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Preschool matters, but less to Idaho

| August 10, 2021 1:00 AM

Since the pandemic, preschool enrollment dropped by as much as 17 percent. Aside from obvious parental concerns, not all states value emphasis on early childhood education in general.

According to WallletHub’s report, “2021's States with the Best and Worst Early Education Systems,” Idaho’s is one of the worst — ranking 44 out of 51.

The ranking compared the 50 states and D.C. across 12 metrics, including enrollment, share of school districts offering a state pre-K program, pre-K spending per child and required parent contributions.

The five states with the best early education systems were Arkansas, Nebraska, D.C., Maryland and Alabama. Idaho was 44th, followed by Kansas, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota and, lastly, Indiana as worst.

Idaho’s share of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K was dead last, at 12.5 percent. That’s nearly 700 percent lower than Vermont, with the highest share at 84.3 percent.

That’s a shame, as preschool seems to have distinct advantages for children as well as the community as a whole.

Better test scores, staying in school. Studies, including one by the National Institute for Early Education Research, indicate students enrolled in full-day pre-K programs do better on math and literacy tests, and later, have higher high school graduation rates (linked to lower risk of crime) than do their peers without preschool. Better education outcomes tend to lead to better jobs and a stronger economy, which benefits entire communities.

Less crime. In addition to heading off achievement gaps, several studies link high school graduation rates to risk of imprisonment. A 2003 Bureau of Justice Studies report, “Education and Correctional Populations,” found 41 percent of incarcerated people don’t have a high school diploma, correlating educational attainment with higher likelihood of staying out of prison. A similar study in Illinois published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Long-term Effects of an Early Childhood Intervention on Educational Achievement and Juvenile Arrest,” also found correlations between early childhood education and fewer arrests.

Return on investment. Public investment in preschool also seems to make economic sense. One Rand Corporation study, “Investing Early: Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Education,” determined that public investment in preschool nets an average economic return of $2-$4 for every dollar spent.

World rankings put the U.S. behind many other developed nations in its early childhood education emphasis and enrollment, leading to presidential initiatives and legislative acts over the past few decades to change that. To make such efforts successful, states — especially those ranking in the bottom tier such as Idaho — will need to follow suit with more investment.

For working families even in middle income brackets, it’s getting harder to afford preschool programs without public programs or state assistance. Data seems to indicate that rather than mere charity, it serves as an investment in a healthier future for the community as a whole.

To view the Wallethub report and analysis see:

https://bit.ly/3it32fM

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email Sholeh@cdapress.com.