Kids enrolled in school-based locations within Georgia’s universal pre-K initiative commence kindergarten with better preparation compared to their counterparts who do not participate in any Georgia pre-K, as indicated by a recent research from the University of Georgia. However, those educational advancements diminish by the time they reach fourth grade.

Alongside his collaborators, Ishtiaque Fazlul, an assistant professor of international affairs and health policy and management at UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs, examined pre-K enrollment lottery information from a school district in metro Atlanta. The outcomes underscore the immediate scholarly advantages of pre-K while raising concerns about sustaining these benefits over time.

The research also indicated that students from low-income backgrounds experienced the greatest advantages — implying that pre-K can be particularly crucial for bridging early achievement disparities.

“Our findings demonstrate that Georgia’s pre-K initiative provides children with a robust foundation, yet the challenge lies in preserving those early benefits,” mentioned Fazlul. “This research underscores the significance of pre-K, particularly for low-income families, while also highlighting the need to consider how we can better assist students after pre-K.”

Significant kindergarten improvements, diminishing effects as time progresses

The researchers evaluated the effect of enrollment on student achievement by contrasting those who participated in Georgia’s school-based pre-K program after winning an enrollment lottery with those who applied but were not successful in the lottery and did not attend any Georgia pre-K location.

The investigation tracked students from kindergarten through fourth grade, utilizing data on math and reading test performance, school attendance, and behavioral incidents. The findings revealed that participants in school-based pre-K entered kindergarten with scores approximately 6 percentiles higher in reading and math on the Measures of Academic Progress assessment. Nevertheless, those benefits diminished by first and second grade, and by fourth grade, some participants scored marginally lower than their peers.

While the exact cause of this decline remains somewhat ambiguous, such a trend is frequent in pre-K studies. “It doesn’t imply that pre-K is ineffective, but it certainly raises significant questions about how we can sustain learning improvements beyond early childhood,” explained Fazlul.

The study was published in Economic Inquiry. Co-authors include Henry Woodyard and Tim Sass.

The article Georgia’s pre-K program enhances kindergarten readiness first appeared on UGA Today.