Even given large variations in quality, public preschool programs have been shown to have an overwhelmingly positive effect on student achievement, according to a new analysis of 40 years of research on preschool programs.
The analysis, “Investing in our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool Education,” reviewed research from 1965 to 2007. The analysis included reviews of older, frequently cited studies of small, intensive programs as well as newer studies of large-scale publicly funded preschool projects.
Though the analysis found that high-quality instruction is lacking in many programs, researchers nonetheless found that attending preschool provided a beneficial effect on student outcomes in nearly every case. The evaluation of the studies, which covered 84 preschool programs, found an average gain of a third of a year of academic growth among children who attended the programs. Large programs serving thousands of children, employing public school teachers and paying public school wages – such as those in publicly funded programs in Tulsa, Okla., andBoston – produced more significant gains of a half a year to a year of academic growth for students.
Programs that provided the largest academic gains for children in the first few years of elementary school generally had well-trained staff who received significant professional support and often