The Department of Education intends to direct this year’s $550 million Race to the Top awards toward early education and a district-level competition. Details are not yet known about these initiatives, and questions on how district level awards will be carried out remain. This renewed focus on early education comes on the heels of nine states winning $500 million in Early Learning Challenge Grants last December.

NAESP has long advocated for an increased federal role in early education. High quality early childhood education sets the stage for students to be ready to learn once they enter kindergarten, and it is foundational for establishing a school culture that fosters shared responsibility for learning.