Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, director of the Office of Policy and Research, said pre-kindergarten programs can be particularly advantageous for low-income children.  "When you have a high-quality [pre-kindergarten] program, the effects are stunning for low-income children," said Kagan, who is also the College's first Associate Dean for Policy.

Studies have reported just how much pre-K programs can benefit these children.  Research conducted on the life outcomes of Michigan adults who attended a preschool program nearly 40 years earlier found these individuals were more likely to have graduated from high school than a similar group that did not attend the school.  It also found they earned, on average, more than $5,000 more than this peer group and were more likely to own their homes.

The article, entitled "Seattle Expands Children's Program to More Poor Families," appeared in the April 19 edition of Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Published Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2005