The HighScope Perry Preschool Study to Age 40

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The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study to Age 40

• Larry Schweinhart
• High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
• www.highscope.org

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Experimental design

• 123 young African-American children, living in
  poverty and at risk of school failure.
  
• Randomly assigned to initially similar program
  and no-program groups.
  
• 4 teachers with bachelors degrees held a daily
  class of 20-25 three- and four-year-olds and made
  weekly home visits.
  
• Children participated in their own education by
  planning, doing, and reviewing their own
  activities.

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Major findings over time
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More high school graduates
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More employed, higher earnings
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Fewer arrested for various types of crimes
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Better health and family relations
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Different effects on males and females
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Large return on investment (Per participant in
2000 constant dollars discounted 3 annually)
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Study applications Program

• Teachers help children participate in their own
  education by having them plan, do, and review
  their own activities.
  
• Teachers hold daily classes for 3- and
  4-year-olds, including those at risk of school
  failure, with an adult for every 8 children.
  
• Teachers visit with families frequently to
  discuss their childrens development.

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Study applications Teachers

• A teacher with a bachelors degree and
  certification in education in every classroom.
  
• All teachers receive training, supervision, and
  assessment that support their participatory
  educational approach.

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Participatory preschool education prevents crime.

• In the High/Scope participatory education model
• The classroom is arranged into activity areas.
• In the daily routine, children plan, do, and
  review their learning activities and engage in
  small- and whole-group activities.
  
• Teachers help children grow by treating them with
  respect, engaging them in conversation, and
  supporting their key child development
  experiences.

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Advantages ofparticipatory educationHigh/Scope
Preschool Curriculum Study
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Participatory education helps teachers and
children develop.Training for Quality Study

• Certified High/Scope trainers have trained over
  16,000 early childhood teaching teams, including
  one-third of Head Start.
  
• Classrooms with High/Scope-trained teachers have
  better learning environments, daily routines,
  adult-child-interaction, and overall
  implementation.
• Children in these classrooms have better
  initiative, social relations, creative
  representation, music and movement skills, and
  overall development.

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Other studies find long-term return on investment.

• North Carolina Abecedarian high-quality child
  care study conducted by Craig Ramey and Frances
  Campbell
  
• Chicago Child-Parent Centers study Conducted by
  Arthur Reynolds
  
• Elmira, New York, nurse home visiting program
  study conducted by David Olds

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High/Scopes new emphasis on childrens literacy
skills

• The Growing Readers Early
• Literacy Curriculum is a set of
• detailed plans for small-group
• activities.
• The Early Literacy Skills Assessment, for any
  curriculum, is based on interactive reading of a
  storybook.
  
• -- Some components of Growing Readers and ELSA
  are available in Spanish. --

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Growing literacy and social skillsHead Start
FACES Study
Also, children in High/Scope Head Start classes
improve become more cooperative and less
hyperactive than children in other Head Start
classes.
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Four preschool characteristics predict childrens
later ability around the world.IEA Preprimary
Study

• Having free-choice, participatory learning
  activities.
  
• Having few whole-group activities.
• Amount and variety of materials.
• Teachers schooling.

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