Study finds NH lagging in early childhood school systems

With pre-K enrollment dropping by nearly 300,000 students last year, which hurt educational progress and increased inequality, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022's States with the Best and Worst Early Education Systems.

In order to determine the best early education systems in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program to number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and total reported spending per child enrolled in pre-K.

Best vs. Worst

• 13 states, such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and South Carolina, have the highest share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program, 100 percent, which is 9.1 times higher than in New Jersey, the state with the lowest at 11.00 percent.
• The District of Columbia has the highest share of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K, pre-K Special Education and Head Start programs, 88.20 percent, which is 7.5 times higher than in Idaho, the state with the lowest at 11.70 percent.
• North Carolina has the highest income requirement for state pre-K eligibility, $42,482, which is 4.6 times higher than in Minnesota, which has one of the lowest at $9,155.
• The District of Columbia has the highest total spending per child enrolled in preschool, $19,228, which is 45.8 times higher than in North Dakota, which has one of the lowest at $420.
• The District of Columbia, Maryland and Idaho have some of the lowest monthly child care co-payment fees (as share of family income), 1 percent, which is 26 times lower than in Hawaii, the state with the highest at 26 percent.

To view the full report and your state or the District's rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-and-worst-early-education-systems/62668

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a phone, Skype or in-studio interview with one of our experts. Feel free to embed this YouTube video summarizing the study on your website. You can also use or edit these raw files as you see fit. Full data sets for specific states and the District are also available upon request.

Expert Commentary

What are the most important factors that influence a child's educational development?

"Zip code equals destiny. What matters most is the ability of the caregivers to stimulate the child; the supportiveness of the home environment; the cultural and/or natural richness of the community and its safety and the kid's ability to engage in it; and only then does the quality of the school play in, with an emphasis on the quality of the teacher to inspire, engage and appreciate the kids' individuality."
Martin Storksdieck - Director, STEM Research Center; Professor, Oregon State University

"Children need to be physically healthy and feel emotionally safe to learn. Being hungry, sleepy, scared, or sad interferes with information processing. Good quality schools are those that not only have excellent teachers and curricula, but that also provide a socioemotional atmosphere where the whole child is valued; where all children feel they belong, are accepted, and supported; and where healthy relationships are modeled and facilitated. It is also crucial for children to have at least one significant adult - a parent or someone else - who can advocate for them when the need arises."
Amanda Harrist, Ph.D. - Professor, Oklahoma State University in collaboration with Clarissa Corkins, M.S. - Society for Research in Child Development U.S. State Policy Predoctoral Fellow, Oklahoma State University

Is education spending a direct measure of education quality?

"We know that well-funded schools can and do perform well. But what we fund matters just as much as how much we fund it. Chicago Public Schools, for example, signed a one-year $33 million contract with the local police department. Families, however, argued that this contract diverted vital resources away from starved schools in need of school nurses, guidance counselors, social workers, and even teachers, all of which could improve educational quality. While $33 million in education spending is significant, expanding school-based policing has degraded the school climate and eroded student-school relationships without improving student outcomes. Culturally responsive curriculum, healthy school meals, early childhood education, high-quality teaching and counseling, low teacher-student ratios, and engaging before- and after-school activities matter."
Nicole Nguyen - Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago

"While spending is likely to increase education quality, where the financial support is spent is what is important: Spending needs to be prioritized in places that matter most. For instance, in early care and education settings, teacher/child ratio and teacher turnover are arguably two of the most important factors in determining quality relational interactions and educational practices. Increasing spending on educator salaries, which would decrease turnover, would likely lead to improved education quality, whereas spending on something like technology access, although beneficial, might have less of an impact on education quality."
Amanda Harrist, Ph.D. - Professor, Oklahoma State University in collaboration with Clarissa Corkins, M.S. - Society for Research in Child Development U.S. State Policy Predoctoral Fellow, Oklahoma State University

What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes?

"Invest wisely. Find the gaps and spend there, and not waste additional findings for kids and parents who are already doing well. We have an amazing ability to give more to where it is not needed. Find the communities, families, and kids who are struggling. Find out their needs. Serve those needs. Of course, that is easier said than done given laws, regulations, and contracts that limit flexibility and problem-solving. Interestingly, under the name of equity much innovation and local and targeted problem-solving might suffer."
Martin Storksdieck - Director, STEM Research Center; Professor, Oregon State University

"First, cease spending huge sums of money on interscholastic athletic programs and channel 90% of those funds into classroom experiences for ALL students. The remaining 10% can go to support intramural sports for that 10% of students who will want to be engaged in some form of competition. Second, take the dollars that have been allocated to militarizing the police force and funnel them into school counseling, health, and nutrition programs. The resulting reductions in crime due to healthy communities will more than pay for themselves."
Chris Brownell, Ph.D. - Adjunct Faculty, Fresno Pacific University