NIEER Audience Survey

NIEER exists to empower young children's growth by partnering with educators, conducting & sharing research, and shaping ECE policy and practice worldwide. To do that well, we need to listen carefully to the people who rely on our work.

We’re asking you to take a few minutes to complete our anonymous stakeholder survey. Your responses will help guide how we conduct and prioritize our work. Thank you for helping to ensure that NIEER’s work remains impactful, credible, and responsive in 2026 and beyond.

1.Which of the following best reflects how you think of NIEER as an organization? Select one.

A nonpartisan, independent research organization focused on early childhood education

A policy think tank focused on early childhood education

An organization that helps states and communities improve preschool programs (technical assistance)

A university institute that conducts academic research on preschool education

An organization that advocates for stronger early childhood education policy and investments

I am not entirely sure how to categorize NIEER

Other (Please specify)

2.Which of the following activities do you understand the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) to be engaged in? Select all that apply.

Conducting research on early childhood education policy and practice

Synthesizing and summarizing research on early childhood education for policymakers and practitioners

Evaluating the effectiveness of early childhood education programs

Comparing state preschool systems, policies, funding, and quality across all 50 states

Providing technical assistance to state and local governments

Advocating for early childhood education policy improvements

Convening policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to share research and improve early childhood education systems and policies

I follow NIEER, but I am not very familiar with the specifics of their work

I am familiar with NIEER’s work at a high level, but not in detail

3.Which of the following best reflects your understanding of NIEER’s primary role in the early childhood education field? Select one.

Producing independent research and evaluations on early childhood education

Comparing state preschool systems, policies, and funding

Informing public policy with high-quality data and evidence

Partnering with state and local governments to design, implement, and improve preschool programs

I am not entirely sure what NIEER’s primary role is

Other (Please specify)

4.In one sentence or less, what role does NIEER play in early childhood education?