Researchers followed 400,000 kids for 20 years and found a lasting pre-K advantage
A 20-year study of 400,000 students found that children who attended public school pre-K programs performed better academically through high school. Researchers suggest that higher teacher education requirements in public programs contribute to these lasting benefits.
Why it matters
The findings provide evidence for the long-term value of early childhood education and the importance of teacher qualifications in public pre-K settings.
Students who attended public school pre-K went on to perform better academically through high school than children who received family-based childcare, according to new research from Florida International University.
The findings come from one of the largest long-term studies of early childhood education outcomes. Led by George Mason University and overseen by FIU associate professor of teaching and learning Charles Bleiker, the research tracked 400,000 Miami-Dade County public school students beginning in third grade and followed their progress through high school.
Over the course of 20 years, students who had attended public school pre-K4 earned higher grades and scored better on standardized tests throughout their school years. Those academic advantages continued into adolescence.
Teacher Training May Make a Lasting Difference
Researchers examined three types of preschool environments that children attended before entering elementary school: public school pre-K, center-based daycare programs, and home-based childcare providers participating in the Early Learning Coalition.
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