LA 4

The Louisiana Department of Education has contracted with the Picard Center to evaluate the state’s LA 4 program. The nationally recognized prekindergarten program began in 2001 with the passage of Senate Bill 776 and was modeled after the Starting Points prekindergarten program, which began in the 1992-1993 school year. 

For the past seven years, the Picard Center has provided annual research and evaluation on the LA 4 program, and results of the PreK program consistently show that high-quality early childhood education positively impacts the academic success of at-risk children. Reports by the Picard Center have also shown improved iLEAP and LEAP test scores, reduced kindergarten retention, lowered special education placement rates and significant gains in the academic areas of Language, Print and Mathematics.

The Picard Center is proud to collaborate with Dr. Craig Ramey, the Georgetown Distinguished Professor of Health and Education and the Director of the Georgetown Center on Health and Education, in its LA 4 analysis. 

Interested in the outcomes of your district’s prekindergarten programs? The Picard Center can work with you to gather high-quality, in-depth data on your district’s prekindergarten programs and compile a customized report on program outcomes, including LA 4, Title I, and 8(g) and any other initiatives in your district. 

Longitudinal Data

In Spring 2013, the Picard Center released the outcomes of the LA4 Longitudinal Study, which reports for the first time data about the academic achievement for first full cohort of LA4 as they completed the eighth grade. Download the technical brief and slide presentation below.

Technical Brief: Eight-Grade Outcomes for LA 4 Cohort 1 Students 

Slide Presentation: LA 4 Prekindergarten Program Longitudinal Outcomes