Indicator: Enrollment in public pre-K

What to know about measurement

This indicator focuses on public pre-K given that a growing proportion of children of color and those experiencing poverty attend these programs. However, these populations also attend pre-K programs that are not publicly fundedⁱ, so systems might also consider broadening data collection efforts. State-by-state data on public pre-K enrollment are generally available and are more feasible to collect than data on other programs, because publicly funded programs are subject to regulatory standards and quality monitoring that require data tracking.

Drawing on individual-level records across state systems, aggregate data on pre-K enrollment are reported in different public sources. The National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) publishes an annual State of the Preschool Yearbook with statewide enrollment numbers. NIEER reports the number of children of all ages in state pre-K programs, in addition to federally- and state-funded Head Start enrollment numbers for 3- and 4-year-old children. However, it does not report enrollment data for 3- and 4-year-old children in other publicly funded programs, such as licensed family-based child care programs and community-based organizations. The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) publishes the number of pre-K students served in local education agency facilities only, and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annually collects school enrollment rates of all 3- to 5-year-olds.

i Children might also attend programs that do not receive public funds. These programs vary in their data collection, including private community-based centers that might offer scholarships (such as a local YMCA or community center), classrooms in religious institutions (such as a church preschool), or other out-of-market options that are financially accessible to families with low incomes, but are not publicly funded.