ERIC Number: ED574857
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Feb
Pages: 52
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
A Comparison of State-Funded Pre-K Programs: Lessons for Indiana
Chesnut, Colleen; Mosier, Gina; Sugimoto, Thomas; Ruddy, Anne-Maree
Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University
In order to inform the Indiana State Board of Education's decision-making on Indiana's On My Way Pre-K Pilot program, researchers at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University compiled existing data on ten states that have implemented pilot pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) programs and subsequently expanded these programs beyond the pilot phase. This technical report presents the results of this inquiry, including a review of research on pre-K programs, highlights and trends across the states, individual state profiles, and recommendations for Indiana. The ten states selected for this research were: Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. These states were selected because they have piloted state-funded pre-K programs and subsequently expanded their programs beyond the pilot phase. Publicly-available data were examined on characteristics of state-funded pre-K programs. These characteristics were selected in order to provide comprehensive snapshots of state-funded pre-K programs in each state. The characteristics include: (1) history of program development and expansion; (2) funding source(s) and amounts; (3) quality standards for service providers; (4) eligibility requirements for students/families; (5) enrollment numbers; (6) number and types of service providers; and (7) measures of program effectiveness. The states with the highest amounts of total funding allocated to pre-K serve the most students. Most of the ten states provide funding for pre-K via general revenue funds, but a few use lottery funding. By contrast, the three states with the lowest levels of total funding (Nebraska, Ohio, and South Carolina) also enrolled the fewest children. All states have a minimum age requirement for children to be eligible for pre-K, generally three or four years old. Most states also utilize family income level as an eligibility factor, and some employ additional criteria to target at-risk children. States vary in terms of meeting or exceeding program quality benchmarks established by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) and outlined in research on effective pre-K programs. A Glossary of Acronyms and Terms is appended. [This report was written with the assistance of Rebekah Sinders, LeeAnn Sell, and Lisa Simmons-Thatcher.]
Descriptors: Comparative Analysis, Preschool Education, State Aid, State Programs, Pilot Projects, Outcomes of Education, Educational Research, Educational Trends, Program Development, Educational Finance, Educational Quality, Standards, Eligibility, Enrollment Trends, Enrollment, Program Effectiveness, Resource Allocation, Federal Aid, Profiles
Center for Evaluation and Education Policy. 1900 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47406-7512. Tel: 800-511-6575; Tel: 812-855-4438; Fax: 812-856-5890; e-mail: ceep@indiana.edu; Web site: http://www.indiana.edu/~ceep
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Indiana University, Center for Evaluation and Education Policy
Identifiers - Location: Indiana; Georgia; Illinois; Massachusetts; Michigan; Nebraska; Ohio; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A