Understanding Heterogeneity in the Impact of Public Preschool Programs
Volume 88, Issue 1, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
By Tyler W. Watts, Jade M. Jenkins, Kenneth A. Dodge with Robert C. Carr, Maria Sauval, Yu Bai, Maya Escueta, Jennifer K. Duer, Helen F. Ladd, Clara G. Muschkin, Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, and Elizabeth Ananat
Included in this issue:
Abstract
We test the effects of exposure to North Carolina’s Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) program on academic achievement through grade 5 (n = 1,207,576; 58% White Non-Hispanic, 29% Black Non-Hispanic, 7% Hispanic) by leveraging variation in funding for NC Pre-K across 100 NC counties over 18 years. We find living in a county in a year of comparatively high funding is associated with higher academic achievement for the children of that county, and this effect is larger for Hispanic children and children from mothers with lower levels of education. The effect remains positive across most environments and is larger in some environments marked by greater disadvantage, consistent with a compensatory model in which pre-k provides a buffer against adverse influences. Implications for pre-k scale-up and developmental theory are discussed.
- Access the full Monograph on Wiley Online Library
For the best navigation experience of the large file, download and save a local copy of the issue. You can do this by viewing the PDF in a browser window, then clicking the blue download button in the top right corner of your screen. - Download the Issue Information (includes extended abstract).
About the Authors
Columbia University
University of California Irvine
Duke University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of California, Irvine
Duke University
Duke University
National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)
Duke University
Duke University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Columbia University
Commentaries
A Life Course Perspective on the Promise of Public Preschool by Eric Dearing
Using Research to Advance Implementation of Public Pre-Kindergarten by Brenda Jones Harden
Videos
The Background and Goals of the NC Pre-K Program
How the Findings Apply or Not Apply to Other State-Funded Pre-K Programs
Key Research Questions for the Study
The Contribution of This Study to Early Childhood Development and Education
How This Study Identifies the Effect of NC Pre-K Funding on Children
The Key Results of the Study
