Program Effectiveness
Research Report
Longitudinal Effects of the Arkansas Better Chance Program
Findings from First Grade Through Fourth Grade
Date
May 1, 2013
The NIEER study, which began in the 2005-2006 school year, found that the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Program had modest but meaningful long-term effects for children who participated including significant positive effects on children’s receptive vocabulary and math through grade 2 and on literacy through grade 3. The authors also found that children who attended ABC pre-K were less likely to have been retained by the end of third grade than those who did not attend any pre-K, which can be seen as an early indicator of program’s effect on school success.
The Authors
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.
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.