“The persistence of reading and math proficiency: the benefits of Alabama’s pre-kindergarten program endure in elementary and middle school,” was published in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy on July 23, 2020. This is the first time the ongoing research on the effects of Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program has been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This means that the methods used to draw the conclusions in the study are based on the highest research standards.
In the article, the researchers examining the impact of Alabama’s First Class Pre-K (FCPK) program on children’s reading and math proficiency found “children who received FCPK were … more likely to be proficient in both math and reading compared to students who did not receive FCPK” and that “there was no statistical evidence of fadeout of the benefits of FCPK through the 7th grade.
“We are following the data,” said Jeana Ross, the recently retired Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, in a newspaper interview reflecting on her pre-k career. “We have data through middle school now. But we will have it soon through high school.”
The International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy disseminates research and analysis regarding major issues of child care and education policy relating to young children and their families to a broad international readership, including policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. As a peer reviewed journal, it invites submission of articles concerning policy reforms, empirical research on early childhood education and care (ECEC), policy analyses and comparisons, and more.
Click here to read the article.