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Friday, November 22, 2024

Illinois pre-kindergarten programs rank 17th best among the states

Preschool

Pexels.com

Pexels.com

Illinois finished 17th best in a new pre-kindergarten education study from the website 24/7 Wall St. that examines such criteria as public spending on pre-K programs, total enrollments and fourth-grade reading proficiency.

In the analysis, which examines data from the National Institute of Early Childhood Education Research and the Census Bureau, Illinois was found to have an early-education participation rate among 3- and 4-year-olds of 53.7 percent, total state pre-K spending of $428.3 million in 2020 and a public spending level of $5,885 per pre-K student.

The fourth-grade reading proficiency rate in the state was pegged at 34.4 percent, according to 24/7 Wall St. 

The amount the state spends on pre-K programs is higher than all but four other states, according to the analysis. The spending per pupil, however, is closer to the U.S. average for pre-K spending, 24/7 Wall St. reported, and Illinois is among only 12 states where more than 50 percent of all 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education.

Nationwide, annual pre-K spending averaged $6,329 per pupil, while the participation rate of 3- and 4-year-olds in early childhood education programs is 46.2 percent, the researchers found. Quality, accessibility and public spending levels, however, vary among the 50 states, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Among those children attending pre-K programs, just over 40 percent of them were enrolled in private programs, and nearly 60 percent took part in publicly funded instruction, the study found.

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Which States Have the Best Pre-K Programs?

RankState% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Pre-KAnnual State Pre-K SpendingState Pre-K Spending per Pre-K student4th-graders Proficient in Reading
1New Jersey64.0%$781.5 million$14,10341.9%
2Vermont68.3%$60.1 million$7,82137.1%
3Rhode Island47.9%$13.8 million$10,65035.4%
4Delaware53.0%$6.1 million$7,27732.5%
5Connecticut60.7%$126 million$8,47840.1%
6Pennsylvania42.2%$333.9 million$6,84939.7%
7Washington48.8%$132.2 million$9,44335.1%
8Maine48.5%$23.9 million$8,39236.0%
9Massachusetts56.8%$105.8 million$3,70545.4%
10Nebraska45.6%$28 million$8,98636.8%
11Hawaii51.6%$6.7 million$9,88633.8%
12Mississippi53.7%$6.7 million$5,70431.5%
13North Carolina44.3%$166.3 million$10,12236.0%
14Minnesota47.4%$51.7 million$7,17738.1%
15Iowa45.7%$94 million$3,69235.1%
16Oklahoma43.0%$196.7 million$9,40428.5%
17Illinois53.7%$428.3 million$5,88534.4%
18Maryland48.2%$158.1 million$8,78035.1%
19New York53.5%$834.2 million$7,03634.3%
20Alabama42.6%$122.8 million$8,92628.2%
21Oregon42.6%$96.3 million$10,16433.8%
22Michigan44.6%$249.6 million$6,68031.6%
23New Hampshire58.0%$0$038.2%
24Virginia48.3%$75.7 million$7,23938.3%
25New Mexico42.1%$88.5 million$7,33423.7%
26Colorado50.6%$70.5 million$5,43439.7%
27West Virginia31.0%$96.8 million$10,31330.3%
28Kentucky35.2%$105.1 million$8,15135.1%
29Arkansas46.1%$114 million$9,02631.2%
30Tennessee38.1%$82.4 million$5,73434.6%
31Georgia48.1%$377 million$4,69432.2%
32Missouri44.5%$22.1 million$3,20834.2%
33Ohio45.9%$71.5 million$4,00036.1%
34California47.1%$1.9 billion$8,03732.1%
35Florida50.6%$400.3 million$2,40137.7%
36Utah42.5%$6.9 million$3,07440.0%
37Nevada37.7%$19.7 million$8,47630.9%
38Louisiana48.6%$92.8 million$4,62325.7%
39Kansas48.8%$26.6 million$2,08533.8%
40Wisconsin35.4%$179 million$6,20035.5%
41Alaska47.3%$7.3 million$5,21225.1%
42Wyoming31.9%$0$040.6%
43Texas40.3%$842.2 million$3,69330.3%
44South Carolina37.8%$86 million$3,21631.8%
45Indiana40.5%$0$037.0%
46Arizona38.5%$19.2 million$3,68631.4%
47South Dakota40.7%$0$036.0%
48North Dakota31.8%$650,659$52734.3%
49Montana36.8%$0$036.4%
50Idaho31.6%$0$037.4%
Source: 24/7 Wall St.

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