Implementing High-Quality Early Learning Curriculum: Lessons from Mississippi
Research has shown consistently that access to high-quality preschool sets children on a path to success in kindergarten and beyond. But ensuring public preschool programs are high-quality has been challenging. Although on average programs in the United States are well organized and emotionally supportive, instructional quality is stubbornly mediocre.
Key findings
- Windows of opportunity and strong state curriculum policies are critical for change.
- Build in time for learning and for adapting curriculum to local contexts for a smoother implementation process.
- Be intentional about the pace of implementation and be flexible to promote buy-in and local autonomy.
- Teachers trust other teachers. Identify and lift up teacher champions of the reforms.
- Strong supports—including teacher training, coaching, opportunities for teacher collaboration and peer observation, and training for administrators—are essential.
- Expect change to be hard and plan for common challenges. These include different definitions of "developmentally appropriate"; logistical challenges; difficulties fitting in all components of the curriculum; classroom setup/management; and teachers retaining prior curricula.
- Stay the course and recognize that high-quality early learning at large scale will always be a work in progress.
Research has shown consistently that access to high-quality preschool sets children on a path to success in kindergarten and beyond. But ensuring public preschool programs are high-quality has been challenging. Although on average programs in the United States are well organized and emotionally supportive, instructional quality is stubbornly mediocre. Combining curricula that have a scope and sequence and rich content, with supports for educators, has proven to be a "good bet" for delivering high-quality preschool at scale. The National Academy of Science, Education, and Medicine further highlights the importance of preschool curricula that offer engaging activities that give children agency and that are relevant to their own lives. Yet, these kinds of curricula are rarely used in public preschool programs, despite the strong evidence supporting their efficacy.
One reason for this limited scale-up is the dearth of research on how these curricula can be implemented at large scale. To help fill this gap, with support from the Gates Foundation, our team is releasing a series of briefs focused on the stories of localities that have implemented these kinds of curricula. In this first brief, we summarize Mississippi's implementation story in scaling-up a new curriculum, Mississippi Beginnings, in state-funded Pre-K classrooms. Drawing on interviews with state and local practitioners and Pre-K classroom observations, we describe lessons learned in the state. Mississippi's experience offers practical advice and a North Star for other localities considering a pivot in their early learning curricula to match leading guidance in the field.
