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Summer 2003

Table 2
Enrollment Priorities for Preschool Children with Disadvantaged Backgrounds1

State Low-income children have enrollment priority Children with other risk factors have enrollment priority Percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds served by state program(s) Percentage of children ages 0-5 served by
Head Start
Alabama     22 6
Alaska   3 54
Arizona   2 3
Arkansas 11 10
California 15 4
Colorado   9 3
Connecticut   7 44
Delaware   82 4
District of Columbia     60 154
Florida 7 4
Georgia     53 4
Hawaii 3 44
Idaho   3 3
Illinois 15 5
Indiana   3 44
Iowa 5 6 97 4
Kansas 10 4
Kentucky 15 6
Louisiana   52 7
Maine     9 64
Maryland 15 3
Massachusetts 14 34
Michigan 192 5
Minnesota 29 44
Mississippi     0 13
Missouri 4 5
Montana     0 5
Nebraska 1 4
Nevada 3 2
New Hampshire   3 2
New Jersey 8   17 34
New Mexico     3 74
New York 9   14 4
North Carolina 10 11 112 4
North Dakota   3 6
Ohio   3 84
Oklahoma     55 64
Oregon 4 4
Pennsylvania     22 4
Rhode Island 1 64
South Carolina 15 5
South Dakota     0 6
Tennessee   2 4
Texas 23 4
Utah     0 3
Vermont 8 5
Virginia 62 3
Washington 4 3
West Virginia 13 13 17 7
Wisconsin     20 54
Wyoming 14 17 6
Total 36 26    
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2002); U.S. Census Bureau (2000).

Footnotes for Table 2 (above)
1 Responses do not apply to Head Start unless Head Start is the only program provided at the state level. Head Start enrollment priority is based on low income; however, 10 percent of the Head Start slots must be reserved for children with disabilities.

2 State program only covers 4-year-olds.

3 State only contributes to Head Start.

4 This figure includes additional children covered by the state's Head Start supplementary funds.

5 In Iowa, low-income children have enrollment priority in the Shared Visions program. The other two state-funded programs use local and special eligibility guidelines.

6 In Iowa, children with other risk factors have enrollment priority in the Shared Visions program. The other two state-funded programs use local and special education eligibility guidelines.

7 This figure does not include the Iowa Community Empowerment Initiative. The total number of children served under this program is not available.

8 In New Jersey, children in all low-income districts have enrollment priority, regardless of individual family income.

9 In New York, low-income children have enrollment priority only in the Experimental Prekindergarten program.

10 In North Carolina, low-income children have enrollment priority only in the More at Four program.

11 In North Carolina, children with other risk factors have enrollment priority only in the More at Four program.

12 The number of children served in North Carolina only includes those in the More at Four program. Data for an exact number of children served by the larger Smart Start initiative are imprecise, since the initiative covers a wide range of services, including prekindergarten, child care subsidies, and health screenings; and children with multiple services may be counted more than once. During 2000-01, the state estimates of children served by Smart Start ranged from 8,000 to 100,000.

13 In West Virginia, enrollment priority for low-income children and children with other risk factors is decided locally.

14. In Wyoming, children with other risk factors have enrollment priority only in the Developmental Preschool program.

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Table 3
Program Accreditation and Standards1

State State requires NAEYC accreditation State has school readiness standards for ECE programs State requires programs to use school readiness standards
Alabama  
Alaska   2
Arizona  
Arkansas 3
California  
Colorado    
Connecticut 4
Delaware   5
District of Columbia    
Florida    
Georgia  
Hawaii      
Idaho   2
Illinois    
Indiana   2
Iowa 6    
Kansas      
Kentucky   7  
Louisiana   7  
Maine      
Maryland  
Massachusetts  
Michigan  
Minnesota   8
Mississippi      
Missouri  
Montana      
Nebraska 9
Nevada      
New Hampshire   2
New Jersey  
New Mexico    
New York    
North Carolina   10  
North Dakota   2
Ohio  
Oklahoma  
Oregon    
Pennsylvania      
Rhode Island    
South Carolina    
South Dakota      
Tennessee    
Texas    
Utah      
Vermont    
Virginia   11
Washington  
West Virginia   7  
Wisconsin    
Wyoming  
Total      
Source: Authors' research.

Footnotes for Table 3 (above)
1 Responses do not apply to Head Start unless Head Start is the only program provided at the state level.

2 Not applicable because state's main program is Head Start, and implementation of standards is required by the federal government, not by the state.

3 Arkansas requires its programs to meet other accreditation standards, but NAEYC accreditation is accepted.

4 Connecticut requires NAEYC accreditation only for the School Readiness program.

5 Delaware has not yet developed its own school readiness standards for children, but requires providers of the Early Childhood Assistance program to implement the federal Head Start Performance Standards for general program guidance.

6 Iowa requires NAEYC accreditation only for the Shared Visions Preschool program.

7 Standards are under development.

8 In Minnesota, programs may use standards developed by the school district.

9 Nebraska has not yet developed its own school readiness standards for children, but requires providers of the Early Childhood programs to implement NAEYC standards for general program guidance.

10 In North Carolina, only the More at Four program has state school readiness standards.

11 Virginia's standards will be required beginning in the fall of 2003.

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