2020’s States with the Best & Worst Early Education Systems

Finding a good school whether it elementary or even college is important to parents. Now with the COVID * 19 pandemic parents are wondering if their children will return to the classroom, will it be full or part-time or will all classes be held online. A report from the University of Michigan found one-third of parents surveyed don’t plan to send their children back to class in the fall.

With states considering whether or not to hold in-person pre-K education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020's States with the Best & Worst Early Education Systems.

In order to determine the best early education systems in America, they 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

• 14 states, such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland 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 Missouri, 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, 87.30 percent, which is 7.3 times higher than in Utah, the state with the lowest at 11.90 percent.
• Hawaii has the highest income requirement for state pre-K eligibility, $58,380, which is 6.9 times higher than in Minnesota, which has one of the lowest at $8,455.
• The District of Columbia has the highest total spending per child enrolled in preschool, $19,710, which is 37.1 times higher than in North Dakota, which has one of the lowest at $531.
• The District of Columbia, Maryland and New York have some of the lowest monthly child care co-payment fees (as share of family income), 1 percent, which is 17 times lower than in Hawaii, the state with the highest at 17 percent.

WalletHub Q&A

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

“In addition to a focus on emergent literacy and mathematics, early childhood systems have to actively promote the crucial importance of the other content areas: Science, Social Studies, Social-Emotional Development, Physical Development and Health, and the Creative Arts – Music, Creative Movement, Creative Drama, Visual Arts). Early childhood systems have to provide human and financial resources,” said T. Kevin McGowan, PhD, Bridgewater State University.

“There are many factors but the first most important one is the environment where the child is growing up. It needs to be a safe environment with healthy stimulus for the child’s development,” said Herminia Janet Rivera, PhD, Nova Southeastern University. “The second very important factor is the relationship with the caregivers. The child needs to feel safe, love and most important he needs to know that he is care for.”

“Positive relationships,” said Hannah Kye, Ed.D, Rowan University. “Children's cognitive development is built on strong relationships, so respect between parents, educators, and children is vital. For young children, responsive and secure interactions ensure learning is not only intellectually demanding but also motivating and meaningful.”

What aspects should policymakers take into account in order to ensure safe access to early education systems during this crisis?

“I think equity would be my number one issue here because the ramifications are huge, including financially, said Paul Hochman, Ed.D., Butler University. “Can all parents afford to stay home with their children during this time if the child care center is on-line or unavailable? This creates so many issues that will impact all of us.”

“Online education is very difficult and not really an option for young children because they need adult guidance and supervision,” said Julia Smith, PhD, Purdue University Fort Wayne. “Childcare centers need to have a plan in place for their children.”

“First, decisions should be made based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence on COVID 19,” said Kristen Lyons, Metropolitan State University of Denver. “Policymakers should accept that science is likely to change as new findings come in and should be nimble in their decision-making.”

“Second, decision-makers should also be realistic about what they can actually expect from children and parents. They should keep in mind that younger children are likely to have a difficult time following safety protocols because of impulsivity while adolescents are likely to think they are immune to the risks of COVID 19. They should listen to the struggles faced by working parents or parents who have lost their jobs about what they can do in terms of supporting face-to-face and remote learning.”

“Third, policymakers should also explicitly name the cost of the decisions they are making and outline how they will address those costs. For schools that opt for face-to-face learning, policymakers should state that they are taking a risk of students, teachers, and staff getting sick and say what they will do to try to prevent sickness and how they will support individuals and their families when sickness occurs.”

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/