Evaluation of Maine’s Preschool Expansion Grant

• In Event: 3-150 - Promoting School Readiness in Low-Income Children: Evaluations of Preschool Expansion Grants in Three States

Integrative Statement

Maine’s federally-funded Preschool Expansion Grant (PEG) supports state and local efforts to build, develop, and expand high-quality preschool programs to four-year-old children whose families earn under 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Since it was awarded in 2014, the Grant has supported preschool programs for nearly 1,500 children in 13 high-need school districts as well as professional development for educators in those districts.
We propose to present findings from our summative evaluation report, including original data collected through classroom quality and curriculum fidelity observations; student assessments; coaching surveys; teacher knowledge and belief surveys; family engagement surveys; administrative data on professional development, teacher characteristics, and student characteristics; and interviews and focus groups conducted with educators and administrators in Maine. We integrate findings from implementation, quality, and outcomes studies to provide a comprehensive summary of Maine Preschool Expansion grant activities. Analyses examine changes over time within and between school districts using data collected in the fall and spring of each grant year. We also compare quality and student outcomes to state and national targets prioritized by state PEG administrators. Finally, we use Kindergarten Entry Assessment data to assess the school readiness of PEG graduates and their non-attending peers at the start of the kindergarten year.
Our findings include aggregate state-level results as well as case studies of individual districts based on district-specific reports produced to inform coaching and program improvement at the classroom and district levels. The results show gains in numerous developmental domains for three cohorts of students as well as potential benefits of coaching and other professional development resources. They also highlight implementation challenges and successes across and within districts, which can inform the state’s efforts to expand and improve programs moving forward.

Authors

• Linda Warren, Early Childhood Associates, Inc.
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Sullivan, Early Childhood Associates, Inc.
  Non-Presenting Author

• Natasha Ramanayake, Early Childhood Associates, Inc.
  Non-Presenting Author

• Heather Sandstrom, Urban Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Erica Greenberg, Urban Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shirley Adelstein, Urban Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cary Lou, Urban Institute
  Non-Presenting Author