| The purpose of this study was to determine if a prekindergarten program called the Extended Elementary Education Program (EEEP), implemented in a public school setting in a mid-Atlantic state, helped at-risk children to be more successful in school at the end of third grade. The problem to be studied was how the school district sought to implement the EEEP program to adequately prepare these youngsters to perform better throughout their school careers.;There were two prekindergarten experimental groups, one made up of EEEP students and the other of students who had "other" forms of prekindergarten education. A third group (non-treatment) had no formal prekindergarten program. Research question 1 asked: (1) To what extent will the students who participated in the Extended Elementary Education Program achieve higher scores in the three basic skill areas of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS/4), reading, mathematics, and language, as well as the total battery at the end of third grade than students who attend other kinds of preschool programs or do not attend any preschool program?;The results of the statistical analysis on this first question showed statistically significant differences among the three groups, favoring the group called "other." There were no differences between the EEEP students and the students who had not attended any preschool. Research questions 2-6 (rates of retention, special education placement, school attendance, academic performance, and readiness skills) were all non-significant.;The researcher also looked at the effect of socioeconomic status on school achievement as measured by participation or non-participation in the free/reduced price lunch program. In all cases there were statistically significant differences which favored the students who were non-participants. There was no interactive effect between preschool program attended and status in the lunch program.;Qualitative data were gathered through interviews conducted with students, a teacher, and administrators to broaden the researcher's understanding of the study. A survey was also sent out to parents to determine the community perception regarding the importance of prekindergarten.;The qualitative data led to the conclusion that the EEEP program is important and effective in improving academic achievement in school and disposition to learning. |
