Early Childhood Report Roundup

Long-Term Impact of Pre-K Examined

By Linda Jacobson — February 20, 2007 1 min read
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Preschool and full-day kindergarten programs appear to be promising initiatives, but the advantage they give young children disappears after a few years, suggests a report from the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute.

Using test-score data from schools throughout Arizona that offer full-day kindergarten or preschool, Matthew Ladner, the vice president for research at the free-market-oriented think tank, found that reading and math scores for 3rd graders who had been in preschool or full-day kindergarten were higher than those for students who had not been in such programs. But by the time the children who had attended full-day kindergarten or preschool reached 5th grade, their scores were comparable to those of other students.

“Putting Arizona Education Reform to the Test: School Choice and Early Education Expansion” is posted by the Goldwater Institute.

A version of this article appeared in the February 21, 2007 edition of Education Week

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