Crane Research Forum: Rebuilding After COVID-19: Does School-Based Pre-K Hold Promise? (Virtual)

Join us virtually for the September Crane Research Forum as Dr. Lora Cohen-Vogel, Dr. Michael Gottfried, and Dr. Michael Little discuss the role of school-based pre-kindergarten in the future of early childhood education in the U.S.

Dr. Lora Cohen-Vogel holds multiple appointments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including the Frank A. Daniels, Jr. Endowed Chair, professor of Public Policy and Education, and director of the PhD program in Policy, Leadership and School Improvement and the Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Improvement Science and Implementation

Dr. Michael Gottfried, professor of Policy, Organizations, Leadership, and Systems Division at the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Michael Little, assistant professor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis at North Carolina State University

Early pandemic-related research shows that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are both highly localized and not born equally, with children of color, dual language learners, and children from families with low incomes more negatively affected. As policymakers consider how to invest in shoring up — and in some places rebuilding altogether — the early child care and education sector, it is important to guard against risk and inequities in the face of future pandemics and other potential shocks.

In this presentation, Drs. Cohen-Vogel, Gottfried, and Little examine the role of school-based pre-kindergarten (SBPK) in these efforts. SBPK are formal pre-K programs that are situated within elementary schools, as opposed to stand-alone early education centers. The talk will cover which communities offer SBPK options, who has access, how these options are unique, and research on their relative efficacy. Additionally, the presenters will discuss the potential role of SBPK moving ahead.

Dr. Lora Cohen-Vogel is an expert in vertical alignment between pre-K and kindergarten who has extensive experience using research on policy formation for system improvement. Dr. Michael Gottfried’s work centers on improving children’s outcomes by examining how policies, practices, and contexts promote or block their success. Dr. Michael Little’s research focuses on how leadership and policy impact the bridge between early childhood education and the early grades of school. They are currently collaborating on a federally funded grant to examine whether SBPK programs improve alignment with kindergarten.