Preprimary Education Enrollment

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Vol 1, Issue 1, Topic: Early Childhood Education

This article was originally published as an Indicator of the Month, taken from The Condition of Education 1998. The sample survey data are from the NCES National Household Education Survey (NHES).

Participating in early childhood programs such as Head Start, nursery school, prekindergarten, and kindergarten can better prepare a child to enter first grade. Many policymakers and educators believe that it is important to help all children start elementary school on an equal footing with other children. Involving students in pre-primary programs beginning at earlier ages may provide these students with valuable experiences that will help them start elementary school better prepared to learn.

Preprimary enrollment rates for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds were higher in 1996 than in 1991. In 1996, 37 percent of 3-year-olds, 58 percent of 4-year-olds, and 90 percent of 5-year-olds were enrolled in preprimary education.
In 1996, similar percentages of white and black 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in center-based programs, while their Hispanic peers were less likely to be enrolled.
Three- and 4-year-olds from families with incomes of more than $50,000 were more likely than 3- and 4-year-olds from families with incomes of $50,000 or less to be enrolled in preprimary education.
There was a positive relationship between parents' educational attainment and the enrollment rates of 3- and 4-year-olds: as parents' educational attainment increased, so did the preprimary enrollment rates of their children. However, enrollment rates of 5-year-olds were similar, regardless of their parents' educational attainment.

a table: Percentage of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds enrolled in center-based programs or kindergarten, by selected student characteristics: 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996

-- Not available.

¹ The middle two income ranges in 1991 were $20,001-$30,000 and $30,001-$50,000.
² Interpret with caution; standard errors are large due to small sample sizes.

NOTE: Included in the total but not shown separately are children from other racial-ethnic groups and other types of family structures. This analysis includes children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in first grade. Age is as of December 31 of the prior year. Center-based programs include Head Start, nursery school, and prekindergarten.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES), 1991 (Early Childhood Education File), 1993 (School Readiness File), 1995 (Early Childhood Program Participation File), and 1996 (Parent and Family Involvement in Education File).

a figure: Percentage of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds enrolled in center-based programs or kindergarten

NOTE: Included in the total but not shown separately are children from other racial-ethnic groups. This analysis includes children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in first grade. Age is as of December 31 of the prior year.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES), 1991 (Early Childhood Education File), 1993 (School Readiness File), 1995 (Early Childhood Program Participation File), and 1996 (Parent and Family Involvement in Education File).

Data sources: The following components of the National Household Education Survey (NHES): Early Childhood Education (1991), School Readiness (1993), Early Childhood Program Participation (1995), and Parent and Family Involvement in Education (1996).

For technical information, see Wirt, J., Snyder, T., Sable, J., Choy, S.P., Bae, Y., Stennett, J., Gruner, A., and Perie, M. (1998). The Condition of Education 1998 (NCES 98-013).

For complete supplemental and standard error tables, see either

the electronic version of The Condition of Education 1998 (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/), or
volume 2 of the printed version (forthcoming): The Condition of Education 1998 Supplemental and Standard Error Tables (NCES 1999-025).

Author affiliations: J. Wirt and T. Snyder are affiliated with NCES; J. Sable, Y. Bae, and J. Stennett, with Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Inc.; S.P. Choy, with MPR Associates, Inc.; and M. Perie and A. Gruner, with the American Institutes for Research.

For questions about content, contact John Wirt (john.wirt@ed.gov).

To obtain this Indicator of the Month (NCES 1999-004), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827), visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov), or contact GPO (202-512-1800).