Impact of Preschool Models on

Children’s Educational Performance and Development

 

 

Pre-K/Head Start:

 

Marcon, R. (1999). Differential impact of preschool models on development and early learning of inner-city children: A three-   cohort study. Developmental Psychology, 35, 358-375

 

Abstract
Three different preschool models operating in an urban school district were identified through cluster analysis of teacher responses to the Pre-K Survey of Beliefs and Practices. The language, self-help, social, motor, and adaptive development, along with mastery of basic skills, of 721 4-year-olds randomly selected from these models were compared. Children in the child-initiated model demonstrated greater mastery of basic skills than did children in programs in which academics were emphasized and skills were taught. Children in the combination model did significantly poorer on all measures except self-help and development of social coping skills compared with children in either the child-initiated or academically directed models. Girls outperformed boys in all areas except gross motor development and play and leisure skills. Implications for educational policymakers are discussed.

 

Kindergarten:

 

Marcon, R. (1993). Socioemotional versus academic emphasis: Impact on kindergartners' development and achievement.             Early Child Development & Care. Special Issue: Enhancing young children's lives, 96, 81-91.

 

Abstract
Assessed the differential effects of academically-focused vs socioemotional kindergartens for a range of developmental domains and early skills acquisition in 2 cohorts of inner-city kindergartners. The sample of 307 children (mean age 70.4 mo) was 94% African-American and 48% female, with 75% qualifying for subsidized lunch programs and 57% living in single-parent homes. Results indicate a detrimental impact of an overly academic kindergarten emphasis on young boys' development and school achievement. Although girls were found to be developmentally more ready than boys for academic experiences, they actually achieved greater mastery of basic skills when enrolled in kindergartens that valued socioemotional development.

 

 

Third and Fourth Grade:

 

Marcon, R. (2002). Moving up the grades: Relationship between preschool model and later school success. Early Childhood       Research & Practice,4 (1), article 1.

 

Abstract

A follow-up study of children who began school at age 4 was conducted to examine the influence of three different preschool models (child-initiated, academically-directed, or a "combination" approach) on later school success. These children from an urban school district were studied again in Year 5 as they prepared to leave the primary grades and in Year 6 when they were scheduled to enter fourth grade if not previously retained. The study examined report card grades, retention rates, and special education placement of 160 children at the end of their fifth year in school and 183 children at the end of their sixth year in school. The sample was 96 percent African American; 54 percent of the sample was female. Seventy-five percent of the children qualified for subsidized school lunch, and 73 percent were living in single-parent families. Academically, girls surpassed boys at the end of Year 5, and this difference persisted into the next grade level. Children whose preschool experience was more academically directed had been retained less often than their peers. No differences attributable to preschool model were found for special education placement. By the end of children's fifth year in school, there were no differences in academic performance of children who had experienced the three different preschool models. By the end of their sixth year in school, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended child-initiated preschool classes. Children's later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences. Their progress may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children's developmental status.

 

 

Marcon, R. (2003). Reply to Lonigan commentary. Early Childhood Research & Practice,5 (1).

            http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v5n1/katz.html

 

Abstract

Responding to Lonigan's commentary on her preschool models study, Marcon clarifies points from the original article and provides findings from a reexamination of the data to answer Lonigan's questions. The response first addresses the issue of retention, reiterating the possible reasons for the lower retention of students in an academically directed (AD) preschool and focusing on one: family income influences on early grade retention. It is noted that lower-income children were more likely than higher-income children to have been retained prior to third grade, and none of the Head Start children had been enrolled in an AD model preschool. Stating the rationale for analyzing data by year in school rather than by grade, thus accounting for grades repeated, the commentary points out that selection of report card grades as an outcome measure might be seen as favoring the AD approach in a school system where grades reflect number of objectives mastered in the competency-based curriculum. Lonigan's suggestions for how to deal with retained children in a longitudinal analysis prompted a reexamination of the data. The response then highlights several conclusions that stand out in the reexamination. First, the impact of the child-initiated (CI) model on children's grades was not dependent on Head Start classrooms. Second, the decline in grades associated with the AD model was more evident among children who had never been retained. Significant correlations between report cards and scores on the standardized achievement test battery administered for the first time in third grade were found in all subject areas as well as between children's GPA and total test battery score; thus report card grades were reasonable outcomes to evaluate as an indicator of children's academic abilities. Finally, the response revisits the distinctions between different approaches, pointing out that the preschool models contrasted in the study were empirically derived and reflect a continuum of experiences not an either/or categorization. The response concludes by pointing out that although the study does not provide "the answer" to questions concerning the impact of different approaches, it does help in understanding what facilitates or possibly hinders children's progress through school by demonstrating difficulties that graduates of AD preschools encounter.

 

Sixth Grade:

Marcon, R., Brooks, C., & Randall, T. (1997, April). Differential impact of preschool models on achievement of inner-            city children. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of early educational experiences on a group of inner-city children as they approached the transition to junior high school. Data on 249 sixth graders enrolled in 67 schools in a large urban school district were used in the study. The sample, about 62 percent of which was female, was 96 percent African American; 76 percent of the students qualified for subsidized lunch based upon low family income. A standardized measure of academic achievement was analyzed for the impact of preschool attendance, preschool model, kindergarten model, sex, and interaction between the variables. No significant differences were found in achievement between students who attended preschool prior to entering kindergarten and those who did not. The results indicated that sixth grade academic achievement was enhanced by early learning experiences that emphasized socioemotional development over academic preparation. This finding was particularly strong for males. While reading appeared to be the area of achievement most broadly affected by kindergarten experiences, boys' overall achievement in sixth grade was consistently higher if kindergarten teachers had nurtured early social development.

 

Impact of Parent Involvement on

Children’s Educational Performance and Development

 

Marcon, R. (1999). Positive relationships between parent school involvement and public school inner-city preschoolers'             development and academic performance. School Psychology Review. Special Issue: Beginning school ready to             learn: Parental involvement and effective educational programs, 28, 395-412.

 

Abstract

Teacher ratings were used to identify the extent of parent involvement for 3 cohorts of predominantly low-income, urban 4-yr-olds (N = 708) attending public prekindergarten or Head Start programs. The classroom edition of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales was used to measure preschoolers' language, self-help, social, motor, and adaptive development. Mastery of early basic school skills was measured by the school district's Early Childhood Progress Report. Increased parent school involvement and more active types of parent involvement were both associated with more positive development in all Vineland domains and greater mastery of early basic school skills in all subject areas. Although girls outperformed boys in all measures except 4 Vineland subdomains (expressive language, domestic skills, play and leisure, and gross motor skills), increased parent school involvement was associated with especially positive development and academic performance in preschool boys. Previous research had not identified a differential relationship between parent involvement and outcomes for preschool boys and girls.

 

 

Marcon, R. (1998, July). Predicting parent involvement and its influence on school success: A follow-up study. Poster             session presented at the fourth National Head Start Research Conference, Washington, DC.

 

Abstract

Proponents of early childhood education frequently refer to the importance of parent involvement for children's school success. However, little is known about characteristics of families that are more likely to become involved in their children's educational experience. This study provided follow-up data on 221 inner-city children (median age = 144 months) previously found to benefit from increased parent involvement during preschool, kindergarten, and the primary grades. Demographic and school-related predictors of involvement were further examined as children made the transition from elementary to junior high school. Findings indicated that parents whose children had attended Head Start were significantly more involved in their children's education at Year 8 or Year 9 than were parents whose children had attended pre-kindergarten in the same public school system. Current involvement was associated with higher grades, while past involvement had a positive impact on achievement test scores and school competence.

 

 

Marcon, R. (1993, March). Parental involvement and early school success. Poster session presented at the Biennial             Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, LA.

 

Abstract

This study examined the academic achievement of an original sample of 168 inner-city children who were making the transition from the primary to the upper elementary grades (62% of the children made up the recovered sample). Subjects, 95 percent of whom were African American, were enrolled in public schools in Washington, D.C. Data from previously conducted interviews with the children's prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade teachers provided information on the involvement of the children's parents in the children's education. At each grade level, children were grouped into two groups based on whether their parents were involved or noninvolved with the school. Measures of school competence included grade retention and special education placement. Measures of student achievement included grades, scores on standardized achievement tests, and attainment of reading and math objectives. Results indicated that children whose parents were noninvolved with the school during prekindergarten were more likely than children whose parents were involved to be retained prior to their fifth year in school. Children whose parents had been involved with the school during their children's second year in school had higher grades and higher achievement test scores at the end of their fifth year in school than did children whose parents were noninvolved.

 

 

Head Start vs. Pre-K

Educational Performance

 

Marcon, R. (2000, June). Educational transitions in early childhood, middle childhood, and early adolescence: Head             Start vs. public school pre-kindergarten graduates. Poster session presented at the fifth National Head Start             Research Conference, Washington, DC.

 

Abstract

This longitudinal study compared academic performance of Head Start and public school prekindergarten graduates at four educational transitions: (1) kindergarten; (2) first grade; (3) third grade; and (4) fourth and sixth grades. Participating in this study were students in an urban, minority school system providing both Head Start and prekindergarten programs. The average sample size across six grade levels was 180. The sample was 53 percent female and 94 percent African American. Findings revealed no group differences in grade retention or special education placement. In preschool, Head Start children's skill mastery was similar to that of prekindergarten peers except for lower mastery of number skills and pre-reading skills. In kindergarten, Head Start graduates were comparable to prekindergarten graduates except for lower physical skills. Notable differences appeared in first grade with Head Start graduates receiving lower grades in all subject areas. In third grade, Head Start graduates' GPA remained lower than prekindergarten peers, and language difficulties were evident in lower achievement test scores. In fourth and fifth grades, Head Start graduates' academic performance was comparable to prekindergarten graduates except for handwriting. No significant differences were noted in sixth grade achievement test scores. Head Start graduates were successful in all major educational transitions except the transition to first grade. Head Start graduates were more successful than prekindergarten peers in making the transition to fourth grade, showing notable increases in GPA and mathematics, reading, language, and handwriting. Success of Head Start's graduates was explained by exposure to a developmentally appropriate intervention and parental involvement.