Transcript Preschool Education Policy Update

Benefits of Preschool Education
W. Steven Barnett, Director
National Institute for Early Education Research
Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey
For further information go to our website:
www.nieer.org
Preschool’s Benefits






Increased Achievement Test Scores
Improved Behavior and Attitudes
Decreased Grade Retention
Decreased Special Education
Decreased Crime & Delinquency
Increased High School Graduation
Three Exemplary Studies
High/Scope Perry Preschool– a half-day program on a small
scale in the Ypsilanti, MI public schools
True Experiment, n=123, follow-up to age 27
Abecedarian educational child care– a full-day year-round
program in Chapel Hill, NC
True Experiment, n=111, follow-up to age 21
Chicago-Child Parent Centers (CPC)– a half-day program
on a large scale in the Chicago public schools
Quasi-Experimental, n=1286, follow-up to age 18-21
Perry Preschool IQ Over Time
Program group
No-program group
100
96
95
95
90
IQ
85
92
86
87
88
87
88
87
85
84
83
80
91
80
79
75
Entry
4
5
6
Age
7
8
9
10
Perry Preschool: Educational Effects
Program group
No-program group
15%
Special Education
(Cog.)
34%
49%
Age 14 achievement
at 10th %ile +
15%
66%
Graduated from high
school on time
0%
45%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Perry: Arrests Per Person by Age 27
Felony
Program
0.7
No program
1.2
Misdemeanor
0.5
1.5
0.0
Juvenile
2.3 arrests
2.5
1.0
2.0
0.6
3.0
4.0
4.6 arrests
5.0
6.0
Perry: Economic Benefits at Age 27
Program group
No-program group
Earn $2,000 +
monthly
29%
7%
36%
Own home
13%
41%
Never on welfare as
adult
0%
20%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Mean Standardized Score
Abecedarian IQ Scores Over Time
100
95
90
85
80
Control
Treated
75
6.5
8
12
15
Age in Years
21
Abecedarian Reading Ach. Over Time
READING SCORE
105
100
95
90
85
TREATMENT
CONTROL
80
8
10
12
14
16
AGE (Years)
18
20
22
Abecedarian Math Achievement Over Time
MATH SCORES
105
TREATMENT
CONTROL
100
95
90
85
80
8
10
12
14
16
AGE (Years)
18
20
22
Abecedarian : Academic Benefits
Program group
No-program group
25%
Special Education
48%
31%
Grade Repeater
HS Graduation
4 Yr College
0%
55%
51%
13%
67%
36%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Abecedarian: Benefits to
Mothers and Children
Program group
No-program group
70%
Teen Moms SelfSupporting
Smoker at age 21
Skilled Job or Higher
Education at age 21
0%
58%
39%
55%
67%
40%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
CPC Academic Benefits
Program group
No-program group
62%
HS Grad or GED
49%
50%
HS Graduation
39%
14%
Special Education
25%
24%
Grade Repetition
0%
36%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
CPC Social Benefits
Program group
No-program group
10%
Reported Child
Abuse or Neglect
17%
9%
Juvenile Arrest-Violent Crime
15%
17%
Juvenile Arrest
0%
25%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Perry: Economic Return to the Public
(excludes $20,000 in economic benefits to participants)
Welfare
Taxes on earnings
Crime victims
$
3
K
Benefits
$6K
$9K
$13K
$12,356
Costs
$0
$20,000
Special education
Justice system
Preschool
$88,433
$58K
$7 return for every dollar invested
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
Abecedarian: Economic Return
Education
Participant Earnings
Smoking Health
Maternal Earnings
Future Generations
Preschool
$47K
$50K
$7K
Benefits
$6K
$12K
$143,674
Costs
$44,092
(preK & college)
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000 $120,000 $140,000
CPC: Economic Return
Education
Participant Earnings
Child Care
Benefits
Human Services
Crime
Preschool
$28K
$5K
$13K
$2K
$47,759
Costs
$6,692
$0
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
$50,000
Cost – Benefit Analysis of Preschool
for Disadvantaged Children
Cost
Benefit to Society

Perry Preschool:
$12,000
$108,000

Abecedarian:
CPC:
$35,864
$7,000
$136,000
$ 48,000

All three studies find that economic benefits from intensive, high-quality
programs to taxpayers and participants combined far exceed the cost of highquality programs (comparable to the cost of public education generally).
Education Challenges

Many Children Start School with Significant
Academic Disadvantages

Many Social and Emotional Problems Are
Evident Prior to School Entry

High School Graduation Declined 40 Years

College Graduation Rate Flat for 25 Years
Middle Class Children At Risk Too
Middle class children have fairly high rates of academic
problems preschool reduces for low-income children.
Reducing these problems could generate large benefits.
Income
Lowest 20%
20-80%
Highest 20%
Retention
17%
12%
8%
Dropout
23%
11%
3%
Source:US Department of Education, NCES (1997). Dropout rates in the United
States: 1995. Figures are multi-year averages.
Most Children Attend Preschool
Enrollment at Ages 3 and 4 by Mothers' Labor Force Status
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
% of 3 and 4 year olds
enrolled w' mothers in
labor force
% of 3 and 4 year olds
with mothers not in the
labor force
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
6
19
7
70 973 976 987 990 993 996 999
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Preschool Attendance by
Mother’s Education
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
73%
82%
64%
52%
< HS HS GradSome Coll BA +
Grad
Mother's Education Level
Preschool Classroom Quality is Too Low
Excellent
Quality scores (ECERS)
7
6
Good
5
4
Minimal
3
2
1
Urban NJ Urban NJ Atlanta,
- Year 1 - Year 2 Boston,
Detroit,
Phoenix,
Seattle
Indiana
North GA, MA, CA, CO, Georgia
Carolina
VA
CT, NC
Pre-K
Head
Start
Germany Portugal
Spain
Child Care Teacher Literacy is Low
Child Care Workers
All Teachers
Very Poor Literacy
13%
1%
Weak Literacy
31%
9%
56%
Adequate Literacy
0%
90%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Conclusions

Preschool produces cognitive and social emotional
gains for children (at least disadvantaged)

Quality preschool education can be a good
economic investment

Most 3-4 year old children already attend some
type of classroom

Access and quality must be improved if society is
to obtain the returns