The question of the effectiveness and long-term impact of preschool education on the further success of students is one of the topical issues of pedagogy today. Several studies point to the significant academic success of students who have fully completed preschool education in their later learning. An essential aspect in conducting such studies is the influence on the results of other important factors, such as the situation in the family, the social environment, and the economic well-being of parents. This work was based on the Magic Bus preschool education program, which involved several systematic short-term classes at several locations. The most outstanding attention was paid to comparing differences in the success of groups that differed based on the duration of the training, location, and biological sex.
Multiple linear regression was used for the analysis due to the nature of the variables; TS-Gold score and the dosage are continuous variables. The study considered testing time, demographic data, gender, race/ethnicity, language spoken at home, and household income. The model presented in the survey is Multivariate MANOVA. The study was based on 100 data points collected over one year. Judging by the results obtained, there is an expected considerable difference between students from different locations and with varying levels of economic well-being. In contrast, the relationship between outcomes and biological sex was not found. Due to the lack of data, it was not possible to correctly assess the differences in receiving the considered type of preschool education by representatives of different ethnic groups. It was noted that English-speaking families used the “Magic Bus” services less often, which can be explained by access to other types of preschool education.
References
Derman-Sparks, L. (2016). What I learned from the Ypsilanti Perry preschool project: A teacher’s reflections. Journal of Pedagogy, 1, 93 – 106.
Heckman, J. J. & Karapakula, G. (2019). Intergenerational and intergenerational externalities of the Perry preschool project. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 25889. Web.
Schweinhart, L. J. (2004). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study through age 40: Summary, conclusions, and frequently asked questions. High/Scope Press. Web.