Seattle Preschool Program Evaluation

The City of Seattle is in the final year of a four-year demonstration phase for its Seattle Preschool Program. The four-year demonstration phase of SPP has three purposes. The first is to demonstrate that the approved structure is viable. The second is to develop a community infrastructure to improve the quality of preschool programs. The third is to create norms and a process to support continuous quality improvement (CQI) through evaluation. Results from evaluation during the demonstration phase will inform improvements in these efforts. Further improvements include attention to language to and literacy, integration of content across domains in children’s activities, and supports for sustained, reflective thinking as well as personal care routines that contribute to health. This report can additionally prove useful for cities looking for ways to assess ongoing early education reform or program implementation.