Early childhood programs found to significantly lower likelihood of special education placements in third grade

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/aera-ecp020315.php

Public Release: 3-Feb-2015
American Educational Research Association

Access to state-supported early childhood programs significantly reduces the likelihood that children will be placed in special education in the third grade, academically benefiting students and resulting in considerable cost savings to school districts, according to new research published today in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.

The findings suggest that the programs provide direct benefits not only to participating students but also to other third graders through positive spillover effects.

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The authors found that an investment of $1,110 per child in the More at Four preschool program (now called NC Pre-K)--the funding level in 2009--reduced the likelihood of third-grade special education placements by 32 percent. An investment of the same amount in the Smart Start early childhood initiative reduced the likelihood by 10 percent. Both programs together reduced third grade students' odds of special education placement by 39 percent, resulting in significant cost savings for the state. Nationwide, special education costs nearly twice as much as regular classroom education.

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In addition to cost implications, the findings have implications for children's educational careers and for their future lives. Previous research cited in the study suggests that children placed in special education are at higher risk for dropping out of school and for committing crimes as adults. Yet some special education placements may be preventable with early intervention.

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The study findings imply that children who did not participate in the state-supported programs still benefited from them. For instance, some children not funded by More at Four were enrolled in the same preschool classrooms as those who were, and apparently benefited from the high-quality standards required for state funding.

Once children enter elementary school, they "can still benefit from being in classes with more students who have had access to high-quality early childhood initiatives," said Muschkin. "Access to high-quality early education contributes to more positive elementary school classroom environments, as well as to fewer subsequent placements in special education."