Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Preschool in America: Is Your State Leading the Way?
In March, the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) released their State Preschool Yearbook, The State of Preschool 2006. Did you know that 38 states have state-funded prekindergarten programs that enroll over 950,000 children each year? Does your state offer publicly-funded prekindergarten? If so, how does your state compare with other states in your area?
The results of the 2006 Preschool Yearbook might surprise you. While the number of states that provide publicly-funded preschool has grown, uniformity in standards, credentialing and quality control measures still vary greatly from state to state. Read the executive summary and peruse the related resources in this easy-to-read report to learn more about the state of preschool in your state and across the country.
This report highlights the gains that have been made in early childhood education across the country. For example, in 2006, public preschool enrollment hit an all-time high of 20% of all four-year-olds, up from just 17% in 2005. Another highlight is that 37 of the 38 states that provide state-funded preschool programs have established state early learning standards, a critical benchmark for program success. This report also highlights areas in need of improvement. In 2006, the average amount spent per child dropped by $373, following a trend of under-spending in this area since 2002. In addition, NIEER points out there remains enormous disparity between states when it comes to comparing benchmarks for program effectiveness and teacher preparation requirements.
To read the State of Preschool 2006 in its entirety and to access additional valuable information on preschool and early education, be sure to visit the NIEER Web site:
In March, the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) released their State Preschool Yearbook, The State of Preschool 2006. Did you know that 38 states have state-funded prekindergarten programs that enroll over 950,000 children each year? Does your state offer publicly-funded prekindergarten? If so, how does your state compare with other states in your area?
The results of the 2006 Preschool Yearbook might surprise you. While the number of states that provide publicly-funded preschool has grown, uniformity in standards, credentialing and quality control measures still vary greatly from state to state. Read the executive summary and peruse the related resources in this easy-to-read report to learn more about the state of preschool in your state and across the country.
This report highlights the gains that have been made in early childhood education across the country. For example, in 2006, public preschool enrollment hit an all-time high of 20% of all four-year-olds, up from just 17% in 2005. Another highlight is that 37 of the 38 states that provide state-funded preschool programs have established state early learning standards, a critical benchmark for program success. This report also highlights areas in need of improvement. In 2006, the average amount spent per child dropped by $373, following a trend of under-spending in this area since 2002. In addition, NIEER points out there remains enormous disparity between states when it comes to comparing benchmarks for program effectiveness and teacher preparation requirements.
To read the State of Preschool 2006 in its entirety and to access additional valuable information on preschool and early education, be sure to visit the NIEER Web site:
- State of Preschool 2006 report (PDF)
- Executive summary of the State of Preschool 2006 report (PDF)
- NIEER Preschool Yearbook archive
*By the way... how does Minnesota rank? Not very well, I'm sorry to say. Although Minnesota ranks 3rd in the amount of state money spent per child in preschool, unfortunately it is primarily due to the low numbers of children in preschool. Minnesota ranks 37th in the percentage of 4 year old children attending preschool... Of the 13 states with fewer 4 year olds in a preschool program, 12 do not have a program! Look over the reports and check out the results for yourself.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:28 PM 
