The Effectiveness of Pre-Kindergarten Care on School Readiness for English Language Learners

• In Event: Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Using Large-Scale Data Systems to Examine Equity Issues in P-16 Schooling

Abstract

The increased utilization of out-of-home pre-kindergarten care has spurred interest by both researchers and policy makers as to what types of care are most effective at boosting school readiness. Absent from the research has been an assessment of the influence of pre-kindergarten care on school readiness for English Language Learners (ELL). This study fill this gap by using nationally representative data (i.e., ECLS-K) to examine the influence of pre-kindergarten care in the year before kindergarten entry on socio-behavioral school readiness at kindergarten entry. The findings indicate that ELL students in center-based care or non-center/non-parental care have lower problem behaviors and higher social skills compared to ELL students in parental care. Implications are discussed.

Author

• Michael A. Gottfried, University of California - Santa Barbara