Evaluation of the Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten Program: Kindergarten and First Grade Follow-Up Results from the Randomized Control Design. Research Report

In 2009, Vanderbilt University's Peabody Research Institute, with the assistance of the Tennessee Department of Education's Division of Curriculum and Instruction, initiated a rigorous, independent evaluation of the state's Voluntary Prekindergarten program (TN- VPK). TN-VPK is a full-day prekindergarten program for four-year-old children expected to enter kindergarten the following school year. The program in each participating school district must meet standards set by the State Board of Education that require each classroom to have a teacher with a license in early childhood development and education, an adult-student ratio of no less than 1:10, a maximum class size of 20, and an approved age-appropriate curriculum. TN-VPK is an optional program focused on the neediest children in the state. It uses a tiered admission process with children from low-income families who apply to the program admitted first. Any remaining seats in a given location are then allocated to otherwise at-risk children including those with disabilities and limited English proficiency. The current report is the second in a series that presents findings from this evaluation. The prior report described outcomes at the end of the pre-k year for the children in the Intensive Substudy sample who participated in TN-VPK in comparison to those who did not participate. The present report summarizes the longitudinal effects of TN-VPK on kindergarten outcomes and those first grade outcomes that are currently available. At the end of prekindergarten, TN-VPK effects could be examined only on early achievement measures and teacher ratings of academic skills and behavior obtained at the very beginning of the kindergarten year. A notable addition in this current report is that results are now available on several other "non-cognitive" academic outcomes, including grade retention, attendance, recorded disciplinary actions, and special education services.