Determining System Components and Recommendations for Improvement and Resources for PHLpre-K

Recent results from the Evaluation of the Philadelphia PreK Program Year 2 revealed that although sample classrooms are providing moderate levels of quality in emotional support for children and in organizational practices in the classroom, teacher-child interactions are rarely observed that are likely to lead to improved learning outcomes. Children are afforded opportunities to engage in a variety of activity settings but spend too much time in activities that will not lead to learning. Additionally, these results did not vary in any systematic way (e.g. classrooms in public schools or with higher STAR ratings did not score better than other classrooms.) Higher quality classrooms, defined as those that exhibit less time in transition, more time with content areas, more scaffolded learning and more often integrate content, represented a small fraction of the sample. Not surprisingly, given these classroom practices, the study did not find positive effects of the program on children’s learning gains.