Working Paper: NBER ID: w28756
Authors: Guthrie Gray-Lobe; Parag A. Pathak; Christopher R. Walters
Abstract: We use admissions lotteries to estimate the effects of large-scale public preschool in Boston on college-going, college preparation, standardized test scores, and behavioral outcomes. Preschool enrollment boosts college attendance, as well as SAT test-taking and high school graduation. Preschool also decreases several disciplinary measures including juvenile incarceration, but has no detectable impact on state achievement test scores. An analysis of subgroups shows that effects on college enrollment, SAT-taking, and disciplinary outcomes are larger for boys than for girls. Our findings illustrate possibilities for large-scale modern, public preschool and highlight the importance of measuring long-term and non-test score outcomes in evaluating the effectiveness of education programs.
Keywords: universal preschool; college attendance; behavioral outcomes; Boston; lottery-based design
JEL Codes: I20; I21; I24; I28
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | On-time college enrollment (I21) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | College attendance by fall after high school graduation (I23) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | College attendance in Massachusetts (I23) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | Ever enrolling in college (I23) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | Attending a four-year college (I23) |
| Preschool attendance (I21) | High school graduation rates (I21) |
| Preschool attendance (I21) | SAT test-taking (A21) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | High school disciplinary outcomes (Y80) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | Reduces suspensions (Y60) |
| Preschool enrollment (I21) | Reduces juvenile incarceration rates (K14) |