An 18-year study followed the educational progress of 27,814 students in Miami-Dade. At age 4, they attended public school preschool, childcare centers, or childcare programs in private homes. Researchers then tracked their progress while they remained in the public school system.
Students who attended public preschool achieved the best third-grade results in reading, math, and overall grades. Those from childcare centers generally performed better than those from home-based care. Public preschool students were also 35% less likely to repeat third grade than students in the other groups.
Higher-quality elementary schools were linked to better results on average, but they did not remove most differences between the preschool groups. Reading was an exception: children from childcare centers who attended better elementary schools were better able to catch up with public preschool students.
Researchers suggest that the public school system's shared resources and consistent learning plans may help explain its advantage. Public preschool teachers needed at least a bachelor's degree and a teaching qualification, while other programs required less education at the time. Children moving within the district could continue with the same learning plan. All three settings improved children's readiness for school, although public preschools produced greater gains; meanwhile, center- and home-based care have improved since the study began in 2002.
