Enriching Education: How Does Your State Rank for Early Childhood Education?

 

With states considering whether or not to hold in-person pre-K education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020's States with the Best & Worst Early Education Systems, as well as accompanying videos.

In order to determine the best early education systems in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program to number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and total reported spending per child enrolled in pre-K.
 

States with the Best Early Education Systems	States with the Worst Early Education Systems
1. District of Columbia	42. Idaho
2. Nebraska	43. New York
3. Maryland	44. New Hampshire
4. West Virginia	45. Pennsylvania
5. Arkansas	46. Minnesota
6. Vermont	47. Massachusetts
7. Rhode Island	48. Arizona
8. Alabama	49. North Dakota
9. Kentucky	50. Missouri
10. Oregon	51. Indiana

 
Best vs. Worst

• 14 states, such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and South Carolina, have the highest share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program, 100 percent, which is 9.1 times higher than in Missouri, the state with the lowest at 11.00 percent.
   
• The District of Columbia has the highest share of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K, pre-K Special Education and Head Start programs, 87.30 percent, which is 7.3 times higher than in Utah, the state with the lowest at 11.90 percent.
   
• Hawaii has the highest income requirement for state pre-K eligibility, $58,380, which is 6.9 times higher than in Minnesota, which has one of the lowest at $8,455.
   
• The District of Columbia has the highest total spending per child enrolled in preschool, $19,710, which is 37.1 times higher than in North Dakota, which has one of the lowest at $531.
   
• The District of Columbia, Maryland and New York have some of the lowest monthly child care co-payment fees (as share of family income), 1 percent, which is 17 times lower than in Hawaii, the state with the highest at 17 percent.

Commentary from WalletHub analyst, Jill Gonzalez:

Why is it helpful for parents to know where their state ranks in early childhood education?

"The quality of Pre-K education is very important. Research shows that children who are enrolled in full day pre-K programs generally do better than their peers on math and literacy tests. In addition, those who attend pre-K programs also have less risk of future crime than those who do not."

What are some of the factors that affect a state's ranking?

"There are several factors that affect a state's rating. In the report, they are grouped in three categories: access, quality, and resources and economic support. Some of the most important factors overall are the share of 3- and 4-year olds enrolled in state pre-K programs, the presence of waiting lists for child care assistance, the requirement for school safety plans and audits, and the amounts spent by the state per child enrolled in preschool."

If parents are in a state that's ranked low, how can they be sure their children are getting a solid foundation from early on?

"It's important parents make sure their children have access and are able to engage with different educational materials that develop their social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills. Parents should also do their research before enrolling their children in a pre-K program, to ensure they get the most out of their education. Even if a state is ranked low, this doesn't mean it scored poorly across the board. There are strengths and weaknesses in each early education system, and this is what the report aims to show."

How can parents work to improve early education in their state?

"The first thing parents can do to improve early education in their state is educate themselves about what quality in early education means. They should also contact school boards and assume an active role in their children's education."

To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-and-worst-early-education-systems/62668/