The United States Department of Education has been rigorous in holding all states accountable with regard to student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 clearly laid out federal mandates for all schools to follow. K-12 leaders of public schools are very aware of the fact that results in terms of student achievement need to improve amongst all groups of students. This would entail that gaps separating minority and poor students from other students need to be closed. The primary chosen indicator of growth and improvement in student learning in all states is the use of standardized test results. However, it is clear that large disparities in access and quality of education threaten to undermine the efficiency of the standard methods of delivering early childhood education. This in turn lowers the capacity of the public school systems to close achievement gaps. Research has shown that at-risk children can catch up to their peers through participation in high-quality early intervention programs that are aligned with the elementary school program. This study will utilize quantitative research methodology and existing data sets to examine student achievement gains over a two-year period. Learning gains in reading will be examined to determine whether the services provided through the Early Intervention Programs have been effective for those in the program through a comparison of those students who are not in such programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]