Longitudinal Effects of the Arkansas Better Chance Program
Findings from Kindergarten and First Grade
May 1, 2008
By Jason T. Hustedt, W. Steven Barnett, and Kwanghee Jung
May 2008
During the 2005-2006 school year, the National Institute for Early Education Research began a longitudinal study of the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) prekindergarten program. The goal of this work is to estimate the effects of state-funded pre-K in Arkansas on children’s language, mathematics, and literacy skills through fourth grade.
In this report, the authors present data about classroom quality in the ABC program and examine children’s language, mathematics, and literacy scores at three key points in time: the beginning of kindergarten, the end of kindergarten, and the end of first grade.
The Authors
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.
Kwanghee Jung, an assistant research professor, brings to NIEER expertise in quantitative data analysis and is working on studies that analyze the effect of participation in state-funded preschool on children’s learning and development.