The Center for Public Education goes over some of the opportunities available for early learning.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced March 29 that Delaware and Tennessee were the top two states to win the first round of Race to the Top funding, totaling nearly $600 million. Duncan said the bar had been set very high on the first round, and that there is still $3.4 billion available for states who develop plans and pursue reform.

Early care and education advocates voiced disappointment and frustration that the Early Learning Challenge Fund did not make it into legislation. Marci Young of Pre-K Now calls its a missed opportunity to provide more children with a high-quality early learning experience.

Two articles written on why school reform conversations need to start before children reach the kindergarten classroom door.

Investing in early care and education is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the economy and produce long- and short-term benefits for children, their families, taxpayers and the community.

After Democrats found the estimated savings from the planned overhaul of the student loan program was too meager to fund new education priorities, including the Early Learning Challenge Fund. Now, the Obama Administration is looking for other ways to fund early childhood education measures. Education Secretary Arne Duncan calls early education an issue that receives bipartisan support.  

The student aid and health care bills are going out as one reconciliation bill, without the Early Learning Challenge Fund attached, too.

The Cicil J Picard Center for Child Development released a report that states that 4-year-old students in Lafayette Parish (LA) scored at or above the national average at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. Children are given a pre-test and a post-test at the beginning and end of the year. The report notes that although Lafayette Parish prekindergarten students were performing below level before starting prekindergarten, by year's end, their language score was equal or higher than that of 59% of the nation's prekindergarten students.

Early Ed Watch notes that in the Blueprint for Reform, which would revamp the country's largest education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), something is missing -- early learning.