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Preschool benefits last into adulthood, study says Published: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 1:00 PM
 By The Associated PressThe Associated Press
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CHICAGO -- Preschool has surprisingly enduring benefits lasting well into adulthood, according to one of the biggest, longest follow-up studies of its kind.
 Times-Picayun archiveThe study's authors theorize that intensive early childhood experiences at preschool build intellectual skills, social adjustment and motivation that help children better navigate high-risk environments.
Better jobs, less drug abuse and fewer arrests are among advantages found in the study that tracked more than 1,000 low-income, mostly black Chicago kids for up to 25 years.
Michael Washington was one of them. Now a 31-year-old heating and air conditioning contractor, Washington attended a year of preschool at Chicago's intensive Child-Parent Center Education Program when he was 4.
The ongoing publicly funded program focuses on language development, scholastic skills and building self-confidence. It involves one or two years of half-day preschool, and up to four additional years of educational and family services in grade school. Preschool teachers have college degrees and are certified in early childhood education, and parents are encouraged to be involved in the classes.
Washington lived in an impoverished West Side community and has strong memories of preschool field trips to the library, zoo and planetarium where he learned to love science. He says he'll never forget the strong influence of his preschool teachers.
"You expect your mom and dad to care for you. But when a stranger, who has no ties to you whatsoever, takes the time to invest in you, takes the time to listen, that makes you open your eyes bigger," said Washington, now living in Blue Island, Ill. "It was real cool."
Washington got good grades in elementary and high school, and attended two years of college at Chicago State University. Unlike other kids he knew from the neighborhood who didn't attend preschool, he says he never tried drugs and was never arrested.
The study tracked nearly 900 children into adulthood who attended the program in the early 1980s, and compared them to almost 500 low-income Chicago youngsters, most of whom didn't attend preschool.
The results were published Thursday in the online version of the journal Science. They bolster findings from similar, smaller studies and show that high-quality preschool "gives you your biggest bang for the buck," said Dr. Pamela High, chair of an American Academy of Pediatrics committee that deals with early childhood issues. She was not involved in the study.
Though many preschool kids also got extra services in grade school, including intensive reading instruction, the researchers found the most enduring effects, particularly for non-academic success, were due to one or two years of preschool. The authors theorize that those intensive early childhood experiences built intellectual skills, social adjustment and motivation that helped children better navigate their high-risk environments.
To be sure, the challenges facing the children in both groups were still insurmountable to many. As adults, the average annual income for those who went to preschool is less than $12,000 and almost half of them had been arrested as adults. As dismal as those outcomes, the numbers were still better than for the group that didn't attend preschool. And experts not involved in the study called the results impressive.
"To still show really any advantage for such a long period of time is remarkable and noteworthy," said Kyle Snow, director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children's applied research center.
The study's lead researcher, Arthur Reynolds of the University of Minnesota, said the differences between the groups are meaningful and translate to big savings to society for kids who attended preschool.
The average cost per child for 18 months of preschool in 2011 is $9,000, but Reynolds' cost-benefit analysis suggests that leads to at least $90,000 in benefits per child in terms of increased earnings, tax revenue, less criminal behavior, reduced mental health costs and other measures, he said.
"No other social program for children and youth has been shown to have that level of return on investment," he said.
Among the study results:
--80 percent of the preschool group finished high school versus 75 percent of the others;
--Nearly 15 percent of the preschool group attended a four-year college, versus 11 percent of the others;
--28 percent of the preschool group had skilled jobs requiring post-high school training versus 21 percent of the others;
--Average annual adult income for the preschool group was about $11,600 versus $10,800 for the others. The low average incomes include zero earnings for those in prison and close to that for adults who were still in college or studying elsewhere.
--14 percent of the preschool group had abused drugs in adulthood versus 19 percent of the others;
--48 percent of the preschool group had been arrested in adulthood and 15 percent had been incarcerated, versus 54 percent of the others arrested and 21 percent incarcerated.
The results are based on public records, administrative data and interviews with study participants.
A spokeswoman for Chicago's public schools noted that newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel committed during his campaign to ensuring that the city's highest-risk kids have access to early childhood programs.
And despite cuts to state early childhood funding, public preschool and kindergarten programs in Chicago have not been slashed for next year, she said.
By Lindsey Tanner, AP medical writer
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rhettswifeJune 12, 2011 at 1:15PM
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Nearly thirty years ago this program began in Chicago. How many other lives may have been changed if the program had been made obligatory for all children. Costly, yes. However, how many other lives may have been changed and cities developed & improved instead of going down the tubes?
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whatever5375June 12, 2011 at 1:35PM
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Yep, no new taxes= no new pre-schools. Are you tired of paying taxes for people who don't work, even if they're kids?
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9wbbc391June 12, 2011 at 1:46PM
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I just don’t know how the human race has existed on the earth for thousands of years without preschool. Typical liberal program blowing in the wind. Maybe certain individuals of all races should not be allowed to reproduce if they can’t take care of their children.
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mike_dJune 12, 2011 at 1:55PM
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Is that the only argument you've got. The human race didn't have electricity, nor mechanical farming techniques, for thousands of years either. Just sayin'.
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Jeff KennerJune 12, 2011 at 1:48PM
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"No other social program for children and youth has been shown to have that level of return on investment," he said.
"A spokeswoman for Chicago's public schools noted that newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel committed during his campaign to ensuring that the city's highest-risk kids have access to early childhood programs."
This is pre education not a social program. Make it available to all or make it available to none.
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IGetitJune 12, 2011 at 1:56PM
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This Article sounds encouraging BUT what they DON'T Mention is WHAT is being taught to 3 year olds UP to 12th Graders today even in Louisiana. The NEW Civic Books that were approved by Gov. Jindal in LA in the summer of 2010 are TOTALLY and Disgusting with Socilist Progressive Communist Marxist lies about Americans. I saw the Books. They are currently 1 Book in 1 School District in La. I can only asume they will be more each year. I have a friend looking into finding out 'IF' Gov. Jindal Actually KNOWS what he approved or took the word of someone on his Staff. PARENTS BE AWARE! WAKE UP AND READ YOUR KIDS SCHOOL BOOKS! FULL of VERY Bad Lies about America. Totally MARXIST!! This is going on all over the Country, I'm sure in Chicago - known as the Thug city of cities. Even their Politicians have NO CLUE between Right and Wrong. Why do you think that's Common? Their Education that's why.
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IGetitJune 12, 2011 at 1:57PM
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This Article sounds encouraging BUT what they DON'T Mention is WHAT is being taught to 3 year olds UP to 12th Graders today even in Louisiana. The NEW Civic Books that were approved by Gov. Jindal in LA in the summer of 2010 are TOTALLY and Disgusting with Socilist Progressive Communist Marxist lies about Americans. I saw the Books. They are currently 1 Book in 1 School District in La. I can only asume they will be more each year. I have a friend looking into finding out 'IF' Gov. Jindal Actually KNOWS what he approved or took the word of someone on his Staff. PARENTS BE AWARE! WAKE UP AND READ YOUR KIDS SCHOOL BOOKS! FULL of VERY Bad Lies about America. Totally MARXIST!! This is going on all over the Country, I'm sure in Chicago - known as the Thug city of cities. Even their Politicians have NO CLUE between Right and Wrong. Why do you think that's Common? Their Education that's why.
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mike_dJune 12, 2011 at 2:03PM
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Great post, but you forgot to end it with the "WAKE UP AMERICA" in-all-caps statement.
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mike_dJune 12, 2011 at 1:59PM
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Ok, I am not trying to knock preschool, and I don't doubt that it has some benefits, but how do we know the correlation isn't something else, like I don't know: middle class and/or parents who actually care about their kids more likely to send their kids to preschool in the first place.
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IGetitJune 12, 2011 at 2:28PM
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Mike_D - you sound like a True American Patriot! Smart too!
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blackopsJune 12, 2011 at 3:19PM
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seems to me what the preschools are trying to teach should have already been done by the parents. just a thought.
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UIdjitJune 12, 2011 at 5:35PM
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I read to my children, taught them their colors, numbers and alphabet long before they ever entered a school. It really is too bad that parents think it's the state or federal government's responsibility to teach their children.
It's very easy to point out words , colors, and numbers just walking through a grocery or department store. I'll never forget when my oldest child, at 2 years old, pointed to the door at the doctor's office and proudly announced that he knew the sign above it read "EXIT".
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zagreb222June 12, 2011 at 3:50PM
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We have reached the point where Head Start has been available for all, for almost two decades, and the schools still have more than 50% drop out rates in many areas, our kids can't perfom at levels approaching a basic understanding and kids with HS diplomas that read on a fourth grade level. Head start is a failure if it is judged by its actual results. If Head Start worked the schools of our central cities wouldn't be so dysfunctional. If Head Start worked we would have good results form the LEAP test, we don't. The facts impress me more than that report. Kids with Head Start don't excell, a large plurality don't even get out of HS.
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DarkQuarkJune 12, 2011 at 5:32PM
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So seriously, did we actually pay money to find out that what your learn in early life are lessons for the rest of it?
I think next we should pay for a study to verify that when you don't eat you get hungry. We could follow 1000 people for 25 years to make sure it does not change.
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xman20002000June 12, 2011 at 7:58PM
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What is Gov. Jindal's commitment to education... Why not have TP intervew him on his funding initiatives and past programs.... Looking at the photo anyone with something negative to sat is a jack a** but typical of a so-called broke Republican...
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