This brief considers how closing the superintendent gender gap may contribute to the strengthening of early childhood education (ECE) leadership. Using data from a national survey of superintendents, we find that women are significantly more likely than men to prioritize prekindergarten (pre-K) initiatives, even after controlling for ECE background and training and district characteristics. These gender differences are amplified among leaders with early grades teaching or ECE training. Our findings highlight the value of diverse leadership and suggest that supporting women’s advancement to the superintendency could strengthen district-level ECE efforts.
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McKenzie et al. (2025) studied this question.
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