A new study of state-funded preschool education, based on state policy, ranked Ohio last out of 39 states evaluated.

According to a study released Tuesday by the nonpartisan National Institute for Early Education Research, Ohio met the fewest benchmarks for quality preschool standards of any state offering state-funded preschool last year.

Jen Fitzgerald, one of the authors of the national report, said decreased state funding was the biggest threat to the quality of preschool programs.

“Part of the problem with Ohio is what was cut was monitoring, and that’s where the state goes out and visits individual classrooms,” Fitzgerald said. “Also, Ohio had another preschool program that met more benchmarks, the Early Learning Initiative, which the state stopped funding in 2009.”

The report, “The State of Preschool 2011,” had Ohio coming in 39th out of 39 states that have a state-funded prekindergarten program in meeting just two of the 10 benchmarks listed as “consistent with what research has found to be highly effective.”

On the benchmarks, which are not based on classroom performance, Ohio met the standard for teacher specialized training and screenings/support services.

The Ohio Department of Education said the report applies exclusively to the 203 school districts, Educational Service Centers and joint vocational schools that receive funding through Ohio’s Early Childhood Education program, which offers services to 3- and 4-year-olds based on need.

Statewide, the ECE program funds services to 5,700 students, or 2 percent of Ohio preschoolers.

The report shows that Ohio spent $3,932 in 2010-11 per child enrolled in the ECE program, for a total of $22.4 million.

The national average for these state-funded programs is $4,151 per student and $5.4 billion, although the report noted that total state funding for prekindergarten programs decreased by nearly $60 million nationwide for 2010-11, and had decreased by $30 million the year before.

In Ohio, the ODE reported for fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the state appropriated $36.5 million. However, through reductions, the final appropriation for 2009 was $34.7 million.

For 2010 and 2011, the state appropriated $23.2 million for each year.

States and benchmarks

The 10 state policy benchmarks listed by the National Institute for Early Education Research are: early learning standards, teacher degree, teacher specialized training, assistant teacher degree, teacher in-service hours, average class size, average staff-to-child ratio, health screening/referral and support services, daily meals and site visits.

Ohio’s policy achieved the fewest quality standards of the 39 states with state-funded prekindergarten programs, hitting 2 of 10.

Just two states earned 3 of 10 indicators: California and Florida.

Five states earned perfect 10s for their policies: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina and Rhode Island.

Ohio’s neighbors were all over the map, with Kentucky meeting 9 standards, Michigan meeting 7, Pennsylvania at 5.2, and Indiana not having a state-funded program.

Source: National Instituted for Early Education Research