PRESCHOOL EXPANSION GRANT-EVALUATION

ECA has been selected to conduct a 3 year, multi-component evaluation of Maine’s Department of Education Preschool Expansion Grant (PEG). The grant targets 11 of the state’s Regional School Units (RSUs) to expand high-quality early childhood education to four-year-old children whose families earn under 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

Central to the work is the implementation of curriculum, coordination and provision of comprehensive services, family engagement supports, and inclusive services for special populations, as well as joint professional development.

In its first implementation year, 34 early childhood programs located in 22 different School Administrative Units (SAUs) were funded to implement full-day, full-year preschool for 484 four-year-olds through public-private partnerships between the local public school district as the lead education agency (LEA) and Head Start programs. By Year 4, the number of children served is expected to reach 830.

ECA is implementing in collaboration with its partner, the Urban Institute, a set of evaluations that include: 1) a formative evaluation of PEG implementation and PEG-participating children’s development, and 2) an evaluation of the impacts of PEG programs on children and families.
As part of evaluation, ECA will gather data to better understand how each District is implementing their PEG programs and three key areas of PEG quality improvements:

1. Teacher qualifications, compensation, professional development support and classroom quality;
2.  Comprehensive services and family engagement strategies; and
3.  Public-private collaboration to support sustained expansion of high-quality services.

In addition to a State Year End Report, Final Evaluation Reports are prepared for each of the PEG school districts. The 20178-2018 final year district reports will be available in late September. Report copies are available upon request.