, Environment & Natural Resources, Health
Air pollution, unsafe food and soils, substandard housing, and harmful procurement practices significantly impact early childhood development. Local governments are more agile than state and federal governments, and can implement policies related to climate change mitigation, public...
Tags
Building a Stronger Commonwealth: The Business Case for Investing in Pennsylvania's Youngest Learners
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level City or Town
State(s) Pennsylvania
Source ReadyNation
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights
The foundation for success starts in the earliest years of children's lives, when they begin to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors they need to do well in school and beyond. To fix our failing workforce pipeline, we need to help our children get the good start in life that...
Tags
We Need Major Reform that Prioritizes the Needs of our Child Care Workforce
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2021
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
This infographic argues that subsidized child care is ineffective until the early care and education system is reformed to ensure educators earn fair wages and benefits. Although subsidies have the potential to help low-income families afford child care, tax credits primarily benefit...
Tags
Early Childhood Educators Set Florida’s Kids on the Path Towards Success
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2023
Level State
State(s) Florida
Source Council for a Strong America
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
Qualified teachers are the foundation of high-quality early care and education (ECE). However, inadequate compensation and subpar working conditions for ECE workers threatens the quality of programs by leading to high levels of turnover. This report urges policymakers to invest in...
Tags
Ohio’s child care crisis: Parents and providers out of options
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) Ohio
Source Policy Matters Ohio
Policy Areas Children & Families, Education
Child care is a necessity for millions of families but educators are underpaid and care options are unaffordable. This report examines Ohio's child care crisis and provides recommendations for supporting providers and improving accessibility and affordability. It recommends expanding...
Tags
From Unlivable Wages to Just Pay for Early Educators
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
Teaching in early care and education (ECE) programs is one of the lowest-paid occupations in the United States. This report summarizes recent research on wage standards and assesses existing initiatives intended to address the problem of low wages in ECE. It concludes that educators...
Tags
Early Childhood Success: Making Way for Early Childhood in Municipal Government
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Children & Families, Education
This presentation highlights the need for strong early learning communities to support young children and their families. Collaboration across multiple agencies can support school readiness and long-term economic prosperity. Community leaders should enhance home visiting programs,...
Tags
Pre-K 4 SA: An Investment in Education
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2012
Level School District, City or Town
State(s) Texas
Source City Of San Antonio
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights
Mayor Julian Castro convened a blue ribbon taskforce of Chief Executive Officers, Superintendents, and education professionals to identify the most effective method for improving the quality of education in San Antonio. The Brainpower Taskforce recommended the development of a program...
Tags
Educator Expectations, Qualifications, and Earnings: Shared Challenges and Divergent Systems in ECE and K-12
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2017
Level State
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
While there is wide agreement across states and types of schools that K-12 teachers should obtain a bachelor's degree, no consensus exists within the early care and education workforce. This report analyzes how this lack of consensus has led to disparities in minimum qualifications...
Tags
Better Together: Building Local Systems to Improve Afterschool
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level School District, City or Town
State(s) All States
Source The Wallace Foundation
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights
Almost everyone believes that afterschool programs are one of those good things for youngsters. And yet many kids are left out: Only 15 percent - 8.4 million - of the country's school children participate, according to a report, "America After 3 PM," by the advocacy organization Afterschool...
Tags
Expanding Access to Child Care and Improving Upward Mobility for Georgia’s Child Care Workers
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) Georgia
Source Earn
Policy Areas Children & Families
Georgia's child care system creates barriers to economic opportunity for women workers and early childhood education teachers. Costs are high, wages are low, and together these challenges limit women's ability to work. The report recommends developing a grant program for current and...
Tags
Access to High-Quality Early Education and Racial Equity
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2020
Level City or Town, School District, School Board
State(s) All States
Source National Institute for Early Education Research
Policy Areas Education, Children & Families
Black children experience unequal treatment beginning at an early age, which contributes to inequalities in learning and development. By the time they enter kindergarten, Black children are on average nearly nine months behind in math and almost seven months behind in reading compared...
Tags
Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2020
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education, Public Safety
Despite their important and complex work, early educators have faced low wages and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report demonstrates that compensation within the early childhood education (ECE) workforce is uneven across states and among different classifications...
Tags
The Early Educator Workforce Crisis: How Legislators Can Makes a Difference for Kids, Families, and Educators
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2023
Level State
State(s) All States
Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Policy Areas Children & Families, Education
Early childhood care and education are critically underfunded, driving teachers from the field and forcing parents out of the workforce due to insufficient childcare options. This crisis necessitates sustained, large-scale public investment in the early childhood care system, including...
Tags
Planning for Resilient Early Care and Education: Addressing Climate Vulnerabilities
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2022
Level City or Town, County
State(s) All States, California
Source Center for Cities and Schools
Policy Areas Children & Families, Education, Environment & Natural Resources
Brain development in children under the age of 5 is highly susceptible to environmental stressors like high temperatures and poor air quality. As climate change worsen, early care and education (ECE) facilities must be equipped to addrss this issue. This report outlines six actions...
Tags
Phoenix Plants Hedges to Reduce Kids' Exposure to Pollution
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2021
Level State
State(s) Arizona
Source Mayor Innovation Project
Policy Areas Children & Families, Community Development, Health
Dedicated to limiting students' exposure to pollutants, Phoenix City staff, school faculty, and Arizona State University researchers planted trees and shrubs with K-8 students on unused school playgrounds. This project is poised to benefit more than 121,000 children under the age...
Tags
Creating Equity for the Early Childhood Workforce
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source National League of Cities
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education
The early childhood workforce has been undervalued, underpaid, and faces significant inequities, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. City leaders should prioritize equitable policies and investments to support both formal and informal early childhood providers, ensuring they have...
Tags
Funding Early Learning Activities in Washington State with Title I
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2017
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) Washington
Source Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Education
Quality preschool and early intervention programs have shown short- and long-term benefits, including improved reading and math skills, better high school graduation rates, and reduced crime and teen pregnancy rates. Investing in early learning programs saves money in academic and...
Tags
State(s) of Head Start and Early Head Start: Looking at Equity
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2022
Level State, School District
State(s) All States
Source National Institute for Early Education Research
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Education
Head Start and Early Head Start are some of America's most effective federal programs for meaningfully improving school readiness and building a solid foundation for children's future success. However, there are persistent challenges in creating equitable access and quality nationwide....
Tags
Long-Run Economic Effects of Early Childhood Programs on Adult Earnings
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2009
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Partnership For America's Economic Success
Policy Areas Education, Economic Justice, Children & Families
This report analyzes the relationship between improvements in children's early health, achievement, behavior, and home environments, and labor market outcomes when they become adults. Results suggest that investments in early childhood that improve these aspects of development can...
Tags
Displaying 25 of 73 records.

Remove Entry

Are you sure you want to remove this?

There was an error communicating with the server.

Please try again later.

There was an error while saving your data.

Please try again later.

Error

Please try again later.

Update Page Content

You are leaving the page

Please make sure you saved all of the modules to avoid losing any data.