Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 26

24 and those who had not. These differences were present at each testing period. BOY No Pre-K and Pre-K center (105.94 p < .001), and no Pre-K and Satellite Pre-K (126.47 p <.001). MOY No Pre-K and Pre-K center (63.52 p =.022), and no Pre-K and Satellite Pre-K (71.85 p =.015). EOY No Pre-K and Pre-K center (76.64 p =.001), and no Pre-K and Satellite Pre-K (95.57 p < .001). There were no statistically significant differences in the pair - wise comparisons between students who attended a Pre-K center and students who attended a Pre-K Satellite campus. The ANOVA demonstrated statistically significant differences in ISIP scores for students who had and had not attended Pre-K at each testing period. BOY F(2, 988)=12.473, p =.000; MOY F(2, 988)=3.645, p =.026; and EOY F(2, 988)=8.367, p =.000. Students who attended a Pre-K center or a Pre-K satellite scored higher than students who did not attend Pre-K at each testing period. The results for Research Question 2 demonstrate there are differences in student performance on the Kindergarten ISIP Español assessment between those who attended a district run Pre-K program and those who were eligible to attend but did not. Students who attended a district run Pre-K program scored significantly higher than those students who did not. Implications According to National Institute for Early Education Research high quality early childhood education is a major contributing factor to ensure at-risk students receive the best possible educa - tion (Barnett, Carolan, Fitzgerald, & Squires, 2011). The article goes on to state that students who have had the opportunity to attend a high quality early childhood program have displayed higher scores on federally mandated state assessments, expe- rienced a higher graduation rate, received a lower referral rate to special education, and a greater earning potential compared to similar peers who did not have the benefit of receiving early childhood services (Barnett, 2011; Barnett et al., 2011 Gormley, Phillips, Adelstein, & Shaw, 2009). The results of the current study were aligned with results conducted in previous studies which state that students who attend a high quality early childhood program will experience future academic success (Gormley, 2014; Puma et al., 2012; Na - tional Head Start Association, 2015; Stanfield-McGarrah, 2016). Conclusion As stated by Barnett (2011), the benefits a child receives from a high quality early childhood education include: higher academic performance, a higher graduation rate, higher earning potential post high school, a lower referral rate to special education, and a reduced chance of incarceration later in life. A great deal of research has been conducted on the benefits a child receives from participating in a high-quality early childhood education program (U.S. Department of Education, 2011; Yoshikawa et al., 2013; Ziegler & Muenchow, 1992). The majority of these studies have shown a positive correlation between attendance in a high-qual- ity early childhood program and future academic success. The same studies have also found that students who participate in a high-quality Pre-K program are more likely to perform at a high - er academic level on federal and state mandated assessments. It has also been discovered that a child who participates in an early childhood program is more likely to graduate high school, which has been shown to potentially have an overall positive impact on the student’s life. Students who attend high-quality Pre-K are also less likely to be referred to Special Education and less likely to be incarcerated in state or federal prison. In the State of Texas, a child must meet one of four criteria to be eligible to receive Pre-K services. These eligibility criteria require the child to: fall under the state code for being considered economically disadvantaged, be a second language learner, be a participant in the foster care system, or be a dependent of a person actively serving in the mil- itary or a dependent of a man or woman killed in active military service. The at-risk students who meet one or more of the criteria to receive early childhood services are society’s most precious commodity. They deserve the chance to receive every opportunity possible to be successful in life. This study added to the body of literature finding that students who attend a high quality early childhood education perform significantly higher than their peers who were eligible to receive these services but did not. References Barnett, W. S. (2008). Why governments should invest in early education. CESifo DICE Report, 6 (2), 9-14. Barnett, W. S. (2011). Preschool education as an educational reform: Issues of effectiveness and access. Retrieved from http://nieer.org Barnett, W. S. Carolan, M. E., Fitzgerald, J., & Squires, J. H., (2011). The state of preschool 2011 . Brunswick, NY: National Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from http:// neieer.org James Alton Howard, Ed.D.