An Effectiveness-Based Evaluation of Five State Pre-Kindergarten Programs


Vivian C. Wong, Thomas D. Cook, W. Steven Barnett, and Kwanghee Jung
This article estimates the effectiveness of a sample of state-funded preschool programs, given the growing importance of such programs on education policy.

This study evaluates how five state pre-K programs influenced children who participated in the programs in terms of receptive vocabulary, math, and print awareness skills. A regression-discontinuity design was utilized to estimate the effects of preschool education programs in Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Results are discussed in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Volume 27, Issue 1.

Read the full article