Carolina, conducted on 418 children in four states, suggested that there were definite academic and behavior benefits reported in later learners who had experience preschool in a high quality program, “Preschoolers in good day-care centers have better academic skills and fewer behavior problems by second grade than those in poor-quality child care. By age 8, preschoolers who had been in high-quality centers—safe, stimulating and nurturing—had better math skills than peers in poor or mediocre preschool care. Among those with above-average math scores, 55% had attended centers rated in the top half for quality; 45% of good math achievers came from lesser-quality centers” (Elias, 1999, 01D).
Because of the positive results of many studies in this vein, many states are beginning to promote programs that assure equal access to preschool programs for those who are disadvantaged economically. One program in Kentucky has served more than 21,000 students since its inception, a program which is offered free to young children from families whose income qualifies them for free school lunches. These programs are significant in light of the poor academic success rates of students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and school districts and also because of the high crime rates among youth with a lack of academic development. So far experts in Kentucky have found that these types of programs are definitely responsible for improving the academic skills in later life of those who experience quality preschool programs, “Former preschool students perform as well as their peers, measured by academic progress and the potential for future success. They also outperform students who were eligible to attend the state program but did not. When the state legislated these
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