Full Citation
Title: Who Wins the Preschool Lottery? Applicants and Application Patterns in DC Public Prekindergarten
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2020
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Abstract: Over the past half century, public preschool has emerged as a leading policy remedy for opportunity and achievement gaps. Disparities between low- and high-income students are large—at least three years of learning—and persistent (Hanushek et al. 2020; reardon, Robinson-Cimpian, and Weathers 2015). Yet, socioeconomic gaps at kindergarten entry—before the start of formal schooling—have declined in recent years (reardon and Portilla 2016). Researchers have proposed several explanations to explain this paradox, including more enriching home environments; expanding federal, state, and local investments in public preschool; and rising preschool quality and effectiveness (Bassok, Latham, and Rorem 2016; reardon and Portilla 2016; Yoshikawa et al. 2013). To take advantage of these expanding investments, rising quality, and growing effectiveness to improve children’s early educational experiences at scale, families first need access. The evidence base on preschool choice and access, as well as enrollment and continued participation, is growing (Tang, Coley, and Votruba-Drzal 2012; Greenberg, Michie, and Adams 2018). A recent study of application and enrollment behavior in Boston suggests that children of color, children from low-income households, and dual language learners apply to public preschool at lower rates than their peers, even in a universal preschool context (Shapiro et al. 2019). This study raises concerns about barriers to access and highlights a basic challenge in meeting public equity goals.
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Authors: Greenberg, Erica; Luetmer, Grace; Chien, Carina; Monarrez, Tomas
Publisher: Center on Education Data and Policy
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Education, Poverty and Welfare, Race and Ethnicity
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