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Children Excel in Georgia's Pre-K Program: Andrew Young School Study Reveals Program Key to Early Academic Success

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:00 CST

ATLANTA, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia students enrolled in the state's Pre-K program made major academic progress as they advanced through first grade, eclipsing national norms in both math and language skills, according to a study released today by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

The Georgia Early Childhood Study: 2001-04 included four-year-old children in the Georgia Pre-K Program and children enrolled in other early childhood education settings, such as Head Start and private preschools or daycare centers.

Preschoolers across Georgia made significant gains from the beginning of preschool to the end of first grade in terms of their skills compared to national samples of children their age. Georgia's preschoolers began that school year significantly behind peers of their age across the nation. However, by the end of first grade they exceeded the national norms on their overall math skills and their ability to identify letters and words. Moreover, the children increased the absolute number of correct answers on all assessments of math and language at each testing period. However, the tests did show a slight downturn in language skills compared to the national norm between the end kindergarten and the end of first grade.

For all children in the study, child and family characteristics played an influential role in the children's developmental processes. For example, nearly one-third of the children whose mothers did not finish high school repeated either kindergarten or the first grade and scored much lower on standardized tests, especially math. Other factors such as family income, race, and living with both parents since birth also influenced the children's development.

Children enrolled in the Georgia Pre-K Program gained substantially on their peers nationally on the assessments of language and cognitive skills used throughout this study. They began preschool well behind the national norms on three of four skill assessments and finished first grade well above the national norms on two and on par with the national norm on a third. The study also shows that children living in poverty clearly benefited from the Georgia Pre-K experience.

"It is clear the Georgia Pre-K program has taken root, and although some gains among young students are slight, many more are significant. Working with children who know and can do more from the first day of kindergarten is steering the state's education reforms in the right direction," said Gary Henry, Ph.D., professor of public administration and urban studies, political science and educational policy studies at the Andrew Young School. Dr. Henry, the Principal Investigator of this study, has led other major research efforts on Georgia's Pre-K initiatives as well as the HOPE Scholarship.

For the first time, this study provides evidence that children learn more when they have more highly skilled peers in their classrooms. According to Dr. Henry, "The study also supports the argument for universal pre-kindergarten programs, in that children learn more in classrooms with other children who have higher abilities." He adds, "Children who enter Pre-K with lower levels of social and language skills get a boost from being in a mixed classroom where they can learn directly from interactions with more highly skilled peers."

"This study indicates that Georgia Pre-K is a very viable choice for parents who wish to enroll their children in a four-year-old program," said Marsha H. Moore, Commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning. "Indeed, our program has been a model for other states, and the study reinforces that it is working to close gaps and better prepare young children for kindergarten."

The report made several recommendations to ensure a continued positive trend for the Georgia Pre-K Program, including:

- Expansion of developmental preschool programs for three-year-olds who are from economically disadvantaged households, modeled after the Pre-K program, to further support children from lower-income families; - A continued move toward universal preschool, in which children from all segments of the community learn together in the same classrooms and schools; the evidence is clear that preschool peer effects are positive and meaningful. - A continued coordination and discussion among key early education providers, the state education system, and local schools regarding early learning objectives, standards, and instructional methods. About the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS) at Georgia State University is a distinguished, vibrant center of scholarship, where research and teaching have real-world applications. Our innovative faculty and bright students are immersed in issues such as healthcare policy, tax reform, entrepreneurship, international development, nonprofit management, policy analysis and more.

The Andrew Young School houses several prominent academic departments and research center and is a leading regional and nation think tank. AYSPS students get hands-on experience in policy research as they earn degrees that prepare them for public service or the private sector. The School's mission and methods are fundamentally academic, but its research and outreach programs affect policy-making throughout the world. For additional information, please logon to http://www.andrewyoungschool.org/.

Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

CONTACT: Karin P. Koser of KPK & Co., +1-404-636-9311, or cell,+1-404-276-6027, or karin@kpkco.com, or Leah Harris of Georgia StateUniversity Relations, +1-404-651-3575, or puilvh@langate.gsu.edu, both forAndrew Young School of Policy Studies

Web site: http://www.andrewyoungschool.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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