DR. EDMUNDSMBA 512

ELIZABETH CONWAYRICHARD SORGER

Should Pre-School be a Part of Public School?

Background

The architecture of the brain depends on: Genetics Environment Experience

Early environments and experiences have an exceptionally strong influence on the architecture Different mental capacities mature at different stages in a child’s

development Sensitive periods occur at different ages for different parts of the

brain

Stimulating early experiences lay the foundation for later learning. Impoverished early experiences can have detrimental effects of

later brain capabilities

Background

Reduce achievement gaps Good quality learning environments Nurturing relationships

Long-term benefits of investing in early childhood education School performance Economic gain Potential savings to the health care system over time Remediation and intervention is more effective at a

younger age than later in life Less impact on the child and costs more to society

Common Vision, Different Paths – 2007

Coordinated systems needed for children 3-5 yrs. U.S. lacks a cohesive vision and system for supporting young children and

their families. States need to navigate the early childhood maze themselves, without direction, which often results in a fragmented, needs based approach.

Five states are in the process of building a comprehensive, coordinated system for children, prenatal to age five

California, Illinois, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania Federal and State funding for early education

Cornerstones of successful system building efforts People Perspective Process Product

The Science Policy Gap

The Science Policy Gap Easier to “rehabilitate aggressive preschoolers than violent crimes Child welfare system

Vulnerable to significant stress during sensitive periods of early brain development 13 million children

Child care prices are high relative to other household expenses In 9 states (including PA) cost exceeds monthly mortgage payment Unaffordable for single parents Rising faster than inflation

Implications Early and effective intervention at an early age

Greatest financial payback Families with limited income/education Reach full potential for positive life outcomes

Prekindergarten

Children who participate in high quality pre- k Perform better in school Require less special education Less likely to repeat a grade/dropout More likely to graduate from high school/attend college Less likely to engage in criminal activity Higher achievement later in life

ABC’s of Pre-K Well-educated teachers Low teacher-child ratios and small class sizes Research based curriculum aligned to K-12 standards Engaged families Focus on the whole child and family

Why do we need invest early?

By the age of five, more than 85% of the foundation for communications, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork is developed.

Cost benefit analysis of the Perry Preschool Program in Michigan has revealed that for every $1 spent, an estimated $17 was saved in lower public expenditures for education, public assistance, delinquency, crime control, and other public spending programs.

Percent of 4 year olds in Pre-K

11 - 20%!

Pennsylvania

What is true nationally is true in the Keystone State Preliminary estimates indicate that Pennsylvania indicates taxpayers will

get back about $1.68 for every dollar invested in preschool programs.

Program Reach and County Risk Assessment State Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Children in more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s counties are at

moderate-high to high risk of school failure. Approximately two in ten young children participate in a high quality

early education program.

Typical school districts will recoup most of the investment in Pre-Kindergarten almost immediately. Analysis of eight school districts in Pennsylvania indicates that districts

will recoup about 78 cents of every dollar spent on preschool education.

Many children lack the knowledge and skills they need for a strong start at school

2002 – the Economic Policy Institute indicates that middle-class children enter kindergarten with reading and math skill levels closer to those of the poorest children.

One-in-three children, and more than one-half of low-income and minority children who enter kindergarten cannot recognize the letters of the alphabet.

One-in five children who enter kindergarten are completely with the conventions of print.

The foundations for reading success are formed long before a child reaches first grade.

Nearly half of all kindergarten teachers feel that children entering kindergarten have problems transitioning.

Children who already know the alphabet when they begin kindergarten are more likely to be reading by the end of that year.

Children who enter kindergarten already familiar with basic numbers and shapes typically have an easier time understanding basic addition and subtraction.

Eighty-eight percent of children who have problems reading in the first grade will continue to do so when they reach the fourth grade.

Research Hypothesis

Research Question: How many school systems in NEPA have a preschool in their public system and how

effective is it?

Hypothesis Statement: Does offering preschool through public school systems benefit the child and society as a

whole?

Purpose: To find out how many school systems use preschool and how effective it is.

Target Group: Kindergarten Teachers

Sampling Plan: Northeastern Pennsylvania Kindergarten teachers

Prekindergarten Survey

Multi-Point Rating (e.g. Strongly Agree – Strongly Disagree)

1)  Are you Male or Female? __________ 2) What is your Age? __________ 3) What is the highest level of education you have completed? __________ 4)How many years how you been teaching kindergarten: __________

1) Prekindergarten improves school preparation and performance. A) Strongly agree

B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree 2) I feel that students come to kindergarten prepared for the year. A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree

D) Strongly disagree

Prekindergarten Survey

3) Prekindergarten centers have a positive influence on children’s social development.A) Strongly agreeB) AgreeC) DisagreeD) Strongly disagree

4) Prekindergarten teachers should be certified with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood.A) Strongly agreeB) AgreeC) DisagreeD) Strongly disagree

5) (If your school district does not have a prekindergarten program) A public school prekindergarten program should be offered to all children or would be beneficial to all at-risk children.A) Strongly agreeB) AgreeC) DisagreeD) Strongly disagree

  6) Students who attended a prekindergarten program are easier to work with and teach.

A) Strongly agreeB) AgreeC) DisagreeD) Strongly disagree

Prekindergarten Survey

7) There should be a unified system of early childhood evaluation that includes a single, coherent system of standards, assessments, data, and professional development. A) Strongly agree

B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree  8) My school district collaborates with prekindergarten programs within the district to ease transition in kindergarten.

A) Strongly agree B) Agree

C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree

9) It is very important for three year-old children to spend time in a learning program outside the home. A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree  10) It is very important for four year-old children to spend time in a learning program outside the home.

A) Strongly agree B) Agree

C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree

 

Survey Results

30 respondents All female

Degree Masters Degree

18 teachers

Years Teaching Degrees vary

31%

7%

62%

Degree

BABSM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 25 300

2

4

6

Years Teaching

Years experience

A

mt.

of

teach

ers

  Age DegreeYears Teaching

Age 1Degree 0.4677 1Years Teaching 0.7294 0.2845 1

Question 1

HYPOTHESIS TESTShypothesized

value sample proportion xsample

size std errorfor the proportion 0.5 0.967 28 30 0.09129

NULL : > = 50%pMore kindergarten teachers do not feel prekindergarten improves school preparation and performance

ALTERNATIVE: < 50%pMore kindergarten teachers feel prekindergarten improves school preparation and performance

test statistic (obs) 5.116

critical measure 1.645 =NORMSINV

one-tailed or

two-tailed? 1

|obs| > critical? YES

p-value 0.000 =(# of tails)*(1-NORMSDIST)a-level 0.050

p-value < a-level? YES

CAN NOT SUPPROT THE NULL:

More kindergarten teachers feel prekindergarten improves school preparation and performance

Question 2

HYPOTHESIS TESTShypothesized

valuesample

proportion x sample sizestd

errorfor the proportion 0.5 0.533 16 30 0.09129

NULL : > = 50%p

More kindergarten teachers do not feel their 2009 kindergarten class is prepared for the year

ALTERNATIVE: < 50%pMore kindergarten teachers feel their 2009 kindergarten class is prepared for the year

test statistic (obs) (0.361)

critical measure 1.645 =NORMSINVone-tailed or

two-tailed? 1

|obs| > critical? NO

p-value 0.641 =(# of tails)*(1-NORMSDIST)a-level 0.050

p-value < a-level? NO

ACCEPT the Null:

More kindergarten teachers do not feel their 2009 kindergarten class is prepared for the year

Regression

Age Degree Years Teaching Q223 1 2 1

23 1 2 124 1 2 024 2 3 125 1 2 125 1 3 126 2 3 026 1 4 126 2 5 027 2 1 127 2 4 027 2 5 028 1 7 028 2 7 030 1 8 032 1 6 033 2 7 034 1 6 036 1 8 037 2 4 139 2 9 140 2 6 141 2 6 142 2 2 050 2 8 051 2 25 054 2 30 058 2 6 062 2 25 145 2 9 1

Degree: 1 = Bachelors

2 = Masters

Q-2 - Strongly Agree & Agree = 0Q-2 - Strongly Disagree & Disagree = 1

  Age DegreeYears Teaching Q2

Age 1

Degree 0.480546 1

Years Teaching 0.72609 0.288257 1

Q2 -0.09151 -0.03257 -0.1669 1

Regression Question 2

SUMMARY OUTPUTNULL 1 = 0b

Regression Statistics Alt 1 <> 0b Accept - There is no

Multiple R 17%Correlation coefficient - positive relationship

R Square 3%Explains the feeling of teachers in their students being prepared for Kindergarten

Adjusted R Square -0.0822354Standard Error 0.52432114Observations 30 p-value < a-level - p-value is greater then the a-level

ANOVA  df SS MS F Significance F

Regression 3 0.22 0.07 0.27 0.85 more than .05Residual 26 7.15 0.27Total 29 7.37

  CoefficientsStandard Error t Stat P-value Lower 95% Upper 95% Lower 95.0% Upper 95.0%

Intercept 0.45 0.41 1.09 0.28 -0.39 1.28 -0.39 1.28Age 0.00 0.01 0.21 0.84 -0.03 0.03 -0.03 0.03Degree 0.00 0.23 -0.01 0.99 -0.47 0.47 -0.47 0.47Years Teaching -0.02 0.02 -0.75 0.46 -0.06 0.03 -0.06 0.03

Question 6

HYPOTHESIS TESTShypothesized

value sample proportion x sample size std errorfor the proportion 0.5 0.833 25 30 0.0912871

NULL : > = 50%p

More kindergarten teachers do not feel that students who attended a prekindergarten program are easier to work with and teach

ALTERNATIVE: < 50%p

More kindergarten teachers do feel that students who attended a prekindergarten program are easier to work with and teach

test statistic (obs) 3.648

critical measure 1.645 =NORMSINV

one-tailed or two-tailed? 1

|obs| > critical? YES

p-value 0.000 =(# of tails)*(1-NORMSDIST)a-level 0.050

p-value < a-level? YES

REJECT the Null:More kindergarten teachers do feel that students who attended a prekindergarten program are easier to work with and teach

Question 9 & 10

HYPOTHESIS TESTSx-value sample 1 28

x-value sample 2 21

sample size 1 30

sample size 2 30

pooled proportion 0.817proportion 

1 0.93333proportio

n 2 0.7

std error 0.100

NULL: 1 = 2p p

There is no difference in how kindergarten teachers feel about the importance for three year old children to spend time in a learning program outside the home then four year olds

ALTERNATIVE: 1 < > 2p p

There is a difference in how kindergarten teachers feel about the importance for three year old children to spend time in a learning program outside the home then four year olds

one-tailed or two tailed? 2

test statistic (obs) 2.335 critical measure 1.960

|obs| > critical?? YES

p-value 0.020 a-level 0.050

p-value < a-level?? YESCAN NOT SUPPORT THE NULL:

There is a difference in how kindergarten teachers feel about the importance for three year old children to spend time in a learning program outside the home then four year olds

Conclusion

Research Question: How many school systems in NEPA have a preschool in their public system and how effective is

it? Pre-K Counts Private and Public Grants

Hypothesis Statement: Does offering preschool through public school systems benefit the child and society as a whole?

Benefits of early education School performance Economic gain Less impact on the child and costs more to society Remediation and intervention is more effective at a younger age than later in life

Require less special education Less likely to repeat a grade/dropout More likely to graduate from high school/attend college Less likely to engage in criminal activity

Higher achievement later in life

Recommendations

Add pre-school to public schools More research needs to be conducted

Suggestions for improvement Widen the geographic location of the survey Ask more in depth questions

Most answers were agrees

Future research Why all females teachers? Other states More research on the achievement gap

Questions/Comments?