Research Report
The State of Preschool Yearbook 2020
Date
August 1, 2021
The State of Preschool 2020 annual report finds that growth in state-funded preschool had slowed, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. And the COVID-19 pandemic imposed huge setbacks on preschool. Progress had also been uneven across the states, resulting in increased inequality in children’s access to high-quality preschool.
This report focuses on the 2019-2020 academic year but also provides information on the pandemic’s impacts on state-funded preschool into the 2020-2021 school year. Across the 44 states, DC, and Guam that funded a preschool program in 2019-2020, 34% of 4-year-olds and 6% of 3-year-olds were enrolled, essentially the same as last year. Three state-funded preschool programs made changes to gain an additional benchmark for minimum quality standards. States spent $300 million more on preschool (adjusted for inflation) than the prior year and state spending per child increased after two years of stagnation.
However, most states still spend too little per child to support high-quality, full-day pre-K and most do not come close to reaching all 3- and 4-year-olds or even all low-income 3- and 4-year-olds. Now is the time for a renewed commitment to and investment in high-quality preschool. A federal-state partnership can ensure fewer children miss out on the opportunity for a high-quality preschool experience.
Yearbook Contents
- Full Report
- Executive Summary
- Special Report: The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Preschool
- What Qualifies as a State Preschool Program?
- Roadmap to State Profile Pages
- Methodology
- 2020 Survey Data
- National Press Release / en español
- Pre-release Reporters Briefing (YouTube)
State Profiles
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Territory Profiles
American Samoa
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
Republic of Palau
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
Non-Survey Data
The Authors
Allison Friedman-Krauss is an Assistant Research Professor at NIEER where she is also the Associate Director for Policy Research and Director of the Infant and Toddler Policy Research Center.
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.
Karin Garver is an Early Childhood Education Policy Specialist at NIEER. Her research interests are in national and state early education policy trends, inclusive opportunities for preschool children with disabilities, data systems, systems integration, and public program finance.
Kate is an Early Childhood Education Policy Specialist at NIEER, where she primarily focuses on state and national policy analysis. Her current work includes collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data for the annual State of Preschool Yearbook report, providing technical assistance to New Jersey school districts and private providers applying for and implementing the state-funded preschool program, among other projects.
GG Weisenfeld is a Senior ECE Policy Specialist at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education.
Beth Gardiner is an Early Childhood Education Technical Assistance Specialist at NIEER, working on various projects, with a primary focus on supporting New Jersey state preschool expansion and high-quality program implementation.
Suggested Citation
Friedman-Krauss, A. H., Barnett, W. S., Garver, K. A., Hodges, K. S., Weisenfeld, G. G. & Gardiner, B. A. (2021). The State of Preschool 2020: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
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