Pre-K in Tennessee

A new study from the Peabody Research Institute of Vanderbilt University and the Tennessee Division of School Readiness and Early Learning evaluates the effectiveness of Tennessee's voluntary pre-K program (TN-VPK), finding that TN-VPK children made significantly greater gains in literacy, language, and math over the pre-K year, and were rated by their teachers as better prepared for kindergarten and having better social and work-related skills, than similar children who did not attend TN-VPK. However, by the end of the kindergarten and first grade, achievement differences between TN-VPK children and non-participants were no longer statistically significant. Similarly, ratings of academic preparedness and classroom behavior by first grade teachers showed no differences. However, significant TN-VPK effects were found for non-cognitive aspects of performance at the end of the kindergarten and first grade: fewer TN-VPK participants were retained in kindergarten than non-participants, and school attendance in first grade was better. Since comparable studies show similar short-term results as well as benefits over the much longer term, the study will follow TN-VPK participants as they progress through school. At this point, the study's data reveal great variation in teacher experience, time management, classroom environment, and instructional interactions with students. When data are complete, they can help identify characteristics of more effective classrooms and offer guidance for program improvement.  More. Related.

Source:  Public Education News Blast

Published by LEAP

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities