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High quality prekindergarten programs that provide students with core academic skills have been found to increase subsequent student reading achievement. However, students across the United States continue to show deficiencies in reading skills, a problem which may stem from a lack of participation in early childhood education. The study district offered a prekindergarten program, but the impact on later reading achievement was unknown. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of a prekindergarten program on the subsequent reading skills of kindergarten students. The constructivist learning theories of Whitehurst, Lonigan, Piaget, and Vygotsky provided foundation. Research questions focused on the difference in early literacy skills between kindergarteners who attended the district's public prekindergarten program (n = 64) with students who did not participate (n = 64). Scores on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) were compared using repeated measure analysis of variance at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for those students who participated in a Pre-K program and those students who did not. Statistically significant findings revealed that participation in the public prekindergarten program yielded greater early literacy skills for kindergarteners when compared to those children who were not enrolled. The positive social change implications included providing local data on the reading achievement outcomes of students attending prekindergarten. The study findings will be useful to school administrators, teachers, and parents when making decisions on prekindergarten program availability and attendance.

Children from low-income families often begin kindergarten at an academic disadvantage. This research consisted of a causal comparative study of the short-term and longer term academic effects of voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) participation with a population of students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in a large southern public school district. Reading and math achievement of low-income students who attended VPK in 2008-09 were compared with a matched sample of students who did not attend. Incremental changes following the 2008-09 prekindergarten year to the cohort’s and matched sample’s 2012-13 third-grade academic performance were compared via archived kindergarten, first-, second-, and third-grade test scores, ratings, and promotion status at the end of third grade. Additional analyses were made to test for any differences between program length for the VPK and non-VPK attenders. Analyses were also conducted to see if the effects of VPK persisted through the early school years as measured by school type (Title I or non-Title I). Short-term and longer term effects in favor of VPK participation were found for kindergarten, first, and third graders who attended summer or full-year programs and a Title I school for 1 to 3 years of their academic career during the 4-year period examined. However, those students who attended VPK but who did not attend any Title I school from kindergarten to third grade did not perform better statistically than matched students who did not attend VPK. It is recommended that full-year prekindergarten programs be considered for students likely to attend high-poverty schools. Reading readiness and achievement were significantly higher for the students attending high-poverty schools if they previously attended full-year prekindergarten programs.

This quantitative study focused on the impacts of the pre-kindergarten experience in a large urban district in Georgia. With the ongoing pursuit across the nation to be globally competitive with the education of our youth, this study analyzed multiple factors that can impact student achievement, with an emphasis on the kindergarten readiness variable. The research was conducted within two schools in the same urban district with third graders (who were continually enrolled in the school since kindergarten) and their parents, along with kindergarten and first grade teachers in the same schools. The data collected was analyzed using Pearson correlation, ANOVA, regression analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, and an item to scale test of content validity. In a population where the socioeconomic status is extremely similar, the research concluded that there is no direct significant relationship between student achievement and pre-kindergarten attendance. In the qualitative portion of this study, teachers noted that these students do begin school behind peers and the instructional practices they put in place close the initial gaps in student learning. Both the quantitative and qualitative portions of this study identify parent engagement as a significant variable in student achievement, student readiness, and student participation in early learning experiences. The researcher provided recommendations to educational policy makers, school district leaders, school administrators, and future researchers based on study findings.

This exploratory study assessed the effectiveness of a cross-age tutoring intervention on adaptive behavior goals of three PreKindergarten/Kindergarten-aged students with labels of autism spectrum disorder. Data were collected in an inclusive environment; the school library. Three fourth grade general education cross-age tutors were trained to use a simple, naturalistic least-to-most prompting strategy to support the young students with individualized adaptive behavior goals while in the library. A mixed method design was utilized in this study; a quantitative single case multiple baseline across participants design to show performance outcomes of the young students as a result of the tutoring intervention, and a constant comparison analysis of qualitative data gathered from observations of students, students' written work, and a research journal. Quantitative results indicated all three young students performed the target behavior in the library with support from their cross-age tutors and this behavior maintained one month after intervention ended as evident through a maintenance probe; all three students made progress on the achievement of adaptive behavior goals in an inclusive environment from this intervention. Qualitative results indicated the cross-age tutoring experience was positive and powerful for all six participants involved as evident through the construction of six themes that emerged from the qualitative data.

This mixed methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness software program on the acquisition of phonological awareness in African-American preschool children. Additionally, the researcher investigated the relationship between the independent variables of student engagement, student motivation, student behavior, and student attendance on the dependent variable of acquisition of phonological awareness as measured by the gain score. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to describe, summarize, and interpret the data collected. After examining the aforesaid variables, the researcher found there were no significant relationships between the gain scores and any of the independent variables. But there were useful significant relationships between the independent variables of student motivation, student engagement, and student attendance. The researcher also examined the differences between the pretest and posttest for the experimental and control groups combined. A significant difference was found between these two tests suggesting that the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness software program was effective in improving student’s performance in the experimental group. There was no significant difference, however, between pre and posttest based on gender. So while one can see the effectiveness in the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness program based on the difference between the pre and posttest, the reason does not lie in the variables selected as independent variables, but in other variables not included in the study such as instructional strategies. Finally, the researcher investigated the difference in the performance of the experimental group and the control group as measured by the mean gain scores. Key results revealed that the experimental group scored higher than the control group on the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness posttest as measured by the gain score. Early Childhood administrators can utilize this investigation as a vehicle to advance their instructional leadership skills and teachers can improve their pedagogical practices.

This dissertation includes three papers examining role of childcare stability in the lives of families, focusing on low-income households. Paper one considers the relationship between household instability and childcare instability for parents with young children in New York City. Paper two examines the relationship between universal pre-kindergarten in New York City and education and employment outcomes for parents. Finally, paper three explores the effect of federal childcare subsidies on education and employment outcomes for parents.

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide research and data examining the impact of pre-kindergarten on Spanish-speaking ESL students on the third grade TAKS Reading test scores. The two questions that guided this study are: (1) As measured by the third grade TAKS reading test, what is the relationship between those limited english proficient (LEP) Spanish-speaking children who attended a pre-kindergarten program and those who did not attend a pre-kindergarten program? and (2) As measured by the third grade TAKS Reading test, how do the test scores of those LEP Spanish-speaking third graders who attended the district's pre-k program in 2000-2001 and testing in 2005, differ from those who attended the district's pre-k program in 2001-2002 and testing in 2006? The research study used a quantitative methodology designed as causal-comparative analysis. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were any significant differences in test scores of third graders between the two groups of students. Although the results of the statistical analysis revealed some isolated statistically significant differences between those Spanish-speaking bilingual students who attended pre-kindergarten and those who did not, the data showed no real differences in the test scores of those students.

Some children struggle to learn the academic skill of reading. Providing effective assistance to struggling students, especially to English Language Learners (ELLs), can be a challenge for teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of childcare programs on the reading achievement of ELLs in kindergarten and first grade. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory along with developmentally appropriate practices constituted the theoretical framework. The overarching research question examined differences in overall reading achievement of ELLs based on the completion of formal childcare programs. A causal-comparative design was used with a cluster sample drawn from a United States federal database of 3,214 ELLs divided into 2 groups: children who participated in formal childcare (FC) programs and those with no formal childcare (NFC). Four independent-samples t tests were performed to compare reading achievement of FC and NFC participants from the fall 2010 kindergarten class (FC n = 1,348, NFC n = 1,414), spring 2011 kindergarten class (FC n = 1,485, NFC n = 1621), fall 2011 first grade class (FC n = 650, NFC n = 698), and spring 2012 first grade class (FC n = 1,482, NFC n = 1,622). Using the Bonferonni method to reduce Type I errors due to familywise analyses, the a priori alpha level decreased to 0.0125. ELL students who participated in formal preschool childcare programs achieved higher scores in reading throughout kindergarten and first grade. Based on these findings, a project was developed for family childcare providers to use to facilitate literacy development. Positive social change may result from ensuring that more children begin kindergarten and first grade with a foundation of reading skills needed for ongoing learning and academic success.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching functional assessment skills to three Prekindergarten teachers and their teaching assistants. The effects were measured by examining the behavior of the teachers and assistants, as well as the behaviors of the students; before, during and after the delivery of three, two-hour functional assessment classes. The teaching staff videotaped themselves and their students during a regular class time, predetermined by the researcher and each teacher prior to the onset of baseline data collection, over an approximate nine-week period. The video was taken in twelve-minute segments every day. Later, the video was coded for specific behaviors. Although there were gains in appropriate intervention strategies from teachers and assistants during the intervention phase, the interventions generally peaked a week or two after the classes ended and gradually declined. Teacher skills were retained however, as most ratios of appropriate interventions maintained at higher rates than baseline. Relationships between student behavior and correct teacher interventions were established and maintained. The intervention resulted in changes in staff behavior, but results did not sustain at high levels over time. The realization that escape maintained some student behavior, and teaching skills to "test" for function, were likely the most important concepts for many of the participants. Further research should include adding a behavior coach to assist in shaping the teaching staffs' emerging skills and to provide a sounding board when developing specific student interventions.