Working Paper: NBER ID: w28268
Authors: Martha J. Bailey; Shuqiao Sun; Brenden D. Timpe
Abstract: This paper evaluates the long-run effects of Head Start using large-scale, restricted 2000-2018 Census-ACS data linked to the SSA’s Numident file, which contains exact date and county of birth. Using the county rollout of Head Start between 1965 and 1980 and age-eligibility cutoffs for school entry, we find that Head Start generated large increases in adult human capital and economic self-sufficiency, including a 0.65-year increase in schooling, a 2.7-percent increase in high-school completion, an 8.5-percent increase in college enrollment, and a 39-percent increase in college completion. These estimates imply sizable, long-term returns to public investments in large-scale preschool programs.
Keywords: Head Start; Human Capital; Economic Self-Sufficiency; Early Childhood Education
JEL Codes: I21; I24; J68
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Head Start (I21) | health screenings and nutritional improvements (I19) |
| Head Start (I21) | adult human capital (J24) |
| Head Start (I21) | educational attainment (I21) |
| Head Start (I21) | high school completion rates (I21) |
| Head Start (I21) | college enrollment (I23) |
| Head Start (I21) | college completion rates (I23) |
| Head Start (I21) | economic self-sufficiency (H53) |
| Head Start (I21) | employment rates (J68) |
| Head Start (I21) | work weeks (J22) |
| Head Start (I21) | disability insurance receipt (H53) |