Description:
The purpose of the 2012-2013 evaluation study of Georgia's Pre-K Program was to examine the effects of participation in the program on children's school readiness skills. This study utilized a regression discontinuity design (RDD), the strongest type of quasi-experimental research design for examining treatment effects. This study compared two groups of children based on the existing age requirement for the pre-k program: 1) the treated group--children who completed Georgia's Pre-K Program the previous year and were just entering kindergarten in the study year, and 2) the untreated group--children who were not eligible for Georgia's Pre-K Program the previous year and were just entering pre-k in the study year. Because the families of both groups of children chose Georgia's Pre-K, the two groups were equivalent on many important characteristics; the only difference was whether the child's birth date fell before or after the cut-off date for eligibility for the pre-k program. (author abstract)
Resource Type:
Executive Summary