PDF: SRG Annual Report 08-09

NASHVILLE -- Children attending state-funded prekindergarten programs do better academically than their peers, but the gains appear to diminish by second grade, a new state comptroller's report says.

The Comptroller's Offices of Research and Education Accountability commissioned the report as part of its ongoing effort to look at pre-k's impact on student performance in later years. The report, done under contract by the Strategic Research Group, represented an effort to use other types of data to bolster earlier, similar findings.

"This analysis of year-end assessments in kindergarten reveals that students participating in the pre-k program demonstrated an increase in school readiness, such as language and math skills, which confirms that this objective of the state's pre-k program is being met," said Phil Doss, director of the Offices of Research and Education Accountability.

But the examination also found "the effects tend to fade over time, and that there is significant variation in the types of pre-k curricula students are exposed to statewide, which makes it difficult to assess the impact of program characteristics," he said.

A number of other national studies have found similar fading effects. But the latest Tennessee report drew criticism, with education department spokeswoman Rachel Woods saying the Bredesen administration is "really skeptical" about the findings.

"We've expressed that in the past," Ms. Woods said, adding there is a lack of meaningful testing data in earlier grades.

She questioned whether the latest report addresses data problems.

We don't even require tests in the second grade," she said. "(There) are only a very small group (of schools) who do it."

Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga, a House Education Committee member, said she wants to examine the poll's methodology.

"We've seen studies before, and when we go in and take a look at the methodology they've used, oftentimes we've found errors and inappropriate approaches," she said.

Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, has pushed hard to expand pre-k and has basked in national praise in some circles over Tennessee's strides.

Since 2005, the state has helped fund 786 new pre-k classrooms serving 15,000 4-year-olds, bringing the state total to 934 classrooms serving about 18,000 children.

But many Republicans have been critical of pre-k, pointing to other studies that show the programs have little long-term impact. In 2008, legislative Republicans pushed to cut state general appropriations to pre-k and substitute the money with lottery revenues.

Gov. Bredesen charged it was an attempt to undermine the program.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, R-College Grove, said the new report underscores GOP concerns.

"It's the second grade when we lose them," he said. "So if we spend all this money and we only get a two-year bump and then, all of a sudden, they're back equal to with their peers who didn't go through pre-k. Why is it not a better investment for the taxpayers of Tennessee to put that money into k-12?"

Dr. Diane Neighbors, chairwoman of the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education, said the new report "does not contain new data or draw any new conclusions about the state's voluntary pre-k program."

"The fact remains that the pre-k program is doing exactly what it was intended to do -- prepare at-risk 4-year-olds for kindergarten and put them on par with their peers," she said. "We look forward to seeing additional studies, not a rehashing of old data."