Success measurable in quality early (ages 3 and 4) education programs

Serving between 350 to 450 three- and four-year-old students each year (including those with special needs and those identified as limited English proficient), the independent evaluation of PERK found that in both the spring of 2009 and 2010, children made significant gains in receptive language skills and knowledge of upper case letters have increased.

In the first year, 73 percent of four-year-olds achieved age appropriate receptive language skills in four months, while in the second year, 82 percent of four-year-olds achieved age appropriate receptive language skills as measured on widely known and accepted child assessments.

While long-term data on PERK graduates are not yet available, these existing data support the promise of high quality preschool programs in closing the achievement gap.

Deborah Mazzeo, Ph.D., Carrie Germeroth, Ph.D., and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D.

Full Story: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110211/OPINION04/102110330/Success-measurable-in-quality-programs

(Many thanks to Karen Allen for bringing this to our attention.)

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Knocking schools: Do critics, big foundations have tunnel vision? – Why Pre-Natal to Pre-K Education is so very important yet still neglected. http://matr.net/article-43519.html