State Aid, Enrollment for Preschool Climb

But Great Disparities in Programs Exist Among and Within States

Enrollment in state-financed preschool programs continues to rise nationwide, while access to such services still varies significantly from state to state, concludes the second preschool “yearbook,” released last week.

Published by the National Institute for Early Education Research, a think tank at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., the report tracks the percentage of children being served and ranks states on whether they meet specified benchmarks of quality.

“I think what is most worrisome is the vast disparities across and within states,” W. Steven Barnett, the director of the institute, said during a telephone press conference to announce the findings. “Even though we’re up overall, some states cut enrollment, and some states cut funding. That’s not the way we treat the education of children...