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Impact of North Carolina's Early Childhood Programs and Policies on Educational Outcomes in Elementary School
Author(s) -
Dodge Kenneth A.,
Bai Yu,
Ladd Helen F.,
Muschkin Clara G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12645
Subject(s) - spillover effect , psychology , poverty , grade retention , developmental psychology , primary education , early childhood , demography , poverty level , early childhood education , test (biology) , academic achievement , gerontology , mathematics education , economic growth , medicine , sociology , economics , paleontology , biology , microeconomics
North Carolina's Smart Start and More at Four (MAF) early childhood programs were evaluated through the end of elementary school (age 11) by estimating the impact of state funding allocations to programs in each of 100 counties across 13 consecutive years on outcomes for all children in each county‐year group ( n = 1,004,571; 49% female; 61% non‐Latinx White, 30% African American, 4% Latinx, 5% other). Student‐level regression models with county and year fixed effects indicated significant positive impacts of each program on reading and math test scores and reductions in special education and grade retention in each grade. Effect sizes grew or held steady across years. Positive effects held for both high‐ and low‐poverty families, suggesting spillover of effects to nonparticipating peers.