Benefits of Preschool Education
W. Steven Barnett, Director
National Institute for Early Education Research
Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey
For further information go to our website:
www.nieer.org
Preschool’s Benefits






Increased Achievement Test Scores
Improved Behavior and Attitudes
Decreased Grade Retention
Decreased Special Education
Decreased Crime & Delinquency
Increased High School Graduation
Three Exemplary Studies
High/Scope Perry Preschool– a half-day program on a small
scale in the Ypsilanti, MI public schools
True Experiment, n=123, follow-up to age 27
Abecedarian educational child care– a full-day year-round
program in Chapel Hill, NC
True Experiment, n=111, follow-up to age 21
Chicago-Child Parent Centers (CPC)– a half-day program
on a large scale in the Chicago public schools
Quasi-Experimental, n=1286, follow-up to age 18-21
Perry Preschool IQ Over Time
Program group
No-program group
100
96
95
95
90
IQ
85
92
86
87
88
87
88
87
85
84
83
80
91
80
79
75
Entry
4
5
6
Age
7
8
9
10
Perry Preschool: Educational Effects
Program group
No-program group
15%
Special Education
(Cog.)
34%
49%
Age 14 achievement
at 10th %ile +
15%
66%
Graduated from high
school on time
0%
45%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Perry: Arrests Per Person by Age 27
Felony
Program
0.7
No program
1.2
Misdemeanor
0.5
1.5
0.0
Juvenile
2.3 arrests
2.5
1.0
2.0
0.6
3.0
4.0
4.6 arrests
5.0
6.0
Perry: Economic Benefits at Age 27
Program group
No-program group
Earn $2,000 +
monthly
29%
7%
36%
Own home
13%
41%
Never on welfare as
adult
0%
20%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Mean Standardized Score
Abecedarian IQ Scores Over Time
100
95
90
85
80
Control
Treated
75
6.5
8
12
15
Age in Years
21
Abecedarian Reading Ach. Over Time
READING SCORE
105
100
95
90
85
TREATMENT
CONTROL
80
8
10
12
14
16
AGE (Years)
18
20
22
Abecedarian Math Achievement Over Time
MATH SCORES
105
TREATMENT
CONTROL
100
95
90
85
80
8
10
12
14
16
AGE (Years)
18
20
22
Abecedarian : Academic Benefits
Program group
No-program group
25%
Special Education
48%
31%
Grade Repeater
HS Graduation
4 Yr College
0%
55%
51%
13%
67%
36%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Abecedarian: Benefits to
Mothers and Children
Program group
No-program group
70%
Teen Moms SelfSupporting
Smoker at age 21
Skilled Job or Higher
Education at age 21
0%
58%
39%
55%
67%
40%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
CPC Academic Benefits
Program group
No-program group
62%
HS Grad or GED
49%
50%
HS Graduation
39%
14%
Special Education
25%
24%
Grade Repetition
0%
36%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
CPC Social Benefits
Program group
No-program group
10%
Reported Child
Abuse or Neglect
17%
9%
Juvenile Arrest-Violent Crime
15%
17%
Juvenile Arrest
0%
25%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Perry: Economic Return to the Public
(excludes $20,000 in economic benefits to participants)
Welfare
Taxes on earnings
Crime victims
$
3
K
Benefits
$6K
$9K
$13K
$12,356
Costs
$0
$20,000
Special education
Justice system
Preschool
$88,433
$58K
$7 return for every dollar invested
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
Abecedarian: Economic Return
Education
Participant Earnings
Smoking Health
Maternal Earnings
Future Generations
Preschool
$47K
$50K
$7K
Benefits
$6K
$12K
$143,674
Costs
$44,092
(preK & college)
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000 $120,000 $140,000
CPC: Economic Return
Education
Participant Earnings
Child Care
Benefits
Human Services
Crime
Preschool
$28K
$5K
$13K
$2K
$47,759
Costs
$6,692
$0
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
$50,000
Cost – Benefit Analysis of Preschool
for Disadvantaged Children
Cost
Benefit to Society

Perry Preschool:
$12,000
$108,000

Abecedarian:
CPC:
$35,864
$7,000
$136,000
$ 48,000

All three studies find that economic benefits from intensive, high-quality
programs to taxpayers and participants combined far exceed the cost of highquality programs (comparable to the cost of public education generally).
Education Challenges

Many Children Start School with Significant
Academic Disadvantages

Many Social and Emotional Problems Are
Evident Prior to School Entry

High School Graduation Declined 40 Years

College Graduation Rate Flat for 25 Years
Middle Class Children At Risk Too
Middle class children have fairly high rates of academic
problems preschool reduces for low-income children.
Reducing these problems could generate large benefits.
Income
Lowest 20%
20-80%
Highest 20%
Retention
17%
12%
8%
Dropout
23%
11%
3%
Source:US Department of Education, NCES (1997). Dropout rates in the United
States: 1995. Figures are multi-year averages.
Most Children Attend Preschool
Enrollment at Ages 3 and 4 by Mothers' Labor Force Status
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
% of 3 and 4 year olds
enrolled w' mothers in
labor force
% of 3 and 4 year olds
with mothers not in the
labor force
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
6
19
7
70 973 976 987 990 993 996 999
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Preschool Attendance by
Mother’s Education
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
73%
82%
64%
52%
< HS HS GradSome Coll BA +
Grad
Mother's Education Level
Preschool Classroom Quality is Too Low
Excellent
Quality scores (ECERS)
7
6
Good
5
4
Minimal
3
2
1
Urban NJ Urban NJ Atlanta,
- Year 1 - Year 2 Boston,
Detroit,
Phoenix,
Seattle
Indiana
North GA, MA, CA, CO, Georgia
Carolina
VA
CT, NC
Pre-K
Head
Start
Germany Portugal
Spain
Child Care Teacher Literacy is Low
Child Care Workers
All Teachers
Very Poor Literacy
13%
1%
Weak Literacy
31%
9%
56%
Adequate Literacy
0%
90%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Conclusions

Preschool produces cognitive and social emotional
gains for children (at least disadvantaged)

Quality preschool education can be a good
economic investment

Most 3-4 year old children already attend some
type of classroom

Access and quality must be improved if society is
to obtain the returns