Search

The 2013-2014 North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Evaluation study was designed to examine the longitudinal outcomes through kindergarten for children who attended the Pre-K program, along with comparisons to previous cohorts of program attendees. A sample of 561 children was included in the study, with data gathered at the beginning and end of NC Pre-K (2012- 2013) and kindergarten (2013-2014) to examine their growth in skills. Researchers conducted individual assessments of children's language, literacy, math, and general knowledge skills and gathered teacher ratings of behavior skills. For 119 Spanish-speaking dual language learners (DLLs) in the sample, parallel assessments were conducted in both English and Spanish to examine their progress when measured in both languages. In addition, program characteristics and services were examined for the 2013-2014 NC Pre-K Program using data from the statewide databases, as well any changes over time since the program became statewide in 2003-2004. Information about the observed quality of classroom practices was obtained from NC rated license assessments of a sample of 374 NC Pre-K classrooms conducted by the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) in 2013-2014.

The North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program (NC Pre-K) is a state-funded initiative for at-risk 4-year-olds, designed to provide a high quality, classroom-based educational program during the year prior to kindergarten entry. Children are eligible for NC Pre-K based on age, family income (at or below 75% of state median income), and other risk factors (limited English proficiency, identified disability, chronic health condition, and developmental/educational need). In the 2011-2012 year, the NC Pre-K Program served over 29,000 children in a variety of settings across the state, including local school systems, private providers, and blended Head Start/pre-k classrooms. The 2011-2012 evaluation study included information about characteristics of the NC Pre-K Program statewide and observations of classroom quality and teacher surveys in a random sample of 100 classrooms. The primary research questions addressed by this evaluation included: (1) What were the key characteristics of the local NC Pre-K programs?; (2) What was the quality of the NC Pre-K classrooms attended by children?; (3) What factors were associated with better quality?; and (4) To what extent were these results similar to past years under the More at Four Program? Key findings of this study include: (1) The NC Pre-K Program has not changed substantially in comparison to prior years of its predecessor program More at Four; (2) There were a few aspects in which the NC Pre-K Program differed in comparison to prior years of the More at Four Program; (3) NC Pre-K teachers generally reported being satisfied with their work environment; (4) NC Pre-K teachers reported that they planned to remain in the early childhood field; (5) The quality of classroom practices in NC Pre-K was in the medium to high range overall; and (6) The quality of the NC Pre-K classrooms was similar in almost all areas when compared to recent years of More at Four. (Contains 7 figures, 25 tables, and 9 endnotes.) [For "Quality and Characteristics of the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program: 2011-2012 Statewide Evaluation. Executive Summary," see ED541934.]