Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Early Education

Undercounting the youngest

Chicago
June 18, 2019

As citizenship question swirls, Illinois early childhood advocates gear up for another census challenge

In Illinois, early childhood advocates are also fretting over a group that has long been undercounted: babies and toddlers.

Early education

Tennessee
February 22, 2019

Is Tennessee moving its weakest teachers to early, non-tested grades? New research says yes.

Low-performing teachers in grades 3 through 5 are more likely to be reassigned to non-tested early grades than their more effective peers.

Penny Schwinn

Tennessee
February 8, 2019

What we heard from Tennessee’s education commissioner during her first week

Penny Schwinn's whirlwind week started with school visits and ended with a state policy meeting. In between, she met with lawmakers, superintendents, and staff.

Early education

Tennessee
January 25, 2019

Pre-K money could be diverted to other needs under Tennessee lawmaker’s bill

Rep. Bill Dunn of Knoxville wants local flexibility to shift pre-K dollars to other early childhood education needs.

Education Gap

Detroit
July 30, 2018

For Michigan’s 3- and 4-year-olds with special needs, ‘it’s hard’ to find a place to learn

Why it's so hard to get toddlers with special needs in school.

Childcare crisis

Detroit
June 13, 2018

As caregivers struggle to make ends meet, 28,000 Detroit children go without care

The financial demands of providing early education in Michigan have contributed to Detroit’s status as a child care desert.

How I Teach

Tennessee
December 7, 2017

Why this educator uses autumn leaves to teach vocab to Memphis’ youngest students

Chalkbeat spoke with an early childhood educator about how she incorporates literacy into every lesson.

Early readers

Tennessee
August 17, 2017

Tennessee wants to boost third-grade literacy. Here’s why it’s looking to early childhood education as the answer.

Tennessee has been waging war on illiteracy for years but is increasingly zeroing in on early childhood ed as the best platform for boosting children’s reading skills.

early investments

National
June 12, 2017

A powerful pairing: Pre-K boosts future incomes and reduces risk of jail, especially when schools spend more

Why do some early childhood programs produce big benefits for students, but others don’t? It may have a lot to do with money.

Testing conundrum

Tennessee
April 18, 2017

McQueen wants to prevent non-tested early grades from becoming a dumping ground for weaker teachers

Tennessee's education commissioner says a new teacher evaluation system for lower grades should help strengthen the quality of the state's early instruction.

family ties

New York
April 7, 2017

When high schoolers are parents, parent-teacher conferences are a three-generation affair

New York City's LYFE centers, which help students who are already parents, have developed an unconventional model for parent-teacher conferences.

prek debate

Indiana
April 6, 2017

How a computer program designed for home-based preschool in Utah could get a piece of Indiana’s education budget

Upstart, a software program developed by the Utah Department of Education and the nonprofit Waterford, is at the center of the proposal.

prek push

Indiana
December 21, 2016

Everything you need to know about the brewing debate over preschool in Indiana

The state has spent two years trying out a program in a handful of the state’s 92 counties.

Getting an early start

Indiana
November 22, 2016

Indiana House speaker calls for a big expansion of preschool support

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma also said a priority for 2017 would be to get more schools to shift spending to the classroom and away from administrative and support services.

Pre-K payoff

Tennessee
November 16, 2016

North Carolina just countered Tennessee’s findings on pre-K fadeout. Here’s the difference, according to researchers.

A year after a Vanderbilt study revealed weaknesses in public pre-K, a North Carolina study suggests public pre-K can work, at a cost.
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