The High/Scope The High/Scope Perry Preschool Perry Preschool Study to Age 40Study to Age 40

Larry SchweinhartLarry Schweinhart

High/Scope Educational Research High/Scope Educational Research FoundationFoundation

www.highscope.orgwww.highscope.org

Experimental designExperimental design 123 young African-American children, living 123 young African-American children, living

in poverty and at risk of school failure.in poverty and at risk of school failure. Randomly assigned to initially similar Randomly assigned to initially similar

program and no-program groups.program and no-program groups. 4 teachers with bachelors’ degrees held a 4 teachers with bachelors’ degrees held a

daily class of 20-25 three- and four-year-olds daily class of 20-25 three- and four-year-olds

and made weekly home visits. and made weekly home visits. Children participated in their own education Children participated in their own education

by planning, doing, and reviewing their own by planning, doing, and reviewing their own

activities.activities.

Major findings over timeMajor findings over time

55%

40%

60%

15%

38%

28%

36%

60%

77%

49%

61%

67%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Arrested 5+ times by 40

Earned $20K+ at 40

High school graduate

Basic achievement at 14

Committed to school at 14

Ready for school at 5

No-program group Program group

More high school More high school graduatesgraduates

5%

9%

55% 40%

23%68%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No-program group

Program group

Associate+ degreeGraduated from high schoolHigh school dropout

More employed, More employed, higher earningshigher earnings

56%

62%

69%

76%

40% 60% 80%

Age 27

Age 40

Program group

No-program group

$10,000

$15,300

$12,000

$20,800

$8,000 $16,000 $24,000

Age27

Age40

Program group

No-program group

Fewer arrested for Fewer arrested for various types of crimesvarious types of crimes

58%

34%

48%

36%

14%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Property

Drug

Violent

Program group

No-program group

Better health and Better health and family relationsfamily relations

55%

71%

43%

30%

43%

48%

17%

57%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Lost week of work for healthproblem

Males: Marijuana

Males: Prescription drugabuse

Males: Raised own child

Program group

No-program group

Different effects on Different effects on males and femalesmales and females

88%

46%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

High school graduates

Program femalesNo-program females

45%

69%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

5+ arrests by 40

Program malesNo-program males

Large return on investmentLarge return on investment (Per participant in 2000 constant dollars discounted 3% annually) (Per participant in 2000 constant dollars discounted 3% annually)

$50,448

$1

4,0

78

$171,473

$1

5,1

66

$0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000

Costs

Benefits

Total return = $244,812; $16.14 per dollar invested: $12.90 to the public, $3.24 to participants

Welfare Education Earnings Taxes paid Crime

Study applications: ProgramStudy applications: Program

Teachers help children participate in Teachers help children participate in their own education by having them their own education by having them plan, do, and review their own activities.plan, do, and review their own activities.

Teachers hold daily classes for 3- and 4-Teachers hold daily classes for 3- and 4-year-olds, including those at risk of year-olds, including those at risk of school failure, with an adult for every 8 school failure, with an adult for every 8 children.children.

Teachers visit with families frequently to Teachers visit with families frequently to discuss their children’s development.discuss their children’s development.

Study applications: Study applications: TeachersTeachers

A teacher with a bachelor’s degree A teacher with a bachelor’s degree and certification in education in and certification in education in every classroom.every classroom.

All teachers receive training, All teachers receive training, supervision, and assessment that supervision, and assessment that support their participatory support their participatory educational approach.educational approach.

Participatory preschool Participatory preschool education prevents crime.education prevents crime.

In the High/Scope participatory education In the High/Scope participatory education model:model:

The classroom is arranged into activity The classroom is arranged into activity areas.areas.

In the daily routine, children plan, do, and In the daily routine, children plan, do, and review their learning activities and engage in review their learning activities and engage in small- and whole-group activities.small- and whole-group activities.

Teachers help children grow by treating Teachers help children grow by treating them with respect, engaging them in them with respect, engaging them in conversation, and supporting their key child conversation, and supporting their key child development experiences.development experiences.

Advantages ofAdvantages ofparticipatory educationparticipatory education

High/Scope Preschool Curriculum StudyHigh/Scope Preschool Curriculum Study

39%

11%

27%

69%

47%

17%

44%

7%

63%

6%

10%

43%

0%

6%

36%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Arrested forfelony

Volunteer work

Suspended fromwork

Blames otherpeople

Emotionallydisturbed

High/Scope group

Nursery school group

Direct instruction group

Participatory education helps Participatory education helps teachers and children develop.teachers and children develop.

Training for Quality StudyTraining for Quality Study

Certified High/Scope trainers have trained over Certified High/Scope trainers have trained over 16,000 early childhood teaching teams, including 16,000 early childhood teaching teams, including one-third of Head Start.one-third of Head Start.

Classrooms with High/Scope-trained teachers have Classrooms with High/Scope-trained teachers have better learning environments, daily routines, better learning environments, daily routines, adult-child-interaction, and overall adult-child-interaction, and overall implementation.implementation.

Children in these classrooms have better initiative, Children in these classrooms have better initiative, social relations, creative representation, music and social relations, creative representation, music and movement skills, and overall development.movement skills, and overall development.

Other studies find long-Other studies find long-term return on investment.term return on investment.

North Carolina Abecedarian high-North Carolina Abecedarian high-quality child care study conducted quality child care study conducted by Craig Ramey and Frances by Craig Ramey and Frances CampbellCampbell

Chicago Child-Parent Centers study Chicago Child-Parent Centers study Conducted by Arthur ReynoldsConducted by Arthur Reynolds

Elmira, New York, nurse home Elmira, New York, nurse home visiting program study conducted by visiting program study conducted by David OldsDavid Olds

High/Scope’s new emphasis High/Scope’s new emphasis on children’s literacy skillson children’s literacy skills

TheThe Growing Readers Early Growing Readers Early Literacy Curriculum Literacy Curriculum is a set of is a set of detailed plans for small-group detailed plans for small-group activitiesactivities..

• The Early Literacy Skills Assessment, The Early Literacy Skills Assessment, for any curriculum, is based on for any curriculum, is based on interactive reading of a storybook.interactive reading of a storybook.

-- Some components of Growing Readers and -- Some components of Growing Readers and ELSA are available in Spanish. --ELSA are available in Spanish. --

Growing literacy and social Growing literacy and social skillsskills

Head Start FACES StudyHead Start FACES StudyLetter and Word

Identification

92.4 92.2

92.9

93.8

90.00

92.00

94.00

96.00

Head Start High/Scope

Fall Spring

Also, children in

High/Scope Head Start

classes improve become

more cooperative and less

hyperactive than children

in other Head Start

classes.

Four preschool characteristics Four preschool characteristics predict children’s later ability predict children’s later ability

around the world.around the world.IEA Preprimary StudyIEA Preprimary Study

Having free-choice, participatory Having free-choice, participatory learning activities.learning activities.

Having few whole-group activities.Having few whole-group activities.

Amount and variety of materials.Amount and variety of materials.

Teachers’ schooling.Teachers’ schooling.