“Effects of a Statewide Pre-Kindergarten Program on Children’s Achievement and Behavior through Sixth Grade”, 2022 (; backlinks; similar):
[previously: et al 2018] As state-funded pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs expand, it is critical to investigate their short-term and long-term effects.
This article presents the results through 6th grade of a longitudinal randomized control study of the effects of a scaled-up, state-supported pre-K program [Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K Program (VPK)]. The analytic sample includes 2,990 children from low-income families who applied to oversubscribed pre-K program sites across the state and were randomly assigned to offers of admission or a wait list control.
Data through 6th grade from state education records showed that the children randomly assigned to attend pre-K had lower state achievement test scores in third through 6th grades than control children, with the strongest negative effects in 6th grade. A negative effect was also found for disciplinary infractions, attendance, and receipt of special education services, with null effects on retention.
The implications of these findings for pre-K policies and practices are discussed.
[Keywords: public pre-k, randomized control trial, longitudinal, early childhood education, achievement]