Scott Mooneyham nails it. The state needs to get serious about conducting comprehensive evaluations of early childhood programs like “More at Four” and “Smart Start.” He says,
Each year, hundreds of millions of state dollars are spent on preschool and child-care programs in North Carolina. And each year, very little assessment takes place showing exactly what taxpayers are getting for their dollar. … that initial group of Smart Start attendees have now gone through high school. How hard would it be to examine how well they performed through their school years compared to peers from similar socio-economic backgrounds?
Indeed, the “fade-out effect” is a serious concern. If preschool and child care programs do not produce significant gains in social and cognitive development or those initial gains are not sustained as the children go through school, then these programs are simply a waste of money.
It is worth the time and money to find out how these students fare as they progress through school.
