Question:
What percentage of children are enrolled in preprimary education?
Response:
Students may spend 1 to 3 years in preprimary programs (prekindergarten and kindergarten), which may be offered either in separate schools or in elementary schools that also offer higher grades.
In 2010, about 64 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds were enrolled in preprimary education (nursery school and kindergarten), the same as the percentage in 2000. However, the percentage of children in full-day programs increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, about 58 percent of the children enrolled in preprimary education attended a full-day preprimary program, compared with 53 percent in 2000.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2011-015), Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
| Enrollment of 3- to 5-year-old children in preprimary programs, by level of program, control of program, and attendance status: Selected years, 1965 through through 2010 | ||||||||||
| Total population, 3 to 5 years old | Total enrolled | Percent enrolled | Nursery school, public | Nursery school, private | Kindergarten, public | Kindergarten, private | Full-day | Part-day | Percent full-day | |
| 1965 | 12,549 | 3,407 | 27.1 | 127 | 393 | 2,291 | 596 | — | — | — |
| 1970 | 10,949 | 4,104 | 37.5 | 332 | 762 | 2,498 | 511 | 698 | 3,405 | 17.0 |
| 1975 | 10,185 | 4,955 | 48.7 | 570 | 1,174 | 2,682 | 528 | 1,295 | 3,659 | 26.1 |
| 1980 | 9,284 | 4,878 | 52.5 | 628 | 1,353 | 2,438 | 459 | 1,551 | 3,327 | 31.8 |
| 1985 | 10,733 | 5,865 | 54.6 | 846 | 1,631 | 2,847 | 541 | 2,144 | 3,722 | 36.6 |
| 1990 | 11,207 | 6,659 | 59.4 | 1,199 | 2,180 | 2,772 | 509 | 2,577 | 4,082 | 38.7 |
| 19951 | 12,518 | 7,739 | 61.8 | 1,950 | 2,381 | 2,800 | 608 | 3,689 | 4,051 | 47.7 |
| 20001 | 11,858 | 7,592 | 64.0 | 2,146 | 2,180 | 2,701 | 565 | 4,008 | 3,584 | 52.8 |
| 20051 | 12,134 | 7,801 | 64.3 | 2,409 | 2,120 | 2,804 | 468 | 4,548 | 3,253 | 58.3 |
| 20071 | 12,326 | 8,056 | 65.4 | 2,532 | 2,037 | 3,088 | 400 | 4,578 | 3,478 | 56.8 |
| 20081 | 12,583 | 7,928 | 63.0 | 2,609 | 1,961 | 2,982 | 376 | 4,615 | 3,313 | 58.2 |
| 20091 | 12,718 | 8,076 | 63.5 | 2,703 | 1,945 | 3,144 | 284 | 4,916 | 3,160 | 60.9 |
| 20101 | 12,949 | 8,246 | 63.7 | 2,749 | 2,048 | 3,080 | 369 | 4,813 | 3,432 | 58.4 |
— Not available.
1 Data collected using new procedures. Data may not be comparable with figures prior to 1994.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Table 53.
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