New Study Finds Frog Street Pre-K Curriculum Boosts Kindergarten Readiness

Independent research shows students taught with Frog Street curriculum enter kindergarten more prepared than peers.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 7:36pm

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A vibrant, high-contrast silkscreen print featuring a repeating grid of brightly colored children's books and educational toys, capturing the energy and importance of early childhood education programs.A bold, colorful illustration celebrating the impact of evidence-based early childhood education curricula on kindergarten readiness.Southlake Today

A new study by the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University found that students taught using the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum demonstrated higher kindergarten readiness compared to similar students taught using the district's standard Creative Curriculum approach. The study, which meets ESSA Tier 3 (Promising Evidence) standards, showed statistically significant gains across developmental domains, with the strongest impact for English learner students.

Why it matters

As districts and early childhood programs place increasing emphasis on evidence-based decision-making, independent validation of curriculum effectiveness is becoming essential. This study provides clear, credible evidence to support curriculum selection and investment decisions, helping bridge the gap between research and real-world application.

The details

Conducted in Guilford County Schools, one of the largest and most diverse districts in North Carolina, the study compared 223 students taught using Frog Street across 9 schools with 641 students in 36 schools using Creative Curriculum. Students taught with Frog Street scored higher on the kindergarten readiness assessment (NC-ELI), with a statistically significant impact equivalent to a 10-percentile gain. Gains were observed across all developmental domains, with the strongest impact in physical development. The study also found particularly notable gains for English learner students, who scored 0.9 points higher than their peers, representing a large effect size of +0.62.

  • The study evaluated implementation during the 2023 to 2024 school year and followed students into kindergarten in 2024 to 2025.

The players

Frog Street

A leading provider of early childhood education solutions, including the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum.

Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University

The research institution that conducted the independent study on the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum.

Guilford County Schools

A large, diverse school district in North Carolina that participated in the study, using both the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum and the district's standard Creative Curriculum approach.

Lee Ramsayer

The CEO of Frog Street.

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What they’re saying

“Independent research reinforces what educators see every day: the right tools, high-quality instruction, and strong professional development help teachers deliver better outcomes for children.”

— Lee Ramsayer, CEO, Frog Street

The takeaway

This study provides strong, real-world evidence that the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum can significantly boost kindergarten readiness, particularly for English learner students, offering district and program leaders credible data to support curriculum selection and investment decisions.