3-026 - Long-term impacts of early childhood education programs: New looks at familiar promises

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Early childhood education programs are considered potential equalizers of children’s readiness for school across socioeconomic levels, yet current evidence indicates that long-term impacts are few and small in magnitude (Duncan & Magnuson, 2013). In this symposium, we take a nuanced look at ECE program effects to test whether, why, and for whom long-term impacts of ECE persist, with a focus on the promotion of pre-academic skills of socioeconomically disadvantaged children. That is, are there dosage thresholds for efficacy? Do ECE programs reach and serve our most vulnerable children? Do effects fade out or persist? The first paper tests if multiple years of Early Head Start enrollment produce greater benefit than one year, finding that many key program effects are only evident after three years of program participation. The second paper asks whether ECE works for children experiencing homelessness with respect to enrollment supports and school readiness, finding similar enrollment compared to low-income families and salutary influences on school readiness.. The third paper examines the persistent effects of preschool through adolescence, and uncovers important evidence for partial, but not complete convergence of academic test scores through eighth grade.

All three papers are strengthened by using large, secondary datasets and advanced analytic techniques, which bolster causal inferences. Given extensive political and public discourse on the merits of ECE programming, this symposium aims to shed light and stimulate a discussion on the realities of ECE programs’ promise for promoting long-lasting change, particularly for populations at-risk for academic success.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Katherine Wendy Paschall, University of Texas at Austin

Discussant

• Deborah Vandell, University of California, Irvine

Individual Presentations

• Using Propensity Scores to Estimate the Effects of Multi-Year Early Head Start Participation - Presenting Author: Katherine Wendy Paschall, University of Texas at Austin; Ann Mastergeorge, Texas Tech University

• The Persistence of Preschool Effects from Early Childhood through Adolescence - Presenting Author: Arya Ansari, University of Virginia

• Early Care and Education Enrollment and Developmental Outcomes for Young Children who Experience Homelessness - Presenting Author: Scott Brown, Vanderbilt University; Marybeth Shinn, Vanderbilt University; Jessica Walker, ABT Associates; Jill Khadduri, ABT Associates