Despite study results, area admins stand by voluntary preschool programs

Results from a new Iowa Department of Education study show that, by third grade, students who participated in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program have similar academic performance when compared to their peers who weren't in the program.

But Mary Ellen Maske, associate superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, cautioned against drawing any broad conclusions from the study, which looked at students who enrolled in 2007-08, the program's first year.

"I don't think we can base anything on one year's worth of data," Maske said. "I think it's a real narrow scope. I hope we don't hang our hats on that … I hope we look deeper."

For Maske, that deeper look would include taking into account students who did not participate in the program but may have accessed preschool or other potentially higher-priced scholastic options, such as montessori, without taking advantage of the state's program.

The text in the report acknowledges those realities. It also highlights other potential shortcomings, such as "the small set of student and district characteristics used."

One factor the data doesn't control for is socioeconomic status. School systems that participated in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program in its first year "were more diverse and somewhat lower performing than other Iowa districts," two factors often shown to impact student success. The fact that these students performed on par with their peers could actually be termed a success, Maske noted.

"What would've happened had these kids not gone to preschool? I know we don't have data on that," she said. "We have to look at where the kids are coming from, who we have in our programs … It's not a level playing field."

Sarah Pinion, superintendent of the Marion Independent School District, said the report doesn't impact her feelings about the program. The Marion district has been a participant since the 2009-10 school year and she said it's "very well received" and "helpful."

While her district hasn't done any comparisons similar to the Iowa Department of Education report, Pinion pointed to the soft skills – which state tests don't measure – that preschool can provide for students.

"If we can help get them acclimated to social groups and taking turns, sharing, playing, just plain socializing ... If we can do some of those things before the children ever enter the kindergarten program or the first-grade program, so much more time can go into the academics and the learning," the superintendent said. "It's also a great benefit for our needy children, children who have some special learning needs, to get them into a program that much sooner."

Maske and the Cedar Rapids district, which doesn't do cohort comparisons between students who attend preschool and those who do not, are doubling down on their preschool program beginning next year. In 2013-14, the district will offer two three-hour preschool sessions in 26 classrooms instead of one four-hour program in 16 rooms.

Maske said it's a move designed to reach even more students and eliminate the program's waiting list. She said 447 students have already enrolled and it has the capacity to serve more than 600 students.

"We feel that we have a high quality program with highly qualified staff," Maske said.