ERIC Number: ED658939
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Feb
Pages: 55
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Strategies to Foster Integration in Early Childhood Education
Sara Plasencia; Hanna Melnick
Learning Policy Institute
Research shows that socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically integrated schools can have important benefits for student learning. While much research has focused on the benefits of integrated K-12 settings, emerging evidence indicates that the benefit of school- and classroom-level diversity may also be significant in early childhood education (ECE). Despite the positive influence of integrated settings, most ECE programs are remarkably segregated, driven by patterns of residential segregation and by policies that govern access to programs. This report explores five policy strategies that foster integration rather than segregation: (1) Establish universal ECE programs where age is the only requirement, so that family income does not determine where a child can enroll; (2) Braid public funding or combine funding streams from various sources to enable children from different socioeconomic backgrounds to learn in the same classroom; (3) Allow tuition-paying families to enroll in public programs while reserving seats for families with low incomes; (4) Attract families across neighborhoods or district boundaries; and (5) Create two-way dual language immersion programs (programs that offer instruction in two languages). These strategies can be bolstered by collecting enrollment data--disaggregated by race, ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status--to help state and local leaders understand the extent to which children are learning in diverse classrooms. Examples are provided of how cities and school districts across the country are implementing each strategy and navigating common challenges. The strategies examined highlight ways policymakers can create enabling conditions for children from different socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds to learn together.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Racial Integration, Social Integration, Student Diversity, Educational Policy, Access to Education, Socioeconomic Status, Financial Support, Equal Education, Low Income Groups, Immersion Programs, Race, Ethnicity, Language Usage, Early Intervention, School Districts
Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: Heising-Simons Foundation
Authoring Institution: Learning Policy Institute
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia; New York (New York); California (San Francisco); Connecticut (Hartford); Texas (San Antonio)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A