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The Effect of Early Childhood Programs on Third-Grade Test Scores: Evidence from Transitional Kindergarten in Michigan

Jordan S. Berne,
Brian A. Jacob,
Tareena Musaddiq,
Anna Shapiro,
Christina Weiland

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is a relatively recent entrant into the U.S. early education landscape, combining features of public pre-K and regular kindergarten. We provide the first estimates of the impact of Michigan’s TK program on 3rd grade test scores. Using an augmented regression discontinuity design, we find that TK improves 3rd grade math scores by 0.29 standard deviations relative to a counterfactual that includes other formal and informal learning options. This impact is notably large relative to the prior pre-K literature. Estimates for English Language Arts (ELA) are imprecise but suggestive of a positive effect as well.

Keywords
Transitional Kindergarten, preschool, early childhood, test scores, regression discontinuity
Education level
Early childhood
Topics
Student Learning
Tags
Early childhood education
Download 03/2024
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/7shm-1958
EdWorkingPaper suggested citation:
Berne, Jordan S., Brian A. Jacob, Tareena Musaddiq, Anna Shapiro, and Christina Weiland. (). The Effect of Early Childhood Programs on Third-Grade Test Scores: Evidence from Transitional Kindergarten in Michigan. (EdWorkingPaper: -920). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/7shm-1958

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