Eric.ed.gov – Making Pre-K Count: Improving Math Instruction in New York City

In the context of a persistent achievement lag among low-income children despite substantial investments in early education, policymakers and practitioners continue to seek ways to improve the quality of children’s preschool experiences. The Making Pre-K Count study addresses whether strengthening prekindergarten (pre-K) instruction in math, hypothesized to be a “linchpin” skill in children’s development, can improve children’s short- and longer-term learning. Specifically, the study rigorously evaluated the effect of an evidence-based math curriculum called Building Blocks along with ongoing training and in-classroom coaching, relative to the typical pre-K experience. Making Pre-K Count took place in 69 pre-K sites and over 170 classrooms across New York City. Thirty-five of the pre-K sites were assigned to receive the math curriculum, training, and coaching over two years (the “BB-MPC” group), while the other 34 were assigned to continue their typical programming (as the “pre-K-as-usual” group). Outcomes for children were assessed in the second year of the study, after teachers were familiar with the program. Over the course of the study, the typical pre-K experience in New York City was changing rapidly, with a new focus on the Common Core math standards and a major expansion into universal pre-K. This initial report provides early results on teachers and children at the end of pre-K during the second year of Making Pre-K Count implementation. Two appendices are included: (1) Baseline Equivalence of Teachers, Parents, and Children Across Program and Control Groups; and (2) Analysis Model.