Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Professor Hirokazu Yoshikawa recently was awarded a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences grant to study the impact of prekindergarten on Boston Public School (BPS) students.
Yoshikawa will work in collaboration with doctoral student Christina Weiland, Ed.M.'08, Professors John Willett and Richard Murnane, Associate Professor Nonie Lesaux, BPS, and Abt Associates Inc. The study, "Preparing to Succeed: An Efficacy Trial of Two Early Childhood Curricula Study Overview for Principals," will examine the effects of Boston Public Schools' preschool program on math, literacy, and socio-emotional and executive functioning outcomes. The study is one of the first to examine the effects of public preschool on free/reduced lunch students and English Language Learners. Most preschool evaluation studies to date were based on programs implemented decades ago. This study will contribute more current data on the important policy question of the effects of government investment in early childhood.
"Boston has made a significant investment in early childhood education as a key strategy for closing the achievement gap," said Carol Johnson, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. "This study will provide us with critical data about the impact of these pre-school programs on student achievement."
Currently, 2,100 students in the Boston area take advantage of the full-day preschool program which began in 2005. As more and more districts implement universal preschool programs, this study will provide much-needed evidence on the effects of these programs on kindergarten school readiness.
"There are many important policy questions about how governments can best invest in children's development at the preschool age, and whether invested funds are producing intended effects on children," said Yoshikawa, who will act as a research advisor to Weiland. "Questions about effective curricula are near the top of this list of policy questions, and many districts are struggling with how best to support both literacy and numeracy. This study will shed light on this issue in a large urban school district and reinforce the importance of partnerships between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Boston Public Schools."
For two years, Weiland has been working with Boston Public Schools on analyzing data for students aged 3 to 5 years old. "The questions we are addressing in this study grew organically out of my work with [Director] Jason Sachs and the Department of Early Childhood. This is a great opportunity not only to examine questions of both local and national interest but to generate data that will be useful for the district in years to come," Weiland said. "I feel incredibly lucky to be able work with several of my mentors - Hiro here at Harvard, Jason Sachs at the BPS, and Carolyn Lazyer at Abt Associates - on this project."
Professor Thomas Payzant, M.A.T.'63, C.A.S.'66, Ed.D.'68, who instituted the prekindergarten program during his tenure as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, commended the study grant and acknowledged a deep need for such research on preschool programs. "Research on the growth and development of children during their first five years makes a compelling case for making high quality preschool education available for all children. The challenge is to continue to focus on the impact of programs to judge their quality and effectiveness. The new federal grant to study the effectiveness of preschool programs in Boston Public Schools will provide evidence of what should be sustained and changed to ensure positive outcomes for young children," Payzant said.
Following completion of the study, the data will be made available to the BPS to inform instruction, practice, and policy. The data collected will be part of the BPS's internal longitudinal database so that as the children grow the BPS can study important questions about early predictors of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System success and the impacts of preschool on different subgroups.
Yoshikawa will work in collaboration with doctoral student Christina Weiland, Ed.M.'08, Professors John Willett and Richard Murnane, Associate Professor Nonie Lesaux, BPS, and Abt Associates Inc. The study, "Preparing to Succeed: An Efficacy Trial of Two Early Childhood Curricula Study Overview for Principals," will examine the effects of Boston Public Schools' preschool program on math, literacy, and socio-emotional and executive functioning outcomes. The study is one of the first to examine the effects of public preschool on free/reduced lunch students and English Language Learners. Most preschool evaluation studies to date were based on programs implemented decades ago. This study will contribute more current data on the important policy question of the effects of government investment in early childhood.
"Boston has made a significant investment in early childhood education as a key strategy for closing the achievement gap," said Carol Johnson, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. "This study will provide us with critical data about the impact of these pre-school programs on student achievement."
Currently, 2,100 students in the Boston area take advantage of the full-day preschool program which began in 2005. As more and more districts implement universal preschool programs, this study will provide much-needed evidence on the effects of these programs on kindergarten school readiness.
"There are many important policy questions about how governments can best invest in children's development at the preschool age, and whether invested funds are producing intended effects on children," said Yoshikawa, who will act as a research advisor to Weiland. "Questions about effective curricula are near the top of this list of policy questions, and many districts are struggling with how best to support both literacy and numeracy. This study will shed light on this issue in a large urban school district and reinforce the importance of partnerships between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Boston Public Schools."
For two years, Weiland has been working with Boston Public Schools on analyzing data for students aged 3 to 5 years old. "The questions we are addressing in this study grew organically out of my work with [Director] Jason Sachs and the Department of Early Childhood. This is a great opportunity not only to examine questions of both local and national interest but to generate data that will be useful for the district in years to come," Weiland said. "I feel incredibly lucky to be able work with several of my mentors - Hiro here at Harvard, Jason Sachs at the BPS, and Carolyn Lazyer at Abt Associates - on this project."
Professor Thomas Payzant, M.A.T.'63, C.A.S.'66, Ed.D.'68, who instituted the prekindergarten program during his tenure as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, commended the study grant and acknowledged a deep need for such research on preschool programs. "Research on the growth and development of children during their first five years makes a compelling case for making high quality preschool education available for all children. The challenge is to continue to focus on the impact of programs to judge their quality and effectiveness. The new federal grant to study the effectiveness of preschool programs in Boston Public Schools will provide evidence of what should be sustained and changed to ensure positive outcomes for young children," Payzant said.
Following completion of the study, the data will be made available to the BPS to inform instruction, practice, and policy. The data collected will be part of the BPS's internal longitudinal database so that as the children grow the BPS can study important questions about early predictors of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System success and the impacts of preschool on different subgroups.
VERY IMPRESSIVE WITH THIS PLAN.I AM A GRADUATE MAJOROING IN EDUCAITON IN NANJING TEACHING UNIVERSITY,CHINA.THIS IS ALSO THE POINT I AM INTERETED IN .SO THE BEST WISH TO THE PROGRAM ,AND YOU!
I think the early education development is crucial element in education for children.
In South Korea, many kindergarten or preschool are well developed. I also take Montessori diploma classes for early children education.
GO CHILDREN~!!!
CONGRATULITIONS!!! AND BEST WISHES !!!
FROM COLOMBIAN NATIONAL PRESCHOOL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.