Comments on Draft Guidelines for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge

To the U.S. Departments of Education and Health & Human Services

Comments on Draft Guidelines for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge

By

Lisa Guernsey,

New America Foundation

July 11, 2011 |

New America Foundation

On July 11, 2011, the Early Education Initiative submitted comments about the draft guidelines for a new federal program to promote early learning called the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge. The comments were sent to the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and posted in the Ed.gov comment section for this competition.

The full text of the comments, which include five recommendations for strengthening the guidelines, can be downloaded here and in "related files" column to the right.

Issues:

The guidelines provide a much-needed vision for improving the quality and coordination of early childhood programs for children up to age 5. But we also see several ways that certain sections should be strengthened to promote meaningful connections between these programs and elementary schools.