Governance

The state has an identified, authorized body responsible for the creation and/or governance of pre-k.

Rationale: Most states have no single system of pre-k education. Responsibility for early-care and education programs is scattered across government agencies, funded with different resources, and delivered through multiple public and private entities at the state and municipal levels. Not only can this lead to poor program management, but it can leave pre-k without professional, state-level personnel to oversee, promote, and develop the program. States must designate a governmental or quasi-governmental body that is both adequately skilled and sufficiently equipped to effectively manage and monitor these disparate elements, articulate a clear vision of school readiness, develop a strategic policy agenda, build a coordinated infrastructure, ensure accountability, and maintain a focus on pre-k and young children. A Readiness Task Force commissioned with studying the state's current early care and education system is often a first step in creating such a governing body.

Examples: Georgia and Massachusetts have each developed oversight agencies responsible for pre-k and related services. Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is the Georgia state agency that supervises childcare and educational services for children from birth to four years of age. In 2004, Massachusetts created a new Board and Consolidated Department of Early Education and Care to administer the state's early-education and care system, laying the groundwork for voluntary, high-quality pre-k programs for all children in the state. In Illinois, the Early Learning Council is studying the disparate elements of the state's early care and education system and making recommendations for improvement.