Public Preschool Predicts Stronger Third-Grade Academic Skills

Area of Science:

• Early Childhood Education
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Policy

Background:

• Preschool programs significantly impact early academic skills.
• Long-term effects of publicly funded preschool on academic achievement remain understudied.
• Research often lacks direct assessment of sustained skills beyond kindergarten.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sustained associations between public preschool attendance and academic skills in third grade.
• To compare the long-term impacts of school-based pre-K and Head Start programs.
• To analyze effects on both language and math skills using direct assessments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized propensity score weighting for causal inference.
• Analyzed a large, diverse sample (N=689) of low-income children in Tulsa, OK.
• Repeatedly measured language and math skills through direct assessments until third grade.

Main Results:

• Children attending school-based pre-K or Head Start showed higher numeracy skills in third grade compared to non-attenders.
• Evidence for sustained advantages in language and literacy skills was weaker.
• No significant differences in sustained effects were found between public pre-K and Head Start programs.

Conclusions:

• Publicly funded preschool programs demonstrate a lasting positive impact on numeracy skills into third grade.
• Sustained benefits for language and literacy are less evident, suggesting a need for further investigation.
• Both Head Start and school-based pre-K offer comparable long-term academic advantages for disadvantaged children.