Program standards describe certain program attributes proven to help children meet educational goals. These standards set the foundation for regulating and evaluating the quality of a pre-k system and include essential features like teacher-child ratios and class-size limits.

Policymakers should ask the following questions when evaluating a state's early learning program standards:

• What types of early childhood programs are expected to adhere to the standards?
• How does the state monitor the standards?
• How is the state evaluating the standards so that they can be improved?
• What amount of funding is needed to meet these standards?

For a sample set of program standards see the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Position Statement on Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria.

Professional standards are defined separately from program standards and measure a teacher's practice against standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. They may also designate the types of pre-service and in-service training required for teachers and classroom aides. National standards for teacher practice have been developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. However, not all pre-k programs adhere to these national standards and many define professional standards only by degree and certification levels. Head Start legislation requires that all teachers hold at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, and that at least 50 percent of lead teachers hold an associates-level college degree. Twenty-six of 48 state pre-k programs require pre-k teachers to hold a bachelor's degree, and many of these also require teacher certification, according the 2006 State Preschool Yearbook.

In states in which community programs can contract or sub-contract to offer the state pre-k program, policymakers will need to address how current teachers and classroom aides in those programs can be helped to meet the professional education standards set by the state program.

Early learning standards directly affect curriculum and assessment. Learning standards (also called child-outcome standards) describe what children should learn in pre-k. Learning standards are of particular importance for pre-k, as they articulate precisely what a high-quality program must teach in order to achieve school readiness for children.

Although learning standards are a somewhat recent addition to the pre-k formula, they are critical to a high-quality pre-k infrastructure. If well developed and implemented, learning standards build bridges across pre-k, childcare, and Head Start; clearly articulate what state leaders and child-development experts expect children to learn in pre-k; and, provide a framework for curriculum, professional development, and assessments. Experts maintain that learning standards also promote quality practices in early childhood education and guide decisions on issues such as teacher licensure, professional development, curriculum, and assessment.

Currently, 44 states have early learning standards in place, and the remaining six states have begun the development process. Some state early learning standards are mandatory and some are voluntary. Few states require childcare programs to meet early learning standards. Each state's pre-k system is distinct, and most states develop their standards through an elaborate consensus-building process. Not surprisingly, wide variation exists in the form, organization, and terminology of standards across the country. Because standards are so important and are a relatively new tool in pre-k system development, states are likely to evaluate, revise, and improve their standards as program outcomes are tracked and documented.

Teachers, program administrators, and policymakers should ask the following questions when evaluating a state's early learning standards:

• Are the standards comprehensive in addressing, at a minimum, cognitive, communicative, motor, and social-emotional learning, as well as varying approaches to learning?
• Are the standards described in such a way that they promote learning across domains though child- and teacher-directed activities?
• Do the standards account for disparity in children's development by addressing common developmental benchmarks and individual variation?
• Do the standards include appropriate accommodations for children with special needs?
• Do the standards respect different languages, cultural traditions, and experiences?
• Are the pre-k standards aligned with the curricula used in the programs and/or recommended by the state?
• Are the standards aligned with the state assessment or evaluation (if applicable)?

For more information on early learning standards see:

• NAEYC's Position Statement on Early Learning Standards
• The Council of Chief State School Officer's report " Building a System of Standards to Support Successful Early Learners"
• "Inside the Content: The Breadth and Depth of Early Learning Standards" by Catherine Scott-Little, Lynn Kagan, and Victoria Stebbins Frelow

For more information on the intersection of early learning standards, curriculum, and assessment, check out materials and a recording from Pre-K Now's national conference call on Pre-K Standards and Alignment and NAEYC's Position Statement on Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation.