A Study of the Effects of Pre-K Education on a Local School District

Many individuals have attempted to ascertain the potential benefits of early childhood education. A majority of the educational research points to the fact that children who attend early childhood programs not only perform better in school but also have a more productive adult life. This study was designed to provide clarity on the potential benefits receive after attending the District's Pre-K program. The study used both parametric and non-parametric tests to compare student achievement between students who received state run Pre-K services from the District and those who were eligible for the District's Pre-K program but chose not to attend. Statistical analyses of kindergarten ISIP ER and ISIP Espanol data demonstrated statistically significant differences between students who attended one of the Pre-K centers or a satellite campus and those who were eligible but did not attend a district Pre-K program. Data was collected and examined during three specific times during the year, Beginning of the Year (BOY), Middle of the Year (MOY), and End of the year (EOY). During each of these benchmarks, the results showed that students who attended the District's Pre-K program at either one of the Pre-K centers or one of the satellite campuses performed higher than those students who were eligible to receive Pre-K services, but for some reason chose not to attend. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]