Does Universal Preschool Hit the Target? Program Access and Preschool Impacts

67 Pages Posted: 11 Mar 2017

See all articles by Elizabeth Cascio

Elizabeth Cascio

Department of Economics, Dartmouth College; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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Abstract

Despite substantial interest in preschool as a means of narrowing the achievement gap, little is known about how particular program attributes might influence the achievement gains of disadvantaged preschoolers. This paper uses survey data on a recent cohort to explore the mediating influence of one key program attribute – whether disadvantage itself is a criterion for preschool admission. Taking advantage of age-eligibility rules to construct an instrument for attendance, I find that universal state-funded prekindergarten (pre-K) programs generate substantial positive effects on the reading scores of low-income 4 year olds. State pre-K programs targeted toward disadvantaged children do not. Differences in other pre-K program requirements and population demographics cannot explain the larger positive impacts of universal programs. The alternatives to universal and targeted state pre-K programs also do not significantly differ. Together, these findings suggest that universal preschools offer a relatively high-quality learning experience for low-income children not reflected in typical quality metrics.

Keywords: early education, preschool, targeted, universal, access, quality

JEL Classification: H75, I24, I28, J13, J24

Suggested Citation

Cascio, Elizabeth, Does Universal Preschool Hit the Target? Program Access and Preschool Impacts. IZA Discussion Paper No. 10596, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2931333 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2931333

Elizabeth Cascio (Contact Author)

Department of Economics, Dartmouth College ( email )

Hanover, NH 03755
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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