Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs provide skills needed for successful kindergarten strides, especially for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While Florida’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program currently serves most four-year-olds, some educators have questioned the program’s quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of Florida’s VPK program on kindergarten readiness and academic achievement for students attending the program in one county's VPK (CVPK) when compared to students who did not attend approved VPK programs in this county. (author abstract)