14-year study reveals 'startling' impact of preschool on poor Michigan children
A “first-of-its-kind” study shows that poor, at-risk children who attend public preschool programs have greater success than those who don’t, according to a report by Bridge Magazine.
High Scope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti conducted the study by following more than 500 Michigan children throughout the course of 14 years.
Bridge called the results “startling.”
A new study shows early childhood education improves success rates among low-income children.
Bridge said the study followed 338 children from Detroit, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Roscommon, Wyoming and St. Clair County who attended Great Start as 4-year-olds in 1995-96. It also followed 258 children from similar economic and cultural backgrounds who would have qualified for Great Start, which services poor and at-risk children, but did not attend any preschool program prior to kindergarten.
The study revealed the preschool attendees had higher scores on the fourth-grade Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) exam, fewer were held back a grade and more graduated from high school on time than their non-preschool-attending peers.
The state spent $104 million in fiscal year 2012 on the Great Start Readiness program. Bridge Magazine said the state would need to double its investment in order to reach all qualifying low-income children. The Great Start program costs about $3,400 per student served, Bridge reported.
Read the complete story in Bridge Magazine.
Staff reporter Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
Sue
Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 3:19 a.m.
Did it really take 14 years of taxpayer funded research to figure this out? Of course the children of parents who unwilling to read to them and teach them the basics at home prior to kindergarten will benefit academically with preschool, for the first year or so. But it won't make any difference in the long run if parents don't do their part and take an active role in their children's education over the course of the next 13 years. Did the research happen to show the difference between the preschool kids compared to the non preschool kids as far as which ones went on to graduate and became law abiding, contributing members of society vs. which ones ended up dropping out and/or got into trouble with the law? That would be the true test of the success of the preschool program and whether it is worthwhile. Not just how well prepared for kindergarten the kids were.
eastsidemom
Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 8 p.m.
@Sue...it is the nature of longitudinal studies to continue over time...and in order to answer your questions, students would need to be followed over time. And if you read the study you would have answers to your questions. Yes it did make a difference. And would you want your tax dollars spent on programs with no evaluation of the effectiveness of said programs?
eldegee
Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 12:55 a.m.
Hmmm, I wonder what parents did before pre-school or programs such as HeadStart existed? Perhaps they read to their kids, taught them the ABC's and some basic math? Nah, it can't be that simple. Can't do anything without government assistance anymore.
eastsidemom
Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 2:21 a.m.
eldegee...no parents have to work to pay their mortgages and taxes...they have to makeup for the 1% lack thereof
eastsidemom
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 2:52 p.m.
From the Bridge article: "The Great Start program currently costs about $3,400 per student served. Those students are less likely to be held back grades in school — and each repeated year of school costs taxpayers $11,987, according to the study. The lowered grade retention levels pay 45 percent of the cost of the Great Start program, even before taking into account higher high school graduation rates and subsequent higher lifetime earnings. At the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce's Mackinac Island Policy Conference in late May, 100 Michigan business leaders called for greater public funding of preschool, specifically for 38,000 children who qualify for the state program, but are not now getting the service."
a2roots
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.
@TBS3...Two statements that are right on point.
The Black Stallion3
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:09 a.m.
Why does it take 14 years to answer a question that a kindergarten teacher could answer in 1 minute? No wonder this country is in such sad shape.
The Black Stallion3
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:04 a.m.
If parents care enough for their children they will help educate them and if they don't there is not much we can do, handing them money for having kids has proven to be a disaster.
tim
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.
Any responsible parent would send their child to preschool ( if they have the time and money). Obviously Mr Snyder is catering to the crowd that has both.
Floyd
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:40 a.m.
There has been a startling result of study after study like this since the advent of Head Start back in the mid-1960s: early education and a morning meal have a tremendous positive impact that can be tracked all the way to adulthood. In terms of bang for a society's buck, there is no better dollar spent in education. All moralizing aside, pre-k programs for the poor pay for themselves many times over. What is most startling is how predictably successful pre-k programs are while we continually debate whether to fund them.
eastsidemom
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:38 a.m.
Some of the ignorance posting above prove a point. It's obvious the trolls missed preschool. Any child who does not attend starts out with a disadvantage. Just ask any Kindergarten teacher.
eastsidemom
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
meant "ignorant postings"
tom swift jr.
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:01 a.m.
Wow... We've known this for years. In fact the landmark study regarding this took place in Ypsilanti, and was, in fact, also done by Highscope.. I'm not sure that, Danielle, that I would refer to this as a "first of its kind" event. http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?contentid=219
eastsidemom
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.
Perry and the GSRP study are vastly different. Perry was done in the 1960's and is a landmark study being looked at by world class economists because of the potential savings. A wiki explains it simply: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HighScope. GSRP does not necessarily use the HighScope approach but the HighScope Foundation was hired by the State of Mich. to evaluate the GSRP program, to justify the expense to legislators, who incidentally were huge supporters of the program, on both sides of the aisle in the early 2000's.
leaguebus
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
Gosh, it's a good thing that the Rickster and his merry band cut education so deeply that no matter what studies show, we can't do it. Considering some of the comments here, the commenters would rather be robbed by these kids rather than educate them.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : midnight
Great news. Perhaps a "pre-school" mandate is the ideal way to improve these children's lives. Force "the poor" (to be defined) to pre-school, or "else". If individuals choose not to value education, a mandate is the solution. This is perhaps a great solution to income inequality. I urge the great liberal minds to force this mandate to better all of society. Perhaps we don't need better teachers, but better students.
xmo
Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 11:29 p.m.
Just think if these kids had two parents who cared about them? I am not Pro-Choice, but why do these sperm and egg donors bother having kids if they don't take care of them? I guess you could say that Planned Parenthood is failing in its mission to rid the world of unwanted people!
Wondering
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 3:39 a.m.
Where does it say parents do not care of their children? I have 3 children and am married. I my oldest child was in child care until kindergarten while we both worked full time in career type of jobs, my second went through the Great Start Readiness Program due to dropping down to a single income household (Michigan economy cut-backs), and the youngest will hopefully be in the Great Start Readiness Program if we do not each have a career type job. I do not feel, and I would you would not either, feel we do not take care of our kids because we can not afford pre-school.
Dog Guy
Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 11:26 p.m.
I would have guessed that parents who are informed and involved enough to get their kids to pre-school have better success than those who do not know what is available or do not care about their offspring.
eastsidemom
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 2:39 p.m.
Children who attend the GSRP program have to have risk factors to even qualify for the program. Many children in the area attend Head Start which is based on income. Most of these parents are young and still getting their educations and are low income.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:20 a.m.
Dog Guy makes an important observation which could explain a lot if its accurate.
Wondering
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 3:32 a.m.
This study is focused on poor students. These students have not always been able to attend pre-school, even when their families the families know the importance of pre-school. These programs are valuable for everyone in the long run.
mgoscottie
Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 11:06 p.m.
The fact that this is a "startling" discovery shows a lot about the ineptitude of the people running this study imho.....
Jared Mauch
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 1:09 p.m.
This can be observed in the activities out there by many groups, including Harlem Childrens Zone, The First Five Years Fund (Chicago IIRC), and of course the studies done in Ypsilanti with the Perry School in the 60s (IIRC). They have shown that a minimal investment in early childhood development pays significant dividends later in life. The Perry study is most interesting showing a significant difference in lifetime earnings across the population as a result.
llspier
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 2:02 a.m.
Not necessarily. Previous studies have NOT shown long-term gains from pre-school. In fact, some studies question the validity of kindergarten. You have to real ALL the research.
ViSHa
Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 11:19 p.m.
I agree, this study Foundation seems to have a flair for the obvious.