There are over 165,000 children in early education and care programs in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth's substantial investment of over $500 million in early childhood education, coupled with the high numbers of children in early care and education programs, makes understanding the quality of early care and education imperative, both to children's welfare and for planning effective state investments. In 2000, the Department of Education, Early Learning Services, contracted with Wellesley College Center for Research on Women and Abt Associates to conduct a study of the cost and quality of early care and education in Massachusetts. The first report from this study, addressing early care and education for preschool-aged children in full-day, year-round centers, was released in 2001. We are pleased to now release the second report from this study, on the quality of early care and education in school-based, publicly-administered preschool classrooms. Future reports will address early care and education for infants and toddlers in full-day, year-round centers, as well as early care and education in family child care homes.

Project: Massachusetts Early Care and Education Study