The Effects of Kindergarten Entry Age on Academic Achievement

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Abstract

Does school entry age affect student achievement? Using seven years of administrative data from Indiana, we estimate the effects of kindergarten entry age on academic achievement. Employing a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we find that being older at school entry significantly improves third-grade math and ELA test scores by 0.3 SD. These gains persist through fifth grade (0.2 SD) and are consistent across student subgroups. Our findings replicate prior research showing that being relatively older boosts academic achievement.

Authors

• NaYoung Hwang, University of New Hampshire

• Christopher Redding, University of Florida