State-Funded Preschools

Evaluating State-Funded Early Childhood Initiatives

For more than 10 years, HighScope has served as an evaluator of the effectiveness of state-funded early childhood initiatives.

Over time, the number and scope of state-funded early childhood programs has grown. With few exceptions, state governments have invested in preschool programs aimed at serving at-risk children. Many states have or are instituting universal preschool and full-day preschool. In addition to traditional, classroom-based preschool programs, states are also funding community-based initiatives with a birth–K focus.

Some examples of HighScope's work in state-funded early childhood initiatives include:

• Michigan's Great Start School Readiness Program (GSRP), which is designed to help poor or other children at risk of school failure start school ready to learn. HighScope's work with the GSRP includes
  • GSRP 2012 Report, which includes high school graduation and grade retention findings
  • GSRP Evaluation, studying the effectiveness of Michigan's state-funded preschool initiative (see Summary of GSRP, Effects Five Years Later, and the 6 to 8 Follow Up Study)
  • State preschool results from NIEER report (and updated analysis), highlighting positive results of GSRP on young children's abilities at kindergarten entry (HighScope partnered with NIEER in this study)
• First Steps Evaluation, which studies the quality and effectiveness of South Carolina's state-funded preschool program. View the 2006 report and summary.
• Evaluation of the Georgia Prekindergarten Program, in which HighScope provided lead teacher training to 1,800 Georgia teachers between April 1994 and June 1995. View information about the training HighScope provided.
• Prospectus for states and school districts, which looks at the suitability of the HighScope Preschool Curriculum for use in targeted and universal prekindergarten programs.