The Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Proficiency Longitudinal Study examines the long-term impact of participation in Arkansas’s ABC Pre-K program, which provides high-quality early education to children with developmental and socioeconomic risk factors. By comparing educational outcomes for students who participated in ABC Pre-K with those who did not, the study explores how participation relates to proficiency and other outcomes throughout students’ K–12 education. Findings from the study indicate that the benefits associated with ABC participation extend beyond kindergarten and persist through high school.
The study was conducted by the Arkansas Research Center (ARC), based at the University of Central Arkansas. Established in 2009 to support the development of Arkansas’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System, ARC works with state agencies and other partners to use research and data to examine outcomes, address stakeholder priorities, and inform decision-making across Arkansas.
Access the full study report here.