A new Campbell Collaboration systematic review by Matthew Manning and colleagues examines the evidence on the relationship between teacher qualifications and the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC), and finds there is a positive association.

The review summarizes findings from 48 studies with 82 independent samples. Of those samples, 58 assessed the overall quality of ECEC as an outcome. The relationship between teacher qualifications and overall ECEC quality demonstrated a positive correlation (r = 0.198).

Meanwhile, research funded by the Nuffield Foundation and published as a Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper, looks at whether staff qualifications and Ofsted (the English government agency that inspects and rates schools) ratings of nursery schools impact on how well children do at school.

For this report, Jo Blanden and colleagues matched data on children's outcomes at the end of Reception (pre-k in the U.S.) with information on nursery schools attended in the year before starting school for 1.6 million children born between September 2003 and August 2006. They found that children who attend a nursery school rated outstanding (the top grade), or one employing one or more staff members who graduated college, do better at school, but the effects are very small. Having an employee at the nursery school who has a degree, specifically a qualified teacher, raises children's scores at age 5 and 7 by two percent of a standard deviation.  Attending a nursery school rated outstanding is associated with a better performance in the Early Years Foundation Stage at age 5 of about four percent of a standard deviation.