Page 19 - Microsoft Word - School Readiness and Parenting Outcomes from ECE-Full Report.doc

INCREASES IN SCHOOL READINESS FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AS REPORTED BY PARENTS
CCRC’s programs lead to significant gains in school readiness for children: 94.7% ofparents report increases in their children’s readiness for kindergarten.
Parents from our Head Start, FCCHEN, Enrichment, PAT, and Mommy and Me programs completed the same instrument measuring school readiness in their child and measuring their own parenting skills. This measurement tool was a retrospective-pretest posttest asking parents to rate their children’s school readiness interest and skills before and after the program in the following domains: My child’s interest in going to school, My child’s interest in singing and dancing, My child’s interest in books, My child’s interest in the alphabet, My child’s interest in art, My child’s interest in numbers, My child’s interest in learning, My child’s readiness to start school, My child’s ability to speak English, My child’s vocabulary, My child’s self-confidence, and My child’s independence. For ease of presentation, the scores on these items were averaged to create one “School Readiness” score. Children’s school readiness skills changed dramatically from before to after the program. Prior to the program 29% of children were rated as ready for school whereas after the program 92.10% were rated as ready (See Figure 24). Overall, 94.7% of children increased their level of school readiness skills from before to after their participation in CCRC’s school readiness programs.
Figure 24. Change in School Readiness Skills from Before to After Program
100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0%
0.0%
Before Program
7.9% After
Program
29.0%
92.1% 71.0%
Fair/Great None/Low
Additionally, we tested to see if the increases in each of the school readiness domains were statistically significant by conducting dependent t-tests comparing the scores before and the scores after the program. All items as well as the overall School Readiness composite score showed statistically significant gains from before to after the program, p < .001.
In conclusion, CCRC’s programs result in statistically significant increases in School Readiness skills in children in the areas of: interest in school, dancing, books, the alphabet, art, numbers, learning, school readiness, ability to speak English, vocabulary, self-confidence, and independence.
Parents remark on how CCRC’s programs have impacted their children’s readiness for school...
“The Head Start program has really helped my child to learn, speak, and to know how to communicate.” “To write his name. To wash his hands before going to the restroom. To brush his teeth.”
“She has learned to use her words when upset. She has taken on responsibility for herself (her actions). She is now more ready to go to kindergarten.”
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