Students who attend The North Ward Child Development Center in Newark and other high-quality “Abbott” preschools continue to outperform their peers at the end of first and second grade, according to a comprehensive study released earlier this month.
The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study tracked more than 1,000 children in Newark and 14 other urban districts in New Jersey over a three-year period from kindergarten through the end of second grade.
Abbott preschools are free to 3- and 4-year olds who live in high-poverty cities like Newark. The North Ward Center was among the first preschool programs in the state to become an Abbott provider. Starting in 1998 with 210 children in 14 classrooms, the program has grown to 600 children in 40 classrooms in four separate locations throughout the North Ward of Newark and is one of the largest in the state.
Statewide, the number of children enrolled in Abbott preschools has grown from 5,879 in 1998 to 43,775 in the 2007-08 school year.
The study found that children who attended just one year of high-quality Abbott preschool had an advantage at the end of kindergarten that continued through the end of second grade. For children who attended two years of preschool, the results were even more dramatic.
“Two years of participation roughly doubles gains at second grade on most measures,” the report found.
Children were assessed for math, receptive vocabulary and literacy skills in the Spring of 2007 and 2008. The tests took about 25 minutes for each child and was administered in the child’s school.
The report also found that fewer children who attended an Abbott preschool were forced to repeat a grade.
Stephen N. Adubato, who founded The North Ward Center’s first preschool program in 1975, said the report confirms what he has witnessed anecdotally as children move from preschool to The Robert Treat Academy, the K-8 charter school founded by the Center in 1997.
“Children who attended our preschools start kindergarten already knowing how to read,” Adbuato said. “That’s a significant advantage that stays with them throughout their academic career. When children taste academic success early in their life, it tends to be self-fulfilling. Because they are successful early in life, they have no other expectation than to continue to be successful.”
Abbott preschools are different from other preschool programs because they are limited in class size to 15 and teachers must be certified by the state. The report noted that the quality of Abbott preschools has increased from an average rating of just better than minimal quality to scores of good to excellent using the ECERS-R, the most widely used observational measure of preschool program practice.
“In 2007-08, the average Abbott classroom scored better than good (a score of 5) and most programs were in the good to excellent range (5 to 7),” the report noted.
Michele Sceppaguercio, who runs the North Ward Child Development Center, said the state has consistently given the North Ward Center’s preschools excellent scores between 6 and 7.
“We take incredible pride in the quality of our classroom instruction,” Sceppaguercio said. “The quality of our program results in children who are prepared for kindergarten, whether it’s in math, reading or social skills. They know what it means to sit in a classroom and learn.”
Adrianne Davis, the executive director of The North Ward Center, said the study proves the long-term value of a quality preschool, like the program offered by The North Ward Center.
"We are looking forward to the results of future studies that track these students as they progress through their education," said Davis, a fromer educator. "We believe the long-term of impact of preschool is far reaching."
The report, part of a long-term research study of early childhood education, was written by Ellen Frede, Kwanghee Jung, W. Steven Barnett, and Alexandra Figueras at The National Institute for Early Education Research at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. The report was conducted on behalf of the state Department of Education with partial funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
“These gains in learning and ability are large enough to be practically meaningful and are already beginning to result in savings for taxpayers who do not have to pay for extra years of schooling,” the report’s authors concluded. “The results of this study add to the considerable body of evidence indicating that quality preschool education can make a significant contribution to efforts to improve children’s learning and development.”
For a copy of the report, visit NIEER’s web site.
