Early learning system planners need to understand what the latest research suggests for policy and practice. AIR translates “research to practice” by analyzing current findings in early care and education, school readiness, and child development and summarizing best practices for policy-makers, administrators, and providers.
NEW as of Spring 2009! Below you will find AIR's three new policy briefs:
The first policy brief, Preschool Supply and Demand in the State of California: An Assessment of Preschool Enrollment in Publicly Contracted and Privately Operated Preschool Programs, presents the challenges associated with conducting a needs assessment, findings from other studies of preschool supply and demand, and a summary of how the Preschool Provider Survey has helped AIR refine its needs assessment.
The second policy brief, First 5 Power of Preschool: Lessons from an Experiment in Tiered Reimbursement, describes the variations in reimbursement rates in the nine PoP counties; examines the cost basis underlying the rates to determine whether a sound rationale exists for the variations across counties; compares the PoP rates to the reimbursement rates for Title 5 programs and voucher care in California, and previous cost estimates for quality preschool at the state level; and recommends appropriate criteria for preschool cost reimbursements.
The third policy brief, Financing a Full-Day, Full-Year Preschool Program in California: Strategies and Recommendations, examines the true cost of a high-quality, full-day, full-year program serving preschool-age children; compares the existing reimbursement rates and rate structures for full-day, full-year state-funded programs serving preschool children; considers the impact of changes in duration and quality levels on the cost of a preschool program; illustrates the benefits of leveraging First 5 Power of Preschool demonstration project funds - and potentially other finance sources - to augment the Standard Reimbursement Rate for General Child Care to finance a full-day program; and provides recommendations for developing criteria for appropriate cost reimbursement of a full-day, full-year program serving preschool-age children.
