Citation

Tietze W. Early Child Res. Q. 1987; 2(2): 133-153.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1987, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0885-2006(87)90040-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A study was conducted in West Germany to evaluate the effects of preschool education on elementary school success. The study, which is based on data routinely collected from official statistics, uses a nonexperimental design. The unit of analysis is a group of children admissible to school within a catchment area of an elementary school. A random sample for the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia is followed until the end of the four-year elementary school. The analysis is based on structural equation models. Criteria for school success or failure are (a) the proportion of children retained at the beginning of school because they lacked school readiness, (b) the proportion retained in grade, and (c) the proportion assigned to special education. Preschool produced a consistent and lasting effect on success until the end of elementary schooling. Evaluation using routinely collected data in replicable structural models is a valuable strategy for education system control and improvement.