Study finds public prekindergarten can help reduce achievement gaps for
Black and Hispanic children
UCI School of Education Associate Professor Jade Jenkins and team of researchers reveal positive insights on elementary student outcomes, based on their study of North Carolina’s public prekindergarten program.
Irvine, Calif., June 20, 2023 — A team of researchers, including University of California, Irvine School of Education Associate Professor Jade Jenkins, have found positive insights into the long-term effectiveness of public prekindergarten programs, particularly as an intervention for children facing adversity outside of school.
The new study, recently published in Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, analyzed data on more than 1 million students who attended North Carolina’s public prekindergarten program, NC Pre-K, and examined the effects of the state’s investment on the academic outcomes of its students by the end of fifth grade. “The major takeaway from our study was that although we found modest average effects of pre-k funding on achievement, pre-k investments mattered more for children who were likely to experience systemic disadvantages,” said Jenkins. The study also revealed that funding of NC Pre-K had the greatest positive effect on Black and Hispanic children, and suggests that prekindergarten funding could reduce achievement gaps and act as a barrier to future adversity for these populations. |
“Most surprisingly, we found that funding for pre-k had larger effects for children who later experienced more adverse environments, like going to elementary schools with lower average achievement, or with many inexperienced teachers; this suggests to us that pre-k may help protect children against future adverse experiences,” Jenkins said.
Along with Jenkins, the research team is led by Tyler Watts from Teachers College at Columbia University and Kenneth Dodge from Duke University. It expands on research from 2014 that first evaluated NC Pre-K, by incorporating more recent data and building on the methodological rigor for the new study.
This recent study is highly relevant as California's continues its rollout of the new universal prekindergarten (UPK) initiative, which is expected to provide free prekindergarten programs to all 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year.
“In the context of California’s UPK expansion, our findings underscore the critical role of early learning in enhancing educational equity for young children, which we’ll be carefully monitoring here during UPK implementation,” Jenkins said.
Along with Jenkins, the research team is led by Tyler Watts from Teachers College at Columbia University and Kenneth Dodge from Duke University. It expands on research from 2014 that first evaluated NC Pre-K, by incorporating more recent data and building on the methodological rigor for the new study.
This recent study is highly relevant as California's continues its rollout of the new universal prekindergarten (UPK) initiative, which is expected to provide free prekindergarten programs to all 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year.
“In the context of California’s UPK expansion, our findings underscore the critical role of early learning in enhancing educational equity for young children, which we’ll be carefully monitoring here during UPK implementation,” Jenkins said.
About the UCI School of Education
The University of California, Irvine School of Education is a diverse, dynamic and collaborative institution focused on advancing education sciences and contributing to improved high-quality education opportunities and outcomes for individuals across the education lifespan, from early childhood to higher education and beyond. The UCI School of Education’s programs, research and community partnerships are dedicated to producing innovative scholarship, addressing the needs in education, and inspiring future generations of educators, scholars and leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks the UCI School of Education No. 8 education and education research school globally and, nationally, No. 4 among public schools of education for a second year in a row and No. 11 graduate school of education. Led by Dean Frances Contreras, the UCI School of Education is home to more than 1,000 students enrolled in the bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs, and a vibrant network of more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, please visit our website.
The University of California, Irvine School of Education is a diverse, dynamic and collaborative institution focused on advancing education sciences and contributing to improved high-quality education opportunities and outcomes for individuals across the education lifespan, from early childhood to higher education and beyond. The UCI School of Education’s programs, research and community partnerships are dedicated to producing innovative scholarship, addressing the needs in education, and inspiring future generations of educators, scholars and leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks the UCI School of Education No. 8 education and education research school globally and, nationally, No. 4 among public schools of education for a second year in a row and No. 11 graduate school of education. Led by Dean Frances Contreras, the UCI School of Education is home to more than 1,000 students enrolled in the bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs, and a vibrant network of more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, please visit our website.