Oklahoma preschool students receiving second-best education in US, according to report

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — A national report released Tuesday ranks Oklahoma as the second-best state for early childhood education programs.

"What an investment we’ve made into our pre-k programs," said Katherine Bishop, President of the Oklahoma Education Association about the report. "That’s what we need. We are always talking about investing into our education systems and this is how we get to that top."

Oklahoma ranked in the top six states for preschool programs for four-year-old students prior to the pandemic, but many states weren't as resilient.

The report from theThe National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) evaluated funding, enrollment and access to education during the 2020-2021 school year. It found that preschool enrollment fell for the first time in 20 years.

Nationally, enrollment numbers fell by about 20%. In Oklahoma, programs lost about 11% of students.

"When there is a worry about safety and health, we knew that that enrollment decline was likely coming," saidLauren Jenks-Jones, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education, Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The report grades states on 10 standards. Oklahoma passed nine of the standards, only falling short on assistant teacher certifications.

Compared to other states though, Oklahoma's early childhood education programs withstood the storm of the pandemic. Now Jenks-Jones said the state is focused on bringing those numbers back up.

"We even have something that is called the pre-k prescription and it allows districts to go to their local pediatricians’ offices, partner with them and make sure at the three-year-old and four-year-old check up that families know about the access," she said.

Access to those programs is brought with a challenge though. Teacher shortages pose a battle across Oklahoma public education.

"There’s a shortage everywhere and that includes early childhood as well," said Bishop. "We have a chronic teacher shortage. We have got to invest in competitive pay, we have to look for incentives. That’s what we need to be focused on right now."