TY  - JOUR
AU  - Andrews,Rodney J.
AU  - Jargowsky,Paul
AU  - Kuhne,Kristin
TI  - The Effects of Texas's Targeted Pre-Kindergarten Program on Academic Performance
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 18598
PY  - 2012
Y2  - December 2012
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w18598
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w18598.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Rodney Andrews
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
MS WT21
Richardson, TX 75080
Tel: 972/883-2548
Fax: 972/883-2551
E-Mail: rodney.j.andrews@utdallas.edu

Paul A. Jargowsky
Rutgers University-Camden
Center for Urban Research and Education
321 Cooper Street
Camden NJ 08102
E-Mail: paul.jargowsky@rutgers.edu

Kristin A. Kuhne
Communities Foundation of Texas
5500 Caruth Haven Lane
Dallas, TX 75225
E-Mail: kkuhne@cftexas.org
AB  - There has been a resurgence in research that investigates the efficacy of early investments as a means of reducing gaps in academic performance. However, the strongest evidence for these effects comes from experimental evaluations of small, highly enriched programs. We add to this literature by assessing the extent to which a large-scale public program, Texas's targeted pre-Kindergarten (pre-K), affects scores on math and reading achievement tests, the likelihood of being retained in grade, and the probability that a student receives special education services. We find that having participated in Texas's targeted pre-K program is associated with increased scores on the math and reading sections of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), reductions in the likelihood of being retained in grade, and reductions in the probability of receiving special education services. We also find that participating pre-K increases mathematics scores for students who take the Spanish version of the TAAS tests. These results show that even modest, public pre-K program implemented at scale can have important effects on students educational achievement
ER  -