Working Paper: NBER ID: w18598
Authors: Rodney J. Andrews; Paul Jargowsky; Kristin Kuhne
Abstract: There has been a resurgence in research that investigates the efficacy of early investments as a means of reducing gaps in academic performance. However, the strongest evidence for these effects comes from experimental evaluations of small, highly enriched programs. We add to this literature by assessing the extent to which a large-scale public program, Texas's targeted pre-Kindergarten (pre-K), affects scores on math and reading achievement tests, the likelihood of being retained in grade, and the probability that a student receives special education services. We find that having participated in Texas's targeted pre-K program is associated with increased scores on the math and reading sections of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), reductions in the likelihood of being retained in grade, and reductions in the probability of receiving special education services. We also find that participating pre-K increases mathematics scores for students who take the Spanish version of the TAAS tests. These results show that even modest, public pre-K program implemented at scale can have important effects on students educational achievement
Keywords: prekindergarten; academic performance; Texas; education policy
JEL Codes: H52; I20; I21; I28; J38
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Participation in the pre-K program (I21) | Increased scores on the math section of TAAS (C29) |
| Participation in the pre-K program (I21) | Increased scores on the reading section of TAAS (A14) |
| Participation in the pre-K program (I21) | Lower likelihood of grade retention (I21) |
| Participation in the pre-K program (I21) | Decreased probability of receiving special education services (I24) |
| Economic disadvantage and limited English proficiency (I24) | Increased scores on the reading section of TAAS (A14) |