ED373882 PS022557

 

Title: Evaluation of Public Preschool Programs in North Carolina. Final Report {and} Executive Summary.
Author(s): Bryant, Donna M.; And Others
Author Affiliation: North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Frank Porter Graham Center.(BBB04365)
Pages: 142
Publication Date: November 23, 1993
Sponsoring Agency: North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. (QXM63750)
Available from: EDRS Price MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
Availability: Dr. Ellen S. Peisner-Feinberg, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, 300 NB Plaza, CB #8040, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8040 (Final Report, $12; Executive Summary, $4; make checks payable to: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center).
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142)
Geographic Source: U.S.; North Carolina
Journal Announcement: RIEJAN1995
Government Level: State

Between 1991 and 1993, a statewide study of public preschool practices in North Carolina was conducted to determine the characteristics of pre-kindergarten programs and of the children and families they served; short-term outcomes for children; and kindergarten outcomes for children who attended public preschool compared to those with other preschool experiences. The study involved surveys of 170 public preschool administrators and teachers, 63 classroom visits, and the collection of preschool ratings by teachers of over 1,000 preschool children. In addition, 260 of these preschoolers were followed into kindergarten and compared with 288 of their peers who had attended public preschools, Head Start programs, other community child care programs, or no programs. Study findings included the following: (1) there was a wide range of quality and appropriateness of preschool classes in North Carolina; (2) teachers predicted that at the end of the pre-kindergarten year, 91.4% of the age-eligible children would be heading to kindergarten; and (3) the majority of the children served by the public preschools were ethnic minorities, and their relatively greater improvement suggests that these programs are benefiting this group. Based on study findings, it was recommended that public preschool programs in North Carolina improve cultural awareness activities, toileting facilities and practices, gross motor equipment, dramatic play materials, and professional opportunities for staff. The Appendix contains questionnaires and measures used. (AC)

Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes; Comparative Analysis; *Educational Assessment; Followup Studies; Kindergarten; Minority Groups; *Outcomes of Education; *Preschool Children; *Preschool Education; Primary Education; *Public Education; Questionnaires; School Demography; School Readiness; *State Surveys; Student Adjustment; Student Transportation; Teacher Attitudes
Identifiers: *North Carolina; Project Head Start