APPAM presentation addresses peer effects of preschool attendance

Fourth-year doctoral student Qing Zhang (left) and Assistant Professor Jade Jenkins (right) are presenting at the 2020 conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM), to be conducted online on July 24,

This year's conference theme is New Perspectives on Healthy Public Policy. The title of their presentation is ​"Peer Effects of Preschool Attendance: Experimental Evidence on Early Adolescence Outcomes and Mechanisms."

​Zhang, who is advised by Jenkins and Distinguished Professor George Farkas, is specializing in Educational Policy and Social Context (EPSC). Her research interests include early childhood education, education policy, and program evaluation.

Jenkins researches early childhood development, child and family policy, policy analysis and management, and program evaluation. 

Abstract

The benefits of preschool attendance may spill over directly from students who have preschool experience to their peers when they enter formal schooling. Despite the vast literature on peer effects, little attention has been given to the spillover effects of preschool attendance. This study provides the first experimental evidence of the peer effects of preschool attendance on student cognitive and noncognitive outcomes in early adolescence. We exploit the random assignment of students to classrooms upon junior high school entry (7th grade) using longitudinal, nationally representative data in China. Specifically, we examine the effects of having peers who went to preschool in one’s junior high school classroom on student academic performance, cognitive ability, mental health, school engagement, and educational expectation at the end of 7th grade and 8th grade. We also explore inter-student relationships, student-teacher interaction, and after-school study time as potential mechanisms.

The Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM), established in 1979, is dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis, and education. The association currently has 2,500 individual members and 100 institutional members. Read more.