
HighScope Preschool
Blueprints Program Rating: Promising
A preschool program that builds cognitive skills and attitudes for school success by increasing opportunities for active learning. In the long term, it aims to prevent adolescent delinquency and school dropout among "high risk" children and improve their lives as adults.
Program Outcomes
- Academic Performance
- Adult Crime
- Delinquency and Criminal Behavior
- Dropout/High School Graduation
- Cognitive Development
- Employment
- Post Secondary Education
- Preschool Communication/Language Development
- School Readiness
Program Type
- Academic Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Home Visitation
- Parent Training
- Social Emotional Learning
Program Setting
- Home
- School
Continuum of Intervention
- Selective Prevention (Elevated Risk)
Age
- Early Childhood (3-4) - Preschool
Gender
- Male and Female
Race/Ethnicity
- All Race/Ethnicity
Endorsements
- : Promising
- : Effective
- : Effective
- : 3.1-3.8
Program Information Contact
HighScope Educational Research Foundation
600 North River Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898
Phone: 800.587.5639
Fax: 734.485.0704
www.highscope.org
Program Developer/Owner
- David Weikart
- Deceased
Brief Description of the Program
The HighScope curriculum is an educational approach originally based largely on Piaget's interactional theory of child development. This curriculum aims to promote active learning by providing many opportunities for children to initiate their own activities and take responsibility for completing them. Most of the children attend the program for two years at ages 3 and 4. The classroom program meets for half-days (2.5 hours per day), five days a week for 7 months of the year, with 90-minute weekly home visits by preschool teachers. The staff to child ratio is one adult for every five or six children. In addition, program staff facilitate monthly small group meetings of parents.
See: Full Description
Outcomes
Compared to children in the control group, children attending the treatment preschool:
- scored significantly and substantially higher than control-group children on standardized aptitude tests administered in the preschool years.
- demonstrated significantly higher vocabulary skills through the two preschool years and two years beyond preschool.
- evidenced somewhat higher scores on aptitude and achievement measures and teacher ratings of academic potential from kindergarten to fourth grade.
- were less likely to be placed in special education programs (through age 14) or retained in grade (through grade 4).
- showed a significant decrease in self-reported delinquent behavior at age 14 and officially reported crime and delinquency at age 19.
- had significantly higher grade point averages and were more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in further training or education, and be employed at age 19.
- had significantly better educational outcomes, averaged significantly fewer lifetime criminal arrests, and had higher mean monthly earnings at age 27.
- showed few statistically significant differences at age 40.
A reanalysis of the data from ages 19 to 40 found that the intervention:
- mostly helped education and early employment of women (ages 19 and 27) and later-life income, employment, and criminal activity of men (ages 27 and 40).
Replication studies added findings to the main evaluation. Compared to control children, treatment children:
- had more initiative and better social relations but not higher scores on cognitive indicators.
- showed non-significant effects on official records of delinquent behavior at age 15 but significant effects on felony arrests at age 23.
Race/Ethnicity/Gender Details
Although the program applies in principle to all races and ethnicities, the long-term evaluation studied a sample of African American children. Results showed many significant differences in program effects between males and females.