Early Grade Teacher Collaboration and the Persistence of Pre-K Benefits:Nationally-Representative Evidence from the ECLS-K:2011

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

Early Grade Teacher Collaboration and the Persistence of Pre-K Benefits: Nationally-Representative Evidence from the ECLS-K:2011

One common finding in the Pre-K effectiveness literature is that the initial benefits of Pre-K do not reliably persist as children progress through elementary school—a pattern known as Pre-K fadeout (Bailey et al., 2017). One common explanation for this phenomenon is that the “sustaining environment” after Pre-K is not optimized to build upon and support persistent learning gains. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role that one feature of the sustaining environment—collaboration between teachers— may play in the persistence of Pre-K benefits. Drawing on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLS-K:2011), I estimate regression models that compare the persistence of Pre-K benefits for children who attend elementary schools with high amounts of teacher collaboration versus those that do not. Outcome measures include direct assessments of executive function skills and academic achievement. Preliminary findings suggest that early grade teacher collaboration is predictive of sustained Pre-K gains through the early elementary grades. These findings have important implications for policy and practice. To delivery on the promise of Pre-K, the initial benefits must be sustained in elementary school. This research suggests that collaboration among teachers in the early grades may be an important level for sustaining Pre-K benefits.

Author

• Michael Harris Little, North Carolina State University