School District Superintendents’ Leadership of Early Childhood Education: A National Survey

Early education programs are increasingly under the purview of public school districts. This study analyzes a nationally distributed survey of superintendents ( N = 404) from the National Longitudinal Superintendent Database to examine (a) superintendent beliefs about the importance of Pre-K, (b) district prioritization of Pre-K, (c) how districts structure Pre-K leadership, and (d) practices supporting Pre-K and early education. Findings show that superintendents have limited direct experience or formal training in early childhood education, strongly value Pre-K for promoting kindergarten readiness, generally support Pre-K but with varying prioritization, and often embed Pre-K leadership within broader administrative roles. These findings point to directions for future research and highlight policy and practice changes to strengthen superintendent leadership for early education in districts.