Homeschooling in recent years, . But researchers are still exploring why parents choose to homeschool their children.

Looks like we’re going to spend 2025 debating which bathrooms different kids should use when they need to relieve themselves and whether we really want to follow through on the administration’s plans to allow armed immigration enforcement actions on school campuses. Jury’s still out on whether or not the U.S. Department of Education survives the year — let alone Trump’s entire term. 

One thing’s certain, though: the biggest issue facing U.S. public schools will remain fiscal. As Chad Aldeman has repeatedly noted here at ����Ӱ��, falling enrollment is a problem for local education leaders across the country — and most haven’t confronted the ensuing budget problems because those make for difficult politics. 

This is only going to get worse: the Biden administration’s pandemic recovery funds are and increased public investment in private school choice programs is putting pressure on public K–12 budgets . What’s more, falling birth rates were already producing drops in U.S. K–12 enrollment in communities across the country.

Long story short: whatever’s happening in national education politics, the central education dilemma for many school districts will be trying to attract and retain students so that they don’t face stiff cuts in state and federal funding. suggests that pre-K programs could be a useful tool in that effort. 

The analysis explores whether Washington, D.C.’s universal pre-K system for 3- and 4-year-olds could be part of the reason why “the District of Columbia (DC) stands out as one of the few jurisdictions that did not experience declines in public K–12 enrollment between fall 2019 and fall 2021.” 

D.C.’s pre-K program was a leader that just preceded in public early education investments. It as part of District of Columbia education reforms designed to improve outcomes and raise enrollment. This was years ahead of similar efforts in , , , and . 

The program isn’t just old — it’s compared to its peers. The city per pre-K student than any U.S. state, serves both 3- and 4-year-olds and integrates the large majority of its programs into K–12 campuses. That means that pre-K students generally continue into kindergarten (and first grade, and beyond) classrooms that are overseen by the same leaders who run their pre-K programs. This permits for greater from early childhood into elementary school — and, to drop the jargon, it makes parents’ lives way easier. 

Using D.C. enrollment lottery data, the Urban Institute paper found that students who attended pre-K as 3-year-olds before the pandemic “were 9.8 percentage points more likely to remain enrolled” in D.C. schools between 2020 and 2022 than children who did not attend. This was especially true for students who were in kindergarten or first grade during the pandemic period. Further, the enrollment boost effect was particularly strong for D.C. pre-K alumni from low-income communities; they were 25% more likely to remain enrolled, compared to students from higher-income communities

“Public prekindergarten — especially when starting as early as 3 years old — can promote student persistence by providing early exposure to a classroom setting and fostering foundational academic and nonacademic skills,” the researchers conclude. 

The Urban Institute’s findings also echo prior studies indicating that D.C.’s pre-K program has impacts well beyond improving children’s development and well-being. Others have found that it shapes a wider range of families’ decisions and behaviors. It offers a full-day schedule that matches the city’s K–12 schools and their academic calendars. A 2018 study linked this breadth of coverage to — that is, D.C.’s pre-K investments made it easier for moms to work. 

As noted above, the program is relatively well aligned with research on quality early education, so it’s no surprise that it’s producing a host of positive effects for kids and families. I’ve written about the program from that standpoint. 

But I’m also a father of three D.C. pre-K alumni, and as their primary caregiver (over most of our parenting journey), I’ve gotta tell you: these effects almost assuredly underestimate the program’s benefits. D.C. pre-K has saved our family immeasurable money and stress over the years. By the end of the pandemic — when our youngest was due to enroll — we knew that leaving the city for almost any other community would have meant paying for two more years of private early childhood care. In D.C., average child care costs are , and costs in nearby towns are only slightly lower — staying in the city saved us tens of thousands of dollars. 

Shoot, without the four years (two per child) of child care savings D.C. pre-K had bestowed upon us when we enrolled our two older children, we might never have gone ahead and chosen to have that third kid at all. 

Which, incidentally, brings us back to 2025 education politics and how the country’s shrinking pool of children is going to produce smaller K–12 enrollments and school budgets. While other urban school districts are shrinking, , with a third consecutive year of enrollment growth bringing the total to just shy of 100,000 students. 

If civil rights advocates are able to stop the administration’s from sending ICE agents to K–12 campuses and making LGBTQ students , leaders curious about how to better support families in having children — and enrolling them in public schools — might take a look outside the White House at the innovative pre-K program surrounding them.

PROVIDENCE — Less than half of Rhode Island students said they felt their education was preparing them for college or a career when asked by the Department of Education in a recent survey.

Only 17% of students between grades three and five said they talked about jobs and careers or college in class frequently or almost always in the questionnaire. That percentage jumped to 35% for those between grades six and 12.

State officials revealed the survey results at a ceremony in the Sgt. Cornell Young, Jr., and Charlotte Woods Elementary School Tuesday morning. The annual survey queries parents, educators, and students about their educational experiences to determine how to adjust plans moving forward. Rhode Island Department of Education spokesman Victor Morente said in an email the data was first collected during the 2016-2017 school year.

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State officials said they saw the students’ willingness to participate and give voice to their concerns as a positive outcome.

“They’re thinking about what they are going to need for their future,” Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green said, in comments to the press after the results were released.

When divided by race, among students in grades three to five, 19% of white students said they talked about college and careers frequently or almost always. That is significantly less than students of color — 26% of American Indian respondents said they talked often about the future while 31% of Black students, 30% of Latino, 32% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and 19% of Asian respondents said they did so.

The data was divided by linguistic groups for those in grades six to 12. Those who spoke Spanish at home were most likely to feel they were being prepared, with 40% saying they spoke about college and careers in class almost always or frequently. Haitian Creole and Italian speakers responded positively 38% of the time, Portuguese and Khmer 36%.

Those who spoke English at home said they talked about the future almost always or frequently 33% of the time. Only 27% of Chinese speakers said they spoke of the future almost always or frequently.

“This is a work in progress,” Gov. Dan McKee said. “I don’t think there’s anything alarming at all.”

Officials focused on the high number of responses, 122,672 statewide, representing about 93% of all public school students in the state, in remarks to the 200 or so students, administration, and faculty at the school.

Young and Woods Elementary saw the highest increase in response rates from families — meaning parents and guardians — in Providence. That 17 point increase, from 30% in 2022 to 47% in 2023, was why the school was selected for the announcement.

“Your families did a marvelous job in filling out the surveys,” Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos told the students at the ceremony in English and Spanish.

Providence saw the highest rate for family engagement in the state, with 30% responding compared to the state average 25%.

The top school in the state for family participation was Wawaloam Elementary School, in Exeter, at 98%. Other top performers included: Hope Valley Elementary School, in Hopkinton, at 91% Greystone School, in North Providence; 90%; Capt. E. Harold Hunt Elementary School, in Central Falls, at 89%; and 85% at the Agnes E. Little Elementary School in Pawtucket.

Social and emotional learning sees high approval

Families overwhelmingly approved of the social and emotional learning initiatives at schools statewide, with 70% responding favorably. That held true across racial groups with no category going under 69%.

Among students in grade three to five, 64% of students held favorable opinions of social and emotional learning at their schools and 52% of students grades six to 12 responded favorably.

Staff had the lowest approval ratings, with 48% of teachers answering favorably on questions related to social and emotional learning and 44% of support staff responding favorably.

“Social emotional learning is a critical component to K-12 education,” Stephane DeSilva Mandeville, communications director for the National Education Association of Rhode Island, said when asked for comment. “We know the pandemic had an impact on students’ coping skills and how they interact, and the Surveyworks results demonstrate a need for more meaningful skill-building at the district level.

“The mental and behavioral health of our students — and educational staff — is a priority for NEARI. We support an increased focus on services around SEL and welcome continued coordination with the State and LEAs.”

Providence School’s Superintendent Javier Montañez said the hard work of reaching out to families paid off and now, the district can figure out how to better serve them.

“I am so proud of all the hard work our Providence community has put in to improve student outcomes in our schools,” Montañez said. “Their hard work is paying off.”

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com. Follow Rhode Island Current on and .