Impact of bilingual preschool on kindergarten readiness and closing the achievement gap

Hispanics experience a disadvantage regarding academic achievement, compared to other ethnic groups. This achievement gap often begins in the preschool years and continues throughout a Hispanic child's formal education and adult life. Recent research highlights the importance of preschool for disadvantaged children. Preschools can increase future academic scores, boost proficiency in children's native language as they learn English, and help improve their academic and social-emotional success. Even as the state of Illinois reduces funding, many school districts offer preschool backed by local taxes, believing that academic achievement will improve. However, school districts rarely analyze their performance data to provide documentation that their programs are closing the achievement gap.;This quantitative study examined achievement scores of children in a bilingual maintenance Spanish/English preschool for at-risk Hispanic, low-income, non-English-speaking 3- and 4-year old children to determine if this program can prepare Hispanic children for kindergarten and close the achievement gap by the end of second grade. Results of the data analysis found that attending bilingual preschool prepared children for kindergarten as measured by pre- and posttests in preschool, but not as measured by academic achievement tests upon entering kindergarten. Academic results in first grade were inconclusive, but it appears that an achievement gap remains at the end of second grade between at-risk, Spanish-speaking, low-income Hispanic children and a comparison group of White, non-low-income, English speaking students.;This study adds to the body of research on preschool programs by providing quantitative data on the academic achievement of students who attended a bilingual preschool in the suburbs of Illinois. Further longitudinal research is needed to determine if students who attend a bilingual preschool meet proficiency levels by fifth grade which would align to the number of years found in previous research that are necessary for non-English speaking students to acquire academic vocabulary.