Longitudinal Early Childhood Study

This report presents findings on the kindergarten readiness, first year performance, and third grade MEAP scores of children that participated in the Be-4 Center, Be-4 Home Visiting, Northwest Michigan Even Start, and Head Start early education programs. These children are compared to students who did not participate in these programs.

The families served by these early education programs (EEP) tend to have more educationally at-risk factors than the general population. In order to obtain greater equivalence between the EEP and general population (control group), a subsample was formed of mothers and fathers who have a high school diploma/GED or less.

Analysis of kindergarten readiness for the mothers subsample found that EEP children are rated higher than the control group for 13 of 14 items. Combining all items, the mean average for “agree” responses is 82% for EEP children compared to 74% for the control group which is a statistical significant difference (p=.008). There is a 14% difference in completing work, and a 13% difference in class participation and thinking skills. A 12% difference was found for interest in work, and 10% for both getting along with other children and being imaginative and creative. This is a very positive finding and reflects well on the efficacy of the EEP programs when controlling for educational equivalence of mothers.

For fathers, 11 of 14 items have a higher “agree” percentage for the EEP group. The percentage of “agree” responses averages 83% for EEP compared to 78% for the control group which is a statistical significance difference (p=.02). There is a 13% difference in being imaginative and creative, 12% for interest in work, and 11% for both getting along with other children and completing work. A 10% difference was found in thinking skills. This is an excellent outcome that demonstrates the effectiveness of the EEP programs.

An analysis of first grade performance for the mother’s subsample found that EEP children are rated 8% higher for creative ability and 6% for managing behavior. Control group children have an 11% higher rating for writing and 7% for reading and problem solving. These findings raise issues that warrant further examination. For the father’s group, EEP children are rated higher than control group children for 7 out of 10 items including a 29% difference in creative ability, 16% in managing behavior, 14% in listening skills, and 12% in math. These findings merit discussion.

MEAP mean average scores are similar across groups. This is a positive finding in that it shows that students who participated in early education programs have caught up with the state average. This is particularly noteworthy when considering the educationally at-risk status of these students. When controlling for education, for those who are “proficient” or higher, the reading percentages are higher for the EEP group. For writing, the mother’s control group is higher than the EEP mother’s group; however, the EEP father’s group outscores the comparative control group. Math scores are very similar between groups. EEP ELA scores are higher for both the mother and father groups. These data indicate that the EEP programs have a positive effect on reading and ELA skills.