A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Overview

Access to preschool education

Today, many parents enroll their children in some form of preschool, which means that kindergarten is no longer the child's first experience with group educational programs. Many early childhood experts believe that children who have been involved in high quality group care or nursery school are better prepared for formal schooling. There is substantial evidence of the short-term effects (e.g., achievement test gains) of attending a high quality early childhood program, and there is some evidence of long-term effects (e.g., an increased likelihood of completing high school). [1] The National Education Goals stress the importance of access to quality early childhood programs. Goal 1 states, "By the year 2000, all children will start school ready to learn." This goal underscores the role that children's early experience plays in preparing them for successful schooling. Thus, the first objective associated with this goal states that all disadvantaged and disabled children will have access to high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help prepare them for school. Differences in enrollment rates in early childhood education across family income and race/ethnicity may indicate differential access to this important educational resource. Differences in the knowledge and behaviors of students in these subgroups may be associated with variability in the quantity and quality of early childhood care and instruction.

Do enrollment rates in preschool differ by family income?

Children from lower income families have lower participation rates in preschool. In 1973, the enrollment rates in preschool for 3- to 4-year-olds from low income families was about 20 percentage points lower than those of their counterparts from high income families (15 versus 35 percent). By 1993, enrollment rates for children from both income groups had increased, and the gap between those from low and high income families widened to 28 percentage points (24 versus 52 percent) (Indicator 2). The Head Start program has substantially increased the proportion of low income children enrolled in preschool; however, in the early 1990s, it still served fewer than one-half (40 percent) of eligible 4-year-olds, and fewer than 20 percent of eligible 3-year-olds. [2]

SOURCE: Indicator 2.

Do enrollment rates in preschool differ by race/ethnicity?

During the mid-1970s, preschool enrollment rates among white and black 3- to 4-year-olds were similar. However, due mostly to increases in preschool enrollment of white 3- to 4-year-olds in the 1980s, average enrollment rates for white preschoolers were nearly 8 percentage points higher than those of blacks and 22 percentage points higher than those of Hispanics by 1993. It should be noted, however, that although white 3- to 4-year-olds were more likely than blacks and Hispanics to be enrolled in preschool, blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to be enrolled in kindergarten at that age. As a result, a similar percentage of blacks and whites were enrolled in some type of school program at age 3-4 in 1993. Hispanic school enrollment rates were still substantially lower that year (table 2-1).

SOURCE: Indicator 2.

SOURCE: Indicator 3.

How do these enrollment rates change under a broader definition of early childhood education?

Early childhood experts argue that children learn in a variety of settings, and the distinction between "nursery school" (or preschool) and "child care centers" based upon their presumed differential emphasis on educational activities is not meaningful. [3] Participation rates of white and black students become indistinguishable when the definition of early childhood education is broadened to include all center-based programs, including day care. For example, in 1993, 73 percent of white first-graders and 76 percent of black first-graders had attended center-based programs before entering kindergarten. [4] A smaller proportion of Hispanic first-graders (57 percent) had participated in these programs, however (Indicator 3).

As with preschool enrollment, students from families with high incomes were more likely to participate in center-based early childhood programs than were students from families of more moderate means. For example, first-graders whose families had incomes greater than $35,000 were more likely to have attended a center-based early childhood program before kindergarten than first-graders whose families had incomes of $35,000 or less. Among those who attended such programs, students from families with higher incomes were more likely to attend them for at least 2 years than were students from families with lower incomes (Indicator 3).

How do the enrollment rates in preprimary education in the United States compare to rates in other countries?

                                Age           Average duration of Country                   3      4      5     preprimary education -------                  --     --     --     --------------------                              (percent)             (in years)  Canada                     -     46     69            1.2 United States             29     53     83            1.8 Japan                     23     58     66            1.5 France                    99    101    100            3.4 United Kingdom            37     13      0            0.5 Former West Germany       31     69     79            2.6 

The number of years in which children typically participate in school before first grade varies greatly across countries. The average duration of preprimary enrollment, which includes enrollment in both preschool and kindergarten in the United States, ranges from .5 years in the United Kingdom to 3.4 years in France. The average duration of preprimary enrollment in the United States is 1.8 years. The average duration of preprimary enrollment is affected by the supply of and demand for preprimary education in each country as well as the normal starting age of primary education (first grade in the United States). For example, in the United Kingdom, where preprimary enrollment rates are relatively low at ages 4 and 5, the enrollment rates in primary education are relatively high (78 percent at age 4 and 99 percent at age 5). Canada also has a significant proportion of 5-year-olds enrolled in primary education (30 percent). [5]

How do the skills and behaviors of children vary before kindergarten?

There are varying opinions about what skills children should possess upon entering kindergarten. Some believe that children should simply be physically and mentally healthy, while others feel it is important for students to have rudimentary skills with such things as numbers, letters, and colors. [6] Children arrive at kindergarten with a wide variety of skills and experiences, and schools must develop programs that are sensitive to these differences. Understanding the wide range of developmental skills in kindergarten classes is an important first step to providing a quality education to the entire range of students.

A majority of parents indicate that their 4-year-olds were able to identify all colors (84 percent), recognize most letters (57 percent), count to at least 20 (62 percent), write their first name (70 percent), button their clothes (93 percent), hold a pencil properly (94 percent), and write or draw rather than scribble (table 4-1).

At age 4, a greater percentage of whites were able to identify all colors than were blacks or Hispanics. However, blacks were more likely than whites to demonstrate the ability to hold a pencil properly and button their clothes. Both black and white 4-year-olds were more likely than their Hispanic counterparts to recognize most letters of the alphabet, count up to at least 20, and write or draw rather than scribble. The parents of Hispanic 4-year-olds were also more likely than the parents of white and black 4-year-olds to indicate that their child fidgets a lot, has a short attention span, and often has tantrums (table 4-1).

Furthermore, many of the skills of 4-year-olds are strongly associated with level of family income. For example, students from families with incomes above $35,000 were more likely to be able to identify all colors and to recognize most letters of the alphabet than were students from families with incomes less than or equal to $35,000. Differences in social and emotional development and in speech development were also associated with family income (table 4-2).

Emerging literacy and numeracy

SOURCE: Indicator 4.

In summary, preschool attendance rates differ by race/ethnicity and level of family income, although some of these differences attenuate when the definition of early childhood education is expanded to include all center-based care. Moreover, the average duration of preprimary enrollment varies across countries. The average duration of preprimary enrollment in the United States is shorter than among students in France, but longer than among students in the United Kingdom. The skills that children bring to kindergarten also vary by both race/ethnicity and family income, although opinions about how well-prepared children should be upon entering school vary widely.

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[Progress in achievement of Hispanic students]