The Politics of Universal Pre-Kindergergarten.

For more than a decade, advocates across the United States have pressed for universal access to high quality preschool. Although policy evaluation of such programs has been overwhelmingly favorable about both their cost effectiveness and the educational impact, advocates= influence on policies at the state level has been decidedly mixed. Almost surprisingly, the states that have led the way with generous and innovative programs are generally not those who are usual policy innovators nor those who have particularly well funded or inclusive public school programs at any other level. Moreover, although more than two thirds of US states have some kind of preschool program, these programs vary tremendously in terms of their universality, their standards for quality, and even the locus of their administration. In this paper, we explain the influence of state level variables as well as advocates= political strategies on the resulting policies. After a brief review of the origins of the press for universal pre kindergarten, we describe the range of programs across the states, paying particular attention to successful campaigns for new programs in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida. We then provide an overview of advocacy strategies advocates have employed across the United States, emphasizing differences in the nature of the preferred program, the social construction of the target population, and political advocacy strategy. Using a combination of comparative analyses across the 50 states and detailed case studies in a few critical states, we present several distinct pathways to educational reform. Controlling for demographic and budgetary variables at the state level, we assess the impact of different political strategies on the ultimate policy outcomes. Paradoxically, we find that elite oriented strategies produce more comprehensive and generous programs than ones that emphasize democratic politics. We discuss why, and conclude with advice for advocates. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]