Georgians love the program. And Boston's Early Learning Center regularly has hundreds of students on its waiting list for 50 pre-k slots. According to numerous studies, high-quality early schooling can help students academically and socially. Furthermore, controlled studies show that students who have attended good preschools tend to be held back less often, graduate from high school at higher rates, and are less likely to be placed in special education classes than those who didn't. Most studies also show improvements in the IQ of students.
Preschool can help children in other ways as well.
For example, students in some programs proved to have fewer behavioral problems, commit fewer and less serious crimes and use welfare less later in life. Because they provide a safe place for children to stay, preschool can also benefit parents. When children are in preschool, parents are more able to work and go to school themselves. A study by Yale researchers indicated that parents of children in several preschools spent less money on childcare, missed work less often as a result of problems with childcare, and felt less stress related to parenting. Even the most enthusiastic advocates of pre-k will tell you that the positive effects only come with high quality schools, however.