Universal Pre-K
The Universal Pre-K Bandwagon
Pre-k programs are likely to enhance the educational and life prospects of large numbers of children and all children, regardless of their economic situation, deserve support.
The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development
For Preschoolers, enrollment in a state-funded pre-k program is becoming a common pathway into kindergarten and a universal pre-k program is a promising path with considerable potential.
State-Level Case Studies
The Effects of the Arkansas Better Chance Program on Young Children’s School Readiness
Previous research has established that high-quality and well-funded preschool programs improve children's learning and development. Specifically, the Arkansas Better Chance Program has meaningful impacts on children’s language, literacy and mathematical development.
Funding the Future: States’ Approaches to Pre-K Finance 2008
To provide sufficient funds, some states have turned to alternative sources such as lottery money, gaming revenues, and dedicated taxes to finance prekindergarten programs.
The Effects of Universal Pre-K in Oklahoma: Research Highlights and Policy Implications
Oklahoma is one of only three states in the nation to offer a free pre-k program to all students in certain districts on a voluntary basis. Preschool students in specific groups showed dramatic gains in skill mastery, which was evident in full-day but not half-day programs.
Universal Prekindergarten in Georgia: A Case Study of Georgia’s Lottery-Funded Pre-K Program
Georgia's model suggests that complementary state and federal initiatives can cooperate to create a more coherent early care and education system.
Program-Level Case Studies
Comparative Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Abecedarian Program and Its Policy Implications
Child care and education are joint products of preschool programs, but policy frequently approaches these two ideas independently. This is a benefit–cost analysis of a preschool program that combined intensive education with full-day child care.
Benefits and Costs of Investments in Preschool Education: Evidence from the Child-Parent Centers and Related Programs
Consistently positive economic returns of high-quality preschool programs exceed most other educational interventions.
The High/Scope Perry Preschool Program: Cost-Benefit Analysis Using Data from the Age-40 Follow-up
This study compares preschool program costs against impacts on educational resources, earnings, criminal activity and welfare receipt. Higher tax revenues, lower criminal justice system expenditures, and lower welfare payments easily outweigh program costs.
Is More Better? The Effects of Full-Day vs. Half-Day Preschool on Early School Achievement
Children enrolled a full-day, full-year preschool program experienced greater improvement in verbal and math test scores compared to peers who attended half-day programs.
Pre-K for Diverse Groups
Is Public Pre-K Preparing Hispanic Children to Succeed in School?
When afforded the opportunity to access high-quality preschool education, children of Hispanic descent make significant gains. Broadening access to high-quality programs to a larger piece of the Hispanic population can improve school readiness for children.
Pre-K and Latinos: The Foundation for America’s Future
By providing Latino children with culturally appropriate, high-quality, pre-k programs, policymakers can help close the achievement gap.
Pre-K For Military Families: Honoring Service, Educating Children
State policymakers can better support our country’s service men and women by ensuring that military children have access to high-quality pre-k programs, which provide stability and foster skills to cope with change and to succeed in school and in life.
The Benefits of Prekindergarten for Middle-Income Children
Middle income children frequently lack access to quality early education and research shows that the need for high-quality preschool does not stop at the eligibility limits for targeted preschool programs.
Buenos Principios: Latino Children in the Earliest Years of Life
Latino infants and toddlers represent the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. child population. It is therefore pertinent that federal policy-makers implement programs to improve school readiness for Latino children in the U.S. Suggestions include enhancing access to high-quality child care services for families with limited English proficiency as well as strengthening existing federal programs.
Benefits of Pre-K
The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth
A more educated workforce may produce a less crime-ridden and healthier environment with better functioning civil institutions. Because most of these benefits are long term while the costs are immediate, advocating for investments is difficult work.
Early Childhood Intervention and Educational Attainment: Age 22 Findings from the Chicago Longitudinal Study
School-based, publicly funded programs have positive effects into adulthood and early intervention programs allow higher educational attainment for economically disadvantaged students.
Overlooked Benefits of Prekindergarten
A good early education experience teaches children more than academic knowledge and skills, it can shape their learning attitudes, dispositions, and habits and influence their social and emotional development.
Inequality in Preschool Education and School Readiness
Children in center-based preschool prior to school entry have better reading and math skills and are less likely to repeat kindergarten. There are also larger effects for children with disadvantaged backgrounds.
Is More Better? The Effects of Full-Day vs Half-Day Preschool on Early School Achievement
Testing in this study yields that children who attend extended day, extended year preschool programs performed better in mathematics and literacy than their peers who only attend half-day programs.
Economics and Pre-K
Inside the Pre-K Classroom: A Study in Staffing and Stability in State-Funded Pre-K Programs
Teachers employed in publicly-operated Pre-K programs generally had more education and job stability, while community-based programs tended to reflect lower qualifications and higher staff turnover.
Meaningful Investments in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs
While the costs of upgrading pre-k quality can be substantial, research shows that the benefits outweigh those costs. Quality pre-k provides strong returns to state investments by reducing other public expenditures and increasing income tax revenues.
Priorities for a New Century of Early Childhood Programs
Early childhood learning is one of the nation’s most important priorities in the new century, and better coordination of funding and services is needed.
The Economic Benefits of High-Quality Early Childhood Programs: What Makes the Difference?
It is clear that all children can benefit from good quality early childhood programs, so it stands to reason that early childhood education should be universally available so everyone may benefit.
Making Pre-Kindergarten Work for Low-Income Working Families
Pre-kindergarten education needs to be specifically available to low-income families. Not only is the need great for disadvantaged children to receive high-quality early care, but low-income working parents need access to these programs.
