Minnesota is not providing useful information on kindergarten readiness stats. However there are other ways to determine the results of UPK.

Universal  Pre-Kindergarten has been implemented by other states for a period of time. If it in fact improves a child’s results, those results will show up in standardized testing that take place in several grades. Third grade, eight grade and graduation scores should be higher in states that have had UPK for a period of time. Those scores should be higher in states with UPK compared to states with no UPK.

Results of UPK in other states
This was calculated based on the selection of four different groups of states.

Comparing states based on the following selection process:
1. Governor Dayton’s Fact Sheet/On Early Learning indicates Minnesota was falling behind other states and it lists. Those states are New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Michigan. I added Minnesota to this group to determine if we were behind or not.
2. States has the highest percentage of four-year-old children in Pre-K programs.
3. States that offer no Pre-K programs.
4. States with the longest running Pre-K programs

For each state we compared:
• State rank
• Graduation Rate
• Spending per pupil
• 4th Grade Scores
o Math
o Reading
• 8th Grade proficiency percentage
o Math
o Reading

	Grad. Rate	4th g reading	4th G math	8th G math	8th G reading
Gov. Dayton’s Refer.		Nation 229	Nation 240	Proficiency	Proficiency
New Jersey	90.1%	229	245	46.2%	40.6%
Maryland	87.6%	235	251	34.7%	37.4%
North Carolina	85.9%	226	244	32.6%	30.4%
Minnesota	82.2%	223	250	47.8%	39.7%
Oklahoma	81.6%	222	240	4th %	29.4%
Georgia	79.4%	222	236	28.4%	30.2%
Michigan	79.2%	223	236	28.5%	31.8%
Top 5, 4-yr-old served
Florida	80.7%	227	243	26.1%	30.3%
Iowa	91.3%	224	243	37.3%	35.6%
West Virginia	89.8%	221	247	20.5%	27.2%
Oklahoma	81.6%	222	236	22.9%	29.4%
Vermont	87.7%	230	237	42.1%	43.8%
No Pre-K
Wyoming	80.0%	228	247	35.3%	36.0%
North Dakota	87.5%	225	245	39.2%	33.7%
Montana	85.6%	225	241	38.9%	36.9%
Utah	85.2%	226	243	37.9%	38.0%

 

	Grad. Rate	4th g reading	4th G math	8th G math	8th G reading
Longest running programs		Nation 229	Nation 240	Proficiency	Proficiency
Wisconsin 1984	88.2%	223	243	40.8%	39.0%
Oklahoma 1990	81.6%	222	240	4th %	29.4%
Georgia 1993	79.4%	222	236	28.4%	30.2%
Oklahoma 1993	81.6%	222	236	22.9%	29.4%
Florida 2005	80.7%	227	243	26.1%	30.3%

I am unable to discern any differences that would justify investing any significant amount of money based on these results.