Underachievement in education and the exploration of its factors have been in constant interest in educational research for years. According to McFarland et al., 2017) previously conducted research has found a relationship between family risk factors and negative educational outcomes which include low academic achievement, student retention, and dropping out of secondary education. This quantitative ex post facto research study aimed to investigate if a attending a 4-year-old preschool program impacted third grade English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores in Missouri school districts. Data from 3 rural Missouri school districts were analyzed using district 2022-23 English language arts and mathematics MAP scores. The findings showed a significant difference between MAP scores of students who attended preschool versus those who did not. Therefore, the data indicates that attending a preschool program may have a positive impact on later student academic success in the third-, fourth-, and fifth-grades. [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.]