ERIC Number: ED672119
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Oct-22
Pages: 81
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Long-Run Impacts of Universal Pre-K with Equilibrium Considerations. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-626
Jordan S. Berne
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Since 1995, publicly funded pre-K with universal eligibility has proliferated across the U.S. Universal pre-K (UPK) operates at great scale and serves children with a wide range of alternative childcare options. Because these programs are relatively young, very little is known about their long-run impacts on children. In this paper, I use a difference-in-differences (DiD) design to estimate the long-run impacts of Georgia UPK, the first statewide program. Children exposed to UPK were 1.7% more likely to graduate high school, 11.1% less likely to receive SNAP benefits as adults, and girls were 10.6% less likely to have children as teenagers. To help interpret those results, I develop a simple conceptual framework that considers how public pre-K expansions can affect the entire childcare market. For instance, greater competition could force private centers to adjust prices and quality, or to close entirely--creating spillover impacts on children not enrolled in public pre-K. Empirically, I find evidence consistent with large spillovers in Georgia, suggesting that a focus on UPK enrollees would miss a key part of the program's overall impact. Further, I show that conventional DiD estimates of treatment effects on the treated may be substantially biased in the presence of spillovers--in the Georgia context and in others.
Descriptors: Preschool Education, Equal Education, Access to Education, Eligibility, State Programs, High School Graduates, Early Parenthood, Guidelines, Educational Quality, Competition, Private Education, Federal Programs, Nutrition, Welfare Services, Program Evaluation, Costs, Child Care Centers
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Georgia
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B20011
Department of Education Funded: Yes
Author Affiliations: N/A