ABSTRACT
The education of young children who are at risk for school failure is at a crossroads. Most reviews of preschool intervention programs demonstrate that, from an economic perspective, preschool is by and large a worthwhile investment (Barnett, 1995). In addition to short-term effects on academic achievement, long-term effects of several programs include fewer arrests, fewer teen pregnancies, and higher employment (Gilliam & Zigler, 2000). Depending on the study, researchers have found that for each dollar spent on preschool somewhere between $4 and $8 is saved in later social service costs to society (Barnett, 1995; Karoly et al., 1998).
