Afterschool programs offer an important avenue for enhancing educational opportunities. Federal, state, and local educational authorities increasingly see them as environments to improve attitudes toward school, achievement, and academic performance (Fashola, 2002; Hollister, 2003) with higher levels of student participation and engagement in…

This study examined parents' perspective on the effectiveness of the Detroit Public Schools kindergarten program and public school alternatives. Surveys were mailed to the homes of 3,000 families with children enrolled in a Detroit Public Schools (DPS) kindergarten program. A total of 340 surveys were completed and returned, for a return rate of…

The Preschool Teacher Survey was designed to gather information on the experience of preschool teachers in the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and their perceptions of program effectiveness regarding student cognitive development, school readiness, parent involvement, and stability of classroom enrollment. The 12-item survey was distributed,…

This Preschool Parent Survey was designed to gather information on parents' perceptions of the Detroit Public School (DPS) preschool program and to assess the child care needs of parents of the district's preschool students. The 18-item questionnaire was mailed to the homes of 2,000 families in Detroit. Of the 2,000 surveys, 640 were completed and…