Abstract
AbstractIn the United States, enrollments in preschool center-based programs have leveled off at about 75 percent of four-year-olds and 50 percent of three year olds. Nearly all government programs restrict eligibility to children in low-income families, and these families have substantially increased preschool participation rates as a result. However, in the last decade little progress was made toward increasing enrollments, despite increases in government spending, and less than half of children in poverty attend public programs even at age four. The average educational quality of private programs is quite low, and public programs are only modestly better. As a result, the educational effectiveness of preschool programs in the United States tends to be much weaker than that of the well-known programs research has shown be cost-effective. This paper considers whether publicly funded preschool education for all children would alleviate these problems. Universal public preschool education would reach many more children in poor and low-income families. For means-tested programs constantly changing incomes present a moving target, while the stigma associated with programs for the poor also limits participation. Program effectiveness would be at least as good in a universal program as in targeted program, and effectiveness might actually improve. One source of increased effectiveness is peer effects on learning. In addition, parents from higher-income families may be better advocates for quality, and political support for quality may be higher. Children from middle- and higher-income families also will benefit from high-quality publicly-subsidized preschool programs. A universal approach will cost more than current targeted programs, but moving from targeted to universal public preschool education is likely to produce benefits that far exceed the additional cost.
Highlights
Over 1 the past several decades participation in preschool education in United States has expanded atAbout half these children attend private programs, though often with direct or indirect public subsidies
This paper considers whether publicly funded preschool education for all children would alleviate these problems
Today over 70 percent of children attend a preschool program the year prior to kindergarten and about half attend two years prior to kindergarten. Many of these programs are primarily marketed to parents as child care, but most of them emphasize their contributions to early learning as a rationale for participation
Summary
In the United States, enrollments in preschool center-based programs have leveled off at about 75 percent of fouryear-olds and 50 percent of three year olds. Most government programs restrict eligibility to children in low-income families, and these families have substantially increased preschool participation rates as a result. The average educational quality of private programs is quite low, and public programs are only modestly better. The educational effectiveness of preschool programs in the United States tends to be much weaker than that of the well-known programs research has shown be cost-effective. Universal public preschool education would reach many more children in poor and low-income families. Children from middle- and higher-income families will benefit from high-quality publicly-subsidized preschool programs. A universal approach will cost more than current targeted programs, but moving from targeted to universal public preschool education is likely to produce benefits that far exceed the additional cost. Key words : preschool education, child care, Head Start, education policy, early childhood policy, prekindergarten
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