Arizona has seen a drop in both enrollment in and spending on preschool programs; that’s according to new data from the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Its most recent edition of " The State of Preschool Yearbook" finds in the 2019-2020 school year, enrollment in preschool programs across the state dropped by almost 200 children and funding was down by nearly $400 a student. In addition, Arizona ranked 45th nationally in terms of access for 4-year-olds and 25th nationally in access for 3-year-olds.
While these data are generally from before the pandemic, early indications are that enrollment was also down this past fall, in part because some programs were closed, and some parents were hesitant to send their kids to those programs that were open.
Dr. Allison Friedman-Krauss is an assistant research professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research. She leads the work on the State of Preschool Yearbook.
The Show spoke with her to learn what she considers to be some of the most significant findings from Arizona.
