2009 Snapshot of Preschool Programs, State by State, Shows Losses and Gains

For the past eight years, the National Institute for Early Education Research has provided a valuable service in taking a snapshot of how states are progressing in the creation of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. Yesterday, the institute released its 2009 Yearbook, exposing uneven enrollment numbers and confirming concerns that the recession has hurt state-funded pre-K programs.

"This was the first year to be influenced by the recession," the executive summary stated, "and we found a slow down in progress in all three key dimensions that we evaluate — access, quality standards, and resources."

The news was not all bad. Looking at the United States as a whole, enrollment in state-funded pre-K did increase by more than 80,000 children from the 2007-08 year to the 2008-09 school year. But whether state-funded pre-K survived budget cuts varies greatly by state. Nine states decreased enrollment. Twelve still have no state-funded program at all.

Here's a map showing where states stand on enrollment for 4-year-olds (A larger version is here.):

The report is rich in data and Early Ed Watch will be taking a long look in the coming weeks. For now, see the myriad stories that are stemming from the report, as well as this press release that includes several charts and graphs. And don't miss Ed Week's indepth piece, "Hard Times Derail Growth of State-Funded Preschool."