GREAT START READINESS PROGRAM
Research Reports

While public investment in preschool has been an increasingly popular social policy and there are numerous studies documenting its positive impacts, it is not without controversy. Most critics questioned whether it is worth the investment, as some studies suggested the impacts could be minimal or fade quickly. Others challenged the validity of the studies, as many existing findings were based on small samples or subject to selection bias. To build on the success of GSRP and help address these concerns, this evaluation study aims to answer these questions:

  • Is GSRP equitably accessible to 4-year-old eligible children across geographic, racial/ethnic and income subgroups?
  • What is the impact of GSRP on 4-year-olds’ academic growth? What are the economic returns to ISDs and comparative cost-effectiveness?
  • How do different GSRP quality and implementation strategies relate to preschool outcomes?
  • What do GSRP’s program evaluations reveal about how the initiative has evolved over time?

*Some resources are pending publication and are not available online.

Accessibility

  • Middle-Income Families Used Public Pre-K Targeting Low-Income Families: Lessons from A COVID Policy Change*
    Under review | Journal article
    Author(s): Jamie Heng-Chieh Wu, Hope O. Akaeze, Bethany Wilinski and Alyssa Morley
  • Geographically Weighted Regression: A Spatial Lens for Assessing Equity in Educational Resources*
    Under review | Journal article
    Author(s): ​Hope Akaeze, Steven R. Miller and Jamie Heng-Chieh Wu
  • Who Attends Public Pre-Kindergarten? A Model-Based Approach to Understanding Similarities and Differences Among Michigan Public Pre-K Students*
    Under review | Journal article
    Author(s): ​Jamie Heng-Chieh Wu and Hope Akaeze
  • Using The Child Opportunity Index to Examine Equity in Access to A State-Funded Preschool Program*
    Under review | Journal article
    Author(s): Jamie Heng-Chieh Wu, Hope Akaeze, Robert W. Ressler and Steven R. Miller
  • Fostering Equitable Early Education in Michigan
    May 2022 | Media engagement from diversitydatakids.org
    Author(s): Leah Shafer

Impact

Quality and Implementation​

Program Evaluations