The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 77 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Inequality in Preschool Education and School Readiness
Open accessAbstract
Attendance in U.S. preschools has risen substantially in recent decades, but gaps in enrollment between children from advantaged and disadvantaged families remain. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999, we analyze the effect of participation in child care and early education on children’s school readiness as measured by early reading and math skills in kindergarten and first grade. We find that children who attended a center or school-based preschool program in the year before school entry perform better on assessments of reading and math skills upon beginning kindergarten, after controlling for a host of family background and other factors that might be associated with selection into early education programs and relatively high academic skills. This advantage persists when children’s skills are measured in the spring of kindergarten and first grade, and children who attended early education programs are also less likely to be retained in kindergarten. In most instances, the effects are largest for disadvantaged groups, raising the possibility that policies promoting preschool enrollment of children from disadvantaged families might help to narrow the school readiness gap.
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“children in poverty are far less likely than their higher-income counterparts to enter school ready to learn (Magnuson et al. 2004).”
From School Readiness and Self-Regulation: A Developmental Psychobiological Approach (2015) · cites this paper as Magnuson et al. 2004
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“An investment in preschool education programs provides significant gains in the educational, social and economic areas (Barnett, 2008; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm & Waldfogel, 2004; Schweinhart, Montie, Xiang, Barnett, Belfield & Nores, 2005; Reynolds & Temple, 2006; Temple & Reynolds, 2007).”
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“Racial and ethnic disparities account for much, if not most, of the achievement gap we see later in primary and secondary school (Bradbury et al., 2015; Grissmer & Eiseman, 2008; Duncan et al., 2014; Magnuson et al., 2004).”
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“However, structural quality can differ significantly both across and within states, as federal regulations do not exist and state policy can vary (Magnuson et al., 2004).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Magnuson, K. A., Meyers, M. K., Ruhm, C. J., & Waldfogel, J.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- Venue
- American Educational Research Journal
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 115-157
- ISSN
- 0002-8312 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-1011
- OpenAlex
- W2132172481
- Cited by
- 691
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 58 · 2012: 47
- FWCI
- 110.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- libres.uncg.edu
- Locations
- American Educational Research Journal (publishedVersion)
- NC Digital Online Collection of Knowledge and Scholarship (The University of North Carolina at Greensboro) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › Parental Involvement in Education
- Keywords
- preschool education, school readiness, educational inequality, child care, early childhood education, reading skills, mathematical skills, kindergarten retention, disadvantaged children, family background, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
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