The State of Preschool 2018 is the 16th edition of NIEER’s annual report tracking state-funded preschool access, resources, and quality. Since 2002, the preschool landscape has changed in many ways; and in others, it has remained the same – highlighting the need for a renewed commitment to progress.
Since 2002 when NIEER began tracking preschool enrollment, states have added more than 882,000 seats in state-funded preschool, mostly for four-year-olds. Progress has been uneven both across states and over time. The annual change in the number of children served in state-funded preschool has varied from an increase of nearly 140,000 children between 2004- 2005 and 2005-2006—a nearly 18% jump—to a decrease between 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.For the most part, preschool enrollment grew steadily up until the Great Recession. Beginning in 2008, annual increases shrink, hitting a low point in 2012 when the number of children enrolled decreased. The recovery in state pre-K growth has been anemic from 2013 to the present, with average annual increases below the pre-recession level.At the current pace, it would take states nearly 20 years to serve just half of all 4-year-olds in preschool. And with the sun- setting of federal PDG support, some states may struggle to even sustain current levels of enrollment. It would take nearly a century to reach the 50% mark for 3-year-olds at the current pace. As federal support for preschool wanes, states need to renew their commitment to high-quality preschool or risk leaving too many children behind. For the full report, please checkout:
http://nieer.org/state-preschool-yearbooks/2018-2
