National Evaluation of Jumpstart: 2017-2018 Program Year

Jumpstart’s vision is that every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. In service of this vision, Jumpstart has been working to achieve several goals, including 1) creating enriched learning environments where children from underserved neighborhoods are supported in the development of language, literacy, and social-emotional skills, and 2) supporting the development of an early learning workforce. Each year, the Research and Evaluation department evaluates Jumpstart’s progress toward these goals by analyzing both child participant and adult volunteer (i.e., member) outcomes.

During the 2017-2018 program year, a total of 13,035 preschool children were served by 4,054 members. Of the 13,035 children, 9,407 were served through traditional programming, 2,195 through a pilot or other innovative program,i and 1,433 through summer programming.ii

While a variety of implementation models exist, the essential element of Jumpstart’s program remains constant—a caring, dedicated adult (i.e., college student or older adult) who forms nurturing relationships that encourage children to thrive. These adults, called “members,” are trained to use effective strategies and a research-based curriculum that engages preschool-aged children in purposeful interactions and group activities aimed at building the children’s language, literacy, and social-emotional skills. Jumpstart members reduce the in-classroom child-to-adult ratio, allowing children to benefit from a more intensive and individualized learning experience.

Of the 4,054 members providing service during the 2017-2018 program year, 139 did so through summer programs.iii Of the remaining 3,915 providing service during the school year, 151 were older adults serving as community members, and 80 were teachers participating in the Arizona Workforce Development Program. Sixty-six college students participated through San Francisco State University’s Workforce Development Program, 10 through the New York Extended Day Program, and 3,608 through traditional school-year programs.

Similar to last year, Research and Evaluation presents 2017-2018 findings as a collection of mini-reports. This format allows for more in-depth analyses of the outcomes of children participating in different types of programming. You can view the mini-reports below.

Mini-Reports

Major Findings for Children Participating in Jumpstart’s Traditional Programming

Major Findings for Jumpstart’s Curriculum Revisions Pilot

Major Findings for Children Participating in Summer Programs

Major Findings for College and Community Members Participating in Jumpstart’s Traditional Service Model


[i] 125 children were in the Arizona Workforce Development program, 73 were in the Chicago Cohort program, 1,296 were in the Curriculum Revisions pilot, 17 received enhanced classroom assistance time (Enhanced CAT), 85 were in the New York Extended Day program, and 599 were in the San Francisco State University Jumpstart EDVance workforce pilot.
[ii] 125 children were served through National Direct’s Boston summer program, 90 through National Direct’s Chicago summer program, 92 through Serve DC’s Washington, DC Summer program, 102 through Kean University’s summer program, 42 through Roxbury Community College/Bunker Hill Community College’s summer program, 451 through the New York summer program, 121 through National Direct’s Pittsburgh summer program, and 208 through the Los Angeles summer program. Not included in this total are children served during the summer months but not through standalone summer programs (e.g., to fulfill school-year goals): 53 children through DePaul University, 71 through Dominican University, 32 through Georgetown University, 36 through Middlesex/Northern Essex Community Colleges, and 18 through Worcester State University.
[iii] 19 through the Boston Summer Program, 14 through the Chicago Summer Program, 12 through Kean University’s Summer Program, 18 through the Los Angeles Summer Program, 39 through the New York City Summer Program, 7 through Roxbury Community College/Bunker Hill Community College’s Summer Program, 14 through the University of Pittsburgh’s Summer Program, and 16 through the Washington, D.C. Summer Program.

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