Louise B. Miller
Rondeall P. Bizzell
University of Louisville

Our four-program comparison was not designed to determine the effects of
preschool versus no preschool, but rather to compare the characteristics and
effects of four different programs. It was established by 1968 that significant
cognitive gains could be acheived by young disadvantaged children who experi-
enced preschool programs of several different types ( Bereiter & Engelmann,
1966; Gray & Klaus, 1965; Gray, Klaus, Miller, & Forrester, 1966; Hodges,
McCandless, & Spicker, 1967; Southern & Plant, 1972; Sprigle, Van de Riet, &
Van de Riet, 1967; Weikart, 1970; pp. 186 - 196 ).

On the basis of the philosophies underlying various programs it was expected
that some would have immediate effects on children whereas the effects of other
programs (less remedial and more oriented towards providing foundational expe-
riences) might not appear until several years later. For this reason, and in order to
check on how lasting any effects would be, the study was designed to be a
longitudinal experiment lasting from prekindergarten through second grade. Be-
cause different approaches to preschool education reflected different convictions
regarding how children learn and develop, it appeared that comparing the effects
on children of various programs would not only have practical value but would
also provide information about developmental hypotheses. Also, because there
was a consensus in the research community that testing IQ was a very limited
way to measure the success of programs that were oriented toward longterm
development, the experiment was designed to assess other competencies as well
as motivation, attitudes, and classroom behaviors.

-171-