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Office of Shared Accountability Reports

Impact of Full-day Prekindergarten Program on Student Performance: Results for Second (2008-2009) Cohort

Description:

This study is the second in a series of studies on the impact of the Head Start full-day prekindergarten (pre-K) program in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the third report on the impact of the pre-K program overall. Prekindergarten and Head Start programs are located in 62 of 130 elementary schools in Montgomery County. This study used a rigorous quasi-experimental design to compare the performance of students who attended the Head Start full-day program in 2008-2009 with that of students who attended half-day programs. The analyses tested the statistical as well as practical significance of the difference between reading and mathematics achievement of students in the Head Start full-day program compared with the half-day programs.

Recommendations:

  • Follow up with students to examine lasting effects of participation in MCPS pre-K programs when students are in Kindergarten through Grade 3.
  • Establish a mechanism to ensure that schools enter complete assessment data for all students enrolled.
  • Continue to examine, compile, and share best practices in implementing the Head Start full-day program from year to year to increase the fidelity of implementation of the program.
  • Reexamine the assessments, particularly the mathematics assessments, to ensure that tests not only emphasize basic concepts in the curriculum but also tap other types of preschool learning.

    File Name: Impact of Full-day Pre-K Program Second Cohort Results 09_21.pdf (1MB PDF)