Masters Theses
Date of Award
8-1987
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Major Professor
W. Jean Schindler
Committee Members
Roger Frey, Susan Benner
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement of educationally handicapped children who have participated in a preschool program with those who have not participated in a preschool experience. The null hypotheses tested were; (a) there is no significant difference between academic achievement scores upon completion of first and second grade for children who have participated in preschool and those who have not, and (b) there is no marked difference between academic achievement scores of current preschool and non-preschool participants as compared to scores reported in Kirk's study of 1958.
The population certified by school psychologists as Mentally Retarded,, Specific Learning Disabled, Severely Emotionally Disturbed, or Speech and Language Impaired in nine elementary schools of the Knoxville City School System for the school year 1985-1986 for grades one and two was selected for sampling. Data was gathered from individual cumulative record files for 39 subjects, 19 preschool participants and 20 nonparticipants. Data included scores for Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and for achievement tests administered during first and second grades.
Statistical comparison of IQ median scores using the Mann-Whitney (U) Test determined similarity of population distribution for present experimental (preschool participants) and contrast (non-participants in preschool) group children. An F test was applied to mean scores for reading and math achievement tests expressed in percentile ranks to determine whether or not significance was achieved for present experimental versus contrast groups of children and present versus 1958 experimental and contrast groups of children.
The results of this study indicate that present educationally handicapped children who have attended a preschool program do not differ significantly in academic achievement on first and second grade levels from those children who did not participate in a preschool program. A second indication of this study is that preschool children who are certified educationally handicapped are not performing significantly better in academic skills than similar preschool children of 30 years ago.
Recommended Citation
Dailey, Laura P., "Preschool intervention for educationally handicapped children and related academic achievement. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1987.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/13444
