Quality Preschool Leads to Achievement;
Only Three States Do It Well

On February 19, 2004, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) released its first annual report on the quality of state-funded prekindergarten programs across the country. "The State of Preschool" emphasizes the benefits of providing a quality pre-school program, including evidence that demonstrates that low-income students achieve higher levels of academic success following quality pre-K instruction. Additional research also suggests that all students can benefit from pre-kindergarten programs, resulting in higher test scores, lower grade repetition, and decreased numbers of special education classifications.

The study concludes that most states are failing to provide quality educational programs to their preschool children. Although 38 states educate about 700,000 3- and 4- year olds, the level of access, financial support, and educational quality among these pre-K programs vary dramatically and needs significant improvement.

Georgia, Oklahoma, and New Jersey

Although the study recommends improvements for all state pre-K programs, the authors recognize preschool programs in Georgia, Oklahoma, and New Jersey as models for other states.

The authors of the study also conclude that all states should:

Provide "adequate access" to prekindergarten programs;
Improve prekindergarten standards; and
Increase funding for pre-K programs.

The study also states that one way of accomplishing these improvements would be for the federal government to offer incentives to states that support quality prekindergarten programs.

Researchers used state information and follow-up interviews to collect data on state-funded prekindergarten programs. The report provides specific information about state pre-K programs and ranks their quality according to specific characteristics, such as: access to pre-K programs for 3- and 4-year olds, satisfaction of a number of research-supported educational program benchmarks, and level of financial resources committed to prekindergarten education.

Prepared February 25, 2004