Early childhoold education: Origins, theories and policy realities

This dissertation explores Early Childhood Education (ECE) Policy from both a theoretical and empirical perspective drawing on sociology and political science. I first explain the size, scope and status of this policy issue. This sets the stage for the subsequent analysis and demonstrates the trends and the conflicting data in this policy area. Then I turn to three theories of policymaking in order to propose how ECE policy might better be understood, evaluated and enacted. Using these theories---multiple streams, issue framing and diffusion---I present three different analysis of ECE policy. First I focus on problem definitions by viewing the history of ECE policy in the U.S. through Kingdon's policy streams lens. I break ECE policy into 3 general time periods-pre-Head Start era, Head Start era, and post-Head Start era. I find clear evidence of considerable differences in the theoretical and operational problem definitions of ECE during each era. Next I present results of a case study of framing in two different states over a 25 year period. I find evidence that the framing of ECE has wavered between that of education frames and welfare frames, though two frames that distinguish ECE from these others are the "scientific findings" or "evidence" frame and the "economic investment" frame. Finally, I present the results of a 50-state analysis of state adoption of ECE policy. I find that percentage poverty, working women and a liberal government ideology increase the log odds of a state adopting preschool policy in a given year. Most significant is that the ratio of education to welfare spending (a proxy variable to these two domains' relative strength in a given state year) is significant in increasing these log odds. I also find that early adopting states are most likely to "reinvent" or innovate in this policy area and reinvention is most likely in the areas of teacher policy and funding. Finally, I find that states not adopting ECE policy have significantly higher Head Start enrollment supporting (though not significantly) the notion that federal policy created a pressure valve effect in these states that found federal policy sufficient to meet their ECE policy needs.