Effects of Pre-K and Kindergarten Classroom Quality on Student Achievements

• In Event: Sustaining Quality in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms

Abstract

There is a body of literature reporting that pre-K programs have significantly large effects on student academic performance in later years. Also, economically disadvantaged students who attended high-quality public pre-K programs were reported to have better academic outcomes than those who attended lower-quality programs. This study conducted multilevel model analyses and focused on both pre-K and kindergarten classroom quality as well as their relation to kindergarten students’ reading and mathematics scores. Findings showed that it is difficult to conclude that higher quality pre-K classrooms may help economically disadvantaged kids perform better in reading and mathematics in kindergarten. However, the advantage of kindergarten classroom quality was found to be higher for students with limited English proficiency.

Authors

• Kuo Wang, Southern Methodist University

• Yusuf Kara, University of Miami

• Anne Garrison Wilhelm, Southern Methodist University

• Jonathan Hunnicutt, Southern Methodist University

• Annie Wright, Southern Methodist University