Kindergarten students who went through Tennessee’s pre-kindergarten program did better academically than their non-pre-K peers, but there is “little evidence” that pre-K’s “unique effects” last beyond second grade, according to a comptroller’s report released Thursday.
“This analysis of year-end assessments in kindergarten reveals that students participating in the pre-K program demonstrated an increase in school readiness, such as language and math skills, which confirms that this objective of the state’s pre-K program is being met,” said Phil Doss, director of the Tennessee Comptroller’s Offices of Research and Education Accountability, in a prepared release. “Other considerations for policy makers include the finding that the effects tend to fade over time and that there is significant variation in the types of pre-K curricula students are exposed to statewide, which makes it difficult to assess the impact of program characteristics.”
Some Northeast Tennessee GOP lawmakers have stressed that taxpayer-funded investments in 4-year-old children attending pre-K classes might be better placed in higher education.
The comptroller’s report, produced by a Columbus, Ohio-based firm, attempted to evaluate the pre-K program’s effectiveness over time.
The report had two objectives: To determine whether children who attended a state-funded pre-K program performed better academically in the short and long term than a comparable group of peers who did not attend a Tennessee pre-K program; and to assess what aspects of pre-K programs impact student academic achievement.
Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen’s administration has staunchly advocated the state’s pre-K program established in 2005, although the comptroller’s report noted the state has been funding early childhood education since the 1990s.
According to a 2008-09 Tennessee Department of Education fact sheet, the state had 934 state-funded pre-K classes serving approximately 18,000 young children.
More than 3,900 kids were on waiting lists seeking enrollment in pre-K classes, including 1,800 eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
State-supported pre-K programs were located in 94 of 95 Tennessee counties and 133 of 135 eligible school systems, the fact sheet noted.
The voluntary program allows local communities to decide whether to participate in the program and how many pre-K classrooms are needed.
Local school districts serve as the applicant for matching state funds and have the ability to use federal funds, private dollars or in-kind resources as part of their local match.
This year, Tennessee and 28 other states plus the District of Columbia chose to increase or hold steady funding for pre-K education, according to an analysis released by Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States.