May 18, 2023
Today, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) released The State of Preschool 2022 annual report which covers the 2021-2022 school year. It is NIEER’s 20th report tracking preschool enrollment, funding, and policies state-by-state. This year’s report focuses on the recovery since the 2020-2021 school year, where the state of preschool is compared to before the pandemic, progress over the last two decades, and what needs to come next. This year, California is highlighted by NIEER for its initiative to provide universal preschool for all 4-year-olds through Transitional Kindergarten (TK).
“California will have the largest universal preschool program for 4-year-olds in the U.S. after the implementation and expansion of Transitional Kindergarten. Families will have the opportunity to enroll their children in a free, high-quality preschool option that prepares them for kindergarten and beyond. Now is the time to keep the momentum going to reach full expansion on time to serve the nearly 400,000 4-year-olds in our state,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California in NIEER’s California press release.
Watch NIEER’s State of Preschool 2022 Yearbook Press Briefing hosted by NIEER’s Dr. W. Steven Barnett and Dr. Allison Friedman-Krauss for more report takeaways from a panel of guest speakers including Patricia Lozano, representatives from the Department of Education, a teacher, and a parent.