States are investing in expanding their pre-K programs. More than 1.5 million children were enrolled in a state-funded pre-K in 2022-23, about twice the number who attended in 2002, and thousands more were in locally funded programs. An estimated 60% of public elementary schools now have a pre-K classroom.
That adds up to 70,000 or more pre-K teachers working inside U.S. public schools — a growing workforce that warrants distinct consideration and research as states seek to make the most of early childhood programs.
Policymakers and district and state education leaders often consider public school-based pre-K teachers part of the early care and education workforce. But in fact, they are distinct in several ways from those who work in community-based programs or child care centers. Public school pre-K teachers have higher average pay and better access to employer-provided benefits.
They are required to attain higher degrees, and they leave their jobs at lower rates. Still, they are often excluded from K-12 education research. Most federal data collection lumps pre-K teachers in with kindergarten teachers or excludes them entirely.
Last year, RAND added pre-K teachers to its American Educator Panels to learn more about this overlooked population. Our first survey, completed in spring 2024, revealed that many public schools aren’t yet making the most of their pre-K programs.
For example, our survey found that there is not as much coordination happening between pre-K and elementary grades in the same school building as one might expect. In theory, putting pre-K inside a local school would ease kids’ transition into kindergarten and increase instructional alignment across early elementary grades. We found that only half of pre-K teachers reported having dedicated time to coordinate instruction with early grades; less than one-third had dedicated time to coordinate kindergarten transition. Just sharing a building is not enough, as other research has also shown. Principals and educators have to consciously work at producing the benefits of coordinating with their pre-K program.
Pre-K programs in public schools also need high-quality educators. Yes, school-based pre-K teachers typically earn much higher wages than other early childhood educators. But full-day pre-K teachers were paid, on average, $7,000 less annually than elementary teachers — despite working similar hours and experiencing similar workplace stressors.
States that want to expand pre-K access through school-based programs will need to recruit and retain new educators during a period of already high turnover. They may also have to resolve disparities in pay, benefits, and other working conditions to make sure they don’t lose pre-K teachers to better-paying elementary jobs.
Teachers who lead the one-quarter of public school-based pre-K programs that are part-day have even greater challenges. Part-day pre-K teachers in our study were less likely to report having adequate time for planning or to complete administrative tasks than those who work a full school day. They were also less likely than full-day teachers to have gotten curriculum-based professional learning, even though both groups use similar materials. These are important differences to consider, especially for states that are expanding their pre-K programs by adding part-day classrooms or that guarantee funding for only a few hours per day.
As more young children enroll in school-based pre-K, understanding the experiences and needs of their teachers will be crucial. We hope our ongoing surveys can inform all those working to implement high-quality early learning programs as they consider how to recruit, train and retain pre-K teachers, and how their school will coordinate learning from pre-K through elementary classes.
Pre-K expansion in public schools, a bipartisan policy priority for years, has tremendous potential to improve student outcomes. But public school leaders and pre-K program administrators can do more to ensure they’re getting the most out of this investment.
Jill Cannon
Jill S. Cannon is a senior policy researcher at RAND, concentrating on the development and evaluation of pre-K programs.
Elizabeth Steiner
Elizabeth D. Steiner is a senior policy researcher at RAND, specializing in the teaching workforce.
Anna Shapiro
Anna Shapiro is an associate policy researcher at RAND, focused on early childhood education and educational equity.
