The spillover benefits of expanding access to preschool
ARTICLE
Breyon J. Williams, University of South Carolina, United States
Economics of Education Review Volume 70, Number 1, ISSN 0272-7757 Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
I ask do spillover benefits exist from preschool. I exploit district and time variation in access to a state preschool program (CDEP) that targets disadvantaged four-year-olds (those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or Medicaid). Using a difference-indifferences design, I estimate the effects by CDEP-eligibility status of CDEP exposure (residing in a CDEP district after launch at age four) on test scores. I find that CDEP benefits its targeted population and increases the math and reading scores of exposed, CDEP-ineligible students by about 0.13 and 0.14 standard deviations, respectively. These spillover effects may stem, in whole or in part, from improvements to classroom decorum via fewer behavioral disruptions.
Citation
Williams, B.J. (2019). The spillover benefits of expanding access to preschool. Economics of Education Review, 70(1), 127-143. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved December 5, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/209842/.
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Keywords
References
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