The National Institute for Early Education Research published its State of Preschool 2023 Yearbook and Ohio ranks toward the bottom in several key areas. While Governor Dewine proclaimed the importance of child care and education in his State of the State speech this year, Ohio still hasn’t been able to close the gap in enrollment and funding.
State of Preschool Yearbook
The study, conducted by Rutgers University researches, measures and ranks state preschool programs by a number of factors including enrollment, spending, and quality. It sets 10 benchmarks for programs to attain:
- Early Learning & Development Standards
- Curriculum Supports
- Teacher Degree
- Teacher Specialized Training
- Assistant Teacher Degree
- Staff Professional Development
- Maximum Class Size
- Staff to Child Ratio
- Screening & Referral
- Continuous Quality Improvement System
Low Ohio Rankings
Ohio ranked 36th in 4 year old enrollment and 43rd in spending. It met 5 of the 10 benchmarks. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, Ohio has a total of 18,000 children enrolled in pre-K education, with 35% of the school districts offering a state-funded program. The federally funded Head Start program for ages 3 and 4 has a state enrollment of 24,649. No state contributions go to the Head Start program for 3 or 4 year olds, according to the study.
“Ohio leaders must address this ongoing lack of access, lackluster quality and related issues of teacher retention and pay to ensure that all children have access to the educational opportunities they deserve,” Allison Friedman-Krauss, the report’s lead author, said in a news release.
Report Summary and Recommendations
The Executive Summary of the report notes, “The 21st State of Preschool finds the state of preschool in America at a critical moment. The states have emerged, albeit unevenly, from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are poised to make new progress toward more effective and equitable preschool policies…All but a few states fall short of meeting at least one benchmark for policies regarding quality, and many fall short of meeting most of the benchmarks. Inadequate funding is a near universal problem. A key question for the future is whether or not states will increase funding enough to keep promises regarding program expansion and quality, including adequate pay for the workforce. Will this be the turning point needed for the country to make real progress towards high quality universal preschool?”
The report recommends seven major policy issues for states to consider as they make choices that will determine the future of early education:
- Preschool funding: How much of an investment will states make given their current (and future) fiscal environment?
- Universal access: Will states commit to preschool for all, and, if so, for whom?
- Access for 3-year-olds: Two years of high quality preschool can have much larger impacts than one year.
- Mixed delivery: How will states provide preschool, particularly those states working to expand access?
- Length of day: Will states provide at least a full school-day option for all families who want it?
- Quality: Will states commit to high quality preschool?
- Workforce: It is a particularly critical time for the early childhood workforce and the workforce is a central part of preschool quality.
