Early Learning Initiative

What's New

Led by Deputy Assistant Secretary on Policy and Early Learning Jacqueline Jones, the Office of Early Learning works collaboratively with various program offices to drive the Early Learning Initiative at the U.S. Department of Education.

• 6/20/2012 Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge—Phase 2: Proposed Requirements [PDF, 246KB]

Promoting Early Learning

President Obama is committed to providing the support that our youngest children need to succeed later in school. The importance of the early years in a child's life has been well documented. The Department of Education (ED) prioritizes improving the health, social, emotional, and educational outcomes for young children from birth through 3rd grade by:

1. enhancing the quality of early learning programs, and
2. increasing the access to high quality early learning programs especially for young children at risk for school failure.

ED's role in promoting early learning is significant and includes:

• administering several early learning programs;
• encouraging States and local districts to target resources for early learning;
• promoting State and local education agency partnerships with other early learning agencies and programs in the State or community;
• conducting research on early learning through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES);
• funding technical assistance on early learning topics, including early literacy and social and emotional development; and
• supporting the development of State longitudinal data systems that include early learning programs.

Supporting Early Learning

ED has a history of funding early learning programs. Some of the current investments include:

• Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge
  Supports states' efforts to create comprehensive plans to build coordinated early learning and development systems and improve programs so that more children, especially those with high needs, will enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

• IDEA Part C State Grants for Infants and Toddlers
  Ensures that appropriate early intervention services are made available to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

• IDEA Part B Preschool State Grants
  Provides special education and related services for children with disabilities ages 3 through 5.

• IDEA Part B State Grants
  Provides special education and related services for children with disabilities ages 3 through 21.

• The Title I Program
  Supports school and community-based preschool and K-3rd grade programs.

• Promise Neighborhoods
  Supports planning grants for communities to build on the work of the Harlem Children's Zone.

• Investing in Innovation (i3)
  Supports improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices.

• Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program
  Develops and supports a comprehensive literacy initiative from birth through grade 12.

• Even Start Family Literacy Program, Even Start for Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations, and Migrant Education Even Start
  Support family literacy projects that integrate early childhood education, adult literacy, parenting education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities.

• Ready to Learn Television
  Supports the development of educational programming and materials to increase school readiness for young children.

• 21st Century Community Learning Centers
  Supports community learning centers to provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for young children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.

• Demonstration Grants for Indian Children
  Supports school readiness projects for three- and four-year-old Indian children.

• Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program
  Supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.

Increasing Early Learning in the Proposed Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The Department's proposal for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act supports a continuum of learning, beginning at birth, in order to close the achievement gap and ensure that every student graduates from high school ready to succeed in college and a career. Watch and listen to our early learning and ESEA stakeholders' forum on ED.gov Blog.

Promoting Early Learning for Success in School and in Life in FY2013

The President's Budget will raise the bar on quality across all publicly-funded early learning settings through investments in developing new standards and practices to improve outcomes, engaging families in their child's early learning and development, and strengthening the early education workforce.

Partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

ED is committed to working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help States create coherent systems of early learning from birth through 3rd grade. The two agencies have been working together on a number of initiatives:

• Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Program
  Jointly administered by the two Departments, this program will set a high bar and reward States with the strongest plans to improve the quality of early learning and development programs.

• Interagency Policy Board (IPB) on Early Learning
  The IPB's mission is to improve the quality of early learning programs and outcomes for young children; increase the coordination of research, technical assistance and data systems; and advance the effectiveness of the early learning workforce among the major federally funded early learning programs across the two Departments.

• Administration for Children and Families Early Childhood Development Interagency Coordination

Resources and Publications

Education-related resources and publications are available online in both English and Spanish, for families, educators and stakeholders. You may also call 1-800-USA-LEARN to speak to a resource specialist.

Technical Assistance, Research and Evaluations

Technical assistance, research information, longitudinal studies and evaluations of early learning programs are available on-line. You may also call 1-800-USA-LEARN to speak to a resource specialist.

Early Learning Email Updates

Sign Up to Receive Periodic Email Updates on Early Learning from the U.S. Department of Education

Early Learning email updates are a free service offered by the Early learning Initiative to keep members of the early learning community up-to-date on information that is relevant to programs and activities serving children birth through 3rd grade.

Further information about early learning activities at ED can be found on the ED.gov Blog.

Past Notices

• 2012 Revision Posted: Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended, Non-Regulatory Guidance [PDF, 670KB]

• Early Learning discretionary grants mapped on DATA.ED.GOV

• Department of Education Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2011-2014 [PDF, 1.1MB]

• Investing in Early Learning—FY13 Budget Request, U.S. Department of Education [PDF, 185KB]

• Investing in Early Learning for an America Built to Last—FY13 Budget Request [PDF, 259KB]

• 12/16/11 Press Release: RTT-ELC Winners

• Letter to Governors Announcing Winners [PDF]

• U.S. Department of Education Proposes Dedicated Office for Early Learning

• 35 States, D.C. and Puerto Rico Submit RTT-ELC Applications

• $500 Million Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge Program

• ED and HHS host Listening and Learning about Early Learning Tour

• ED and HHS co-host Early Childhood 2010: Innovations for the Next Generation

• Obama Administration Releases Final Application for Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge

• Visit the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Program page to view the Notice Inviting Applications, Application, and Executive Summary

• Obama Administration Announces $500 Million for Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC)

• Opportunity for Public Comment on RTT-ELC Now Open

• Visit the RTT-ELC program page

• President's FY12 Budget Makes Significant Investments in Early Learning at ED [PDF]

• Overall Federal Investment in Early Learning Across ED and HHS [PDF]

• Secretary of Education Announces Final Priorities and Definitions Including For Early Learning

• Early Learning in the US Department of Education, remarks by Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning Jacqueline Jones at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) Conference in Anaheim, CA. on November 5, 2010

• U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Announce Formation of Interagency Policy Board on Early Learning

• Thirteen of the 49 highest-rated i3 applicants (27%) addressed the Competitive Priority on early learning to improve outcomes for high-need children birth through third grade for a total of $229 million, with $109 million of the proposals focused solely on Early Learning.

• Seven of the ten winning applicants addressed the Early Learning Invitational Priority in Phase 2 of Race to the Top.

• ED Releases New Professional Development Literature Review: Toward the Identification of Features of Effective Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators

• National Center for Education Research (NCER) Announces Funds to Examine the Early Learning Workforce—The Availability of Early Childhood Education and Care in the United States: Exploring Links between Policy, Availability and Effects, 1990-2005