Two different publicly funded preschool programs exist within Arkansas: Head Start and the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Though philosophically similar, the different programs have dramatically different income eligibility guidelines resulting in classrooms with differing levels of economic diversity. Independent samples t-tests were conducted on initial, final, and growth scores in Personal and Social Development and in the area of Language and Literacy Development. The program with higher income guidelines had higher initial and final scores, but mixed growth scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that starting score was the single greatest predictor of growth and of final scores. Growth was inversely but significantly linked to start score, while final score was significantly linked to start score. No single factor had greater predictive power than starting score. Neither the ABC classroom nor the Head Start classroom demonstrated a significant benefit in growth or final score outcomes at p=0.05.
","abstract_html":"<p>Two different publicly funded preschool programs exist within Arkansas: Head Start and the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Though philosophically similar, the different programs have dramatically different income eligibility guidelines resulting in classrooms with differing levels of economic diversity. Independent samples t-tests were conducted on initial, final, and growth scores in Personal and Social Development and in the area of Language and Literacy Development. The program with higher income guidelines had higher initial and final scores, but mixed growth scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that starting score was the single greatest predictor of growth and of final scores. Growth was inversely but significantly linked to start score, while final score was significantly linked to start score. No single factor had greater predictive power than starting score. Neither the ABC classroom nor the Head Start classroom demonstrated a significant benefit in growth or final score outcomes at p=0.05.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Newcomb, Misty D."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ritter, Gary W.","Crandall, Mardel A."],"advisors":["Henk, Jennifer K."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:15Z","subjects":["Language","literature and linguistics","Education","Arkansas","Head start","Literacy development","Educational Sociology","Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1598","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ritter, Gary W.","Crandall, Mardel A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Henk, Jennifer K."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Newcomb, Misty D."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2016"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-04-06T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Language","literature and linguistics","Education","Arkansas","Head start","Literacy development","Educational Sociology","Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1598"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Two different publicly funded preschool programs exist within Arkansas: Head Start and the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Though philosophically similar, the different programs have dramatically different income eligibility guidelines resulting in classrooms with differing levels of economic diversity. Independent samples t-tests were conducted on initial, final, and growth scores in Personal and Social Development and in the area of Language and Literacy Development. The program with higher income guidelines had higher initial and final scores, but mixed growth scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that starting score was the single greatest predictor of growth and of final scores. Growth was inversely but significantly linked to start score, while final score was significantly linked to start score. No single factor had greater predictive power than starting score. Neither the ABC classroom nor the Head Start classroom demonstrated a significant benefit in growth or final score outcomes at p=0.05.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Social and Emotional Development and Language Outcomes in Mixed Income Preschool Classroom Environments"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ritter, Gary W.","Crandall, Mardel A."],"dc:contributor.advisor":["Henk, Jennifer K."],"dc:creator":["Newcomb, Misty D."],"dc:date":["2016"],"dc:date.available":["2017-04-06T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Two different publicly funded preschool programs exist within Arkansas: Head Start and the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Though philosophically similar, the different programs have dramatically different income eligibility guidelines resulting in classrooms with differing levels of economic diversity. Independent samples t-tests were conducted on initial, final, and growth scores in Personal and Social Development and in the area of Language and Literacy Development. The program with higher income guidelines had higher initial and final scores, but mixed growth scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that starting score was the single greatest predictor of growth and of final scores. Growth was inversely but significantly linked to start score, while final score was significantly linked to start score. No single factor had greater predictive power than starting score. Neither the ABC classroom nor the Head Start classroom demonstrated a significant benefit in growth or final score outcomes at p=0.05.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1598"],"dc:subject":["Language","literature and linguistics","Education","Arkansas","Head start","Literacy development","Educational Sociology","Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education"],"dc:title":["Social and Emotional Development and Language Outcomes in Mixed Income Preschool Classroom Environments"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:15Z"}