3-200 - Kindergarten Transition and Context: Factors that Influence the Effects of Pre-k Programs

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

The effects of preschool programs have been of interest to policymakers and educators, particularly as the number of state-funded pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs has grown in recent years. A body of research has shown some evidence of lasting benefits of attending pre-k, (Barnett et al., 2013; Gormley et al, 2018; Peisner-Feinberg & Schaaf, 2010; Phillips et al., 2017), but also some instances of decreasing impact as children progress through elementary school (Lipsey, Farran, & Durkin, 2018; Phillips et al., 2017). An important policy question to address is whether there are factors related to children’s subsequent educational experiences following pre-k that are associated with these persistence or fade-out effects.

The purpose of this symposium is to explore factors delineated through research that may help sustain the positive effects of pre-k on outcomes in kindergarten as children make the transition into the elementary school environment. These three papers include samples from different, well-established state or district-funded pre-k programs, including the Boston Pre-K Program, the New York City Preschool Program, and the NC Pre-K Program. Each of these papers will examine the effects of measurable characteristics of children’s experiences within the year following pre-k that are highly relevant for both policy and practice, including educational experiences during the summer transition, kindergarten math clubs, and classroom and school quality factors in kindergarten. Our discussant, a national expert in early childhood education research, will discuss the implications of these findings for national and state policy recommendations as well as future research.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Discussant

• Louisa Tarullo, Mathematica Policy Research

Individual Presentations

• Summer Skill Development Between PreK and Kindergarten: - Presenting Author: Meghan McCormick, MDRC; Non-Presenting Author: Barbara Condliffe, MDRC; Non-Presenting Author: JoAnn Hsueh, MDRC; Non-Presenting Author: Christina Weiland, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Catherine Snow, Harvard University; Non-Presenting Author: Jason Sachs, Boston Public Schools

• The High 5s Program: Aligning Children’s Math Experiences through Facilitated, Small Group Math Clubs - Presenting Author: Shira Mattera, MDRC; Non-Presenting Author: Robin Jacob, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Pamela A. Morris, New York Univeristy

• Sustaining Effects of the NC Pre-K Program: Contributions of School Context in Kindergarten - Presenting Author: Robert Carr, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Non-Presenting Author: Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Non-Presenting Author: Rachel Kaplan, NC Division of Child Development and Early Education; Non-Presenting Author: Irina L. Mokrova, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill