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Quarterly Journal of Economics Vol. 138 No. 1 2022

The Long-Term Effects of Universal Preschool in Boston

Guthrie Gray-Lobe1; Parag A. Pathak2; Christopher R. Walters3

1 University of Chicago , United States · 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and National Bureau of Economic Research, United States · 3 University of California , Berkeley and National Bureau of Economic Research, United States

Abstract

We use admissions lotteries to estimate the effects of large-scale public preschool in Boston on college-going, college preparation, standardized test scores, and behavioral outcomes. Preschool enrollment boosts college attendance as well as SAT test taking and high school graduation. Preschool also decreases high school disciplinary measures including juvenile incarceration, but has no detectable effect on state achievement test scores. An analysis of subgroups shows that effects on college enrollment, SAT-taking, and disciplinary outcomes are larger for boys than for girls. Our findings illustrate possibilities for large-scale modern, public preschool and highlight the importance of measuring long-term and non–test score outcomes in evaluating the effectiveness of education programs.

DOI
10.1093/qje/qjac036
Volume
138
Issue
1
Pages
363-411
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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