ABBOTT PRESCHOOL AT 25: DECLINING ENROLLMENT PUTS A LANDMARK PROGRAM AT RISK - THE FIRST IN A SERIES MARKING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW JERSEY’S ABBOTT PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

Oct 15, 2026

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Report analyzing New Jersey’s court-ordered Abbott Preschool program at its 25th anniversary, focusing on enrollment performance in the 31 high-poverty, urban “Abbott” districts. It reviews implementation progress and enrollment trends by year, provider type, and student age, including effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings show steady declines from 2015-16 to 2019-20, a further drop between 2019-20 and 2020-21, and post-pandemic increases still below pre-pandemic levels, with under-enrollment of eligible preschoolers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Program context and purpose

Enrollment trends and pandemic impacts

Provider mix changes over time

Policy implications and recommended actions

ABBOTT PRESCHOOL AT 25: DECLINING ENROLLMENT PUTS A LANDMARK PROGRAM AT RISK THE FIRST IN A SERIES MARKING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW JERSEY’S ABBOTT PRESCHOOL PROGRAM Nicole Ciullo & Danielle Farrie, Ph.D. February 2025 About the Authors Nicole Ciullo is Associate Director of Policy & Development at Education Law Center. She tracks and analyzes legislative, policy, and research developments impacting K-12 public schools nationwide and leads ELC’s individual giving efforts. She received a B.A. in Spanish and Sociology from The College of New Jersey, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University-Newark. Danielle Farrie, Ph. D., is Research Director at Education Law Center. Since 2008, she has conducted research and data analysis to support public policy advocacy for ELC and partner organizations. Dr. Farrie is the lead author of ELC’s Making the Grade report and has authored book chapters and peerreviewed articles on topics such as school finance and school segregation. She has testified about school funding issues before numerous state and national commissions and has provided expert testimony in state school funding lawsuits. She holds a Ph. D. in sociology from Temple University. About Education Law Center Education Law Center ( ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right toa high-quality education in safe, equitable, non-discriminatory, integrated, and well-funded learning environments. We seek to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. We strive to secure and protect the rights of students who are underserved, experience inadequate learning opportunities, or face discrimination based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigrant or migrant status, or disability. To achieve these goals, we engage in litigation, research and data analysis, policy advocacy, communications, and strategic partnerships and collaborations. © February 2025 Education Law Center, Inc., Newark, NJ. All rights reserved. This report was corrected on February 17, 2025. Executive Summary This year marks the 25th anniversary of implementation of New Jersey’s court-ordered, full-day, high-quality preschool program in the state’s 31 high-poverty, urban,“Abbott” districts. As the state continues to expand the program beyond these districts, it is imperative to examine whether Abbott Preschool is effectively meeting the needs of the students it was first designed to serve. This report is the first in Education Law Center’s series about the state of preschool in New Jersey. It assesses the progress that has been made in the implementation of Abbott Preschool; analyzes enrollment trends across the Abbott districts by year, provider type, and student age; and examines whether individual districts are meeting the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) target of enrolling at least 90% of their eligible preschool universe 1 Of particular interest is district success in enrolling both three-and fouryear-olds, given the growing body of evidence demonstrating the academic benefits of two years of preschool on student achievement. The report uncovers alarming trends in preschool enrollment in the Abbott districts, finding that levels steadily decreased between 2015-16 and 2019-20, and that enrollment declines were further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. School closures, remote learning, and families’ decisions to delay enrollment in the school system likely contributed to the 20% decrease in Abbott Preschool enrollment between 2019-20 and 2020-21. While both three-and four-year-olds disengaged from the preschool system during the pandemic years, three-year-old enrollment was hit especially hard, making clear the urgent need to increase efforts to enroll this already hard to reach population. Abbott

FAQs

What is the main focus of this report on Abbott Preschool?

It assesses progress in implementing New Jersey’s Abbott Preschool program and evaluates enrollment trends to determine whether the program meets the needs it was designed to serve.

How did enrollment change before and during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Enrollment levels steadily decreased between 2015-16 and 2019-20, then declines worsened during Covid-19, including a 20% decrease from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

What are the report’s key recommendations for improving enrollment?

The report calls for NJDOE and Abbott districts to collaborate on outreach to families, especially targeting three-year-olds, and for state facilities funding to address preschool capacity issues.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum