Data show how public preschool can close opportunity gaps and improve language development, literacy, math skills, and future earnings. Yet, despite a growing evidence base, most research on preschool focuses on small-scale programs, select groups of students, and limited analytic approaches.
The DC Prekindergarten Study offers the first independent look at DC Public Prekindergarten, which leads the nation in preschool access and enrolls a diverse group of 3- and 4-year-old students in public schools, public charter schools, and community-based organizations. Because the program uses a centralized admissions lottery, this study seeks to measure preschool effectiveness through a design akin to a randomized experiment. Study activities pair rigorous methods and a large and diverse sample of students with a sustained focus on equity.
The study team is engaged in understanding how families choose, enroll, and participate in public prekindergarten; access and quality issues; and effects on children’s growth and development. This mixed-methods implementation and impact evaluation includes several activities:
- analyses of administrative data
- direct child assessments
- family and educator surveys
- key informant interviews
- cost and cost-effectiveness studies
Ongoing partnership and a data-sharing agreement with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and My School DC provide the information necessary to examine preschool enrollment and student outcomes, including persistence in public schools, special education status, in-grade retention, and school mobility. Analyses explore the impact of DC Public Prekindergarten, along with impact heterogeneity across Montessori and dual language program models and children’s demographic characteristics.
The DC Prekindergarten Study began in early 2019 and is ongoing. The study was made possible by the Heising-Simons Foundation. The study is supported by the US Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, through Grant R305A210506 to the Urban Institute. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Urban Institute, their trustees or funders, or the US Department of Education.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Erica Greenberg, Principal Investigator
Christina Weiland, Coprincipal Investigator
Justin Doromal, Project Director
Breno Braga, Director of Analysis
Leonardo Restrepo, Data Manager
Rachel Lamb, Research Analyst
Matthew Chingos, Senior Adviser
PROJECT PARTNERS
PUBLICATIONS
Using Centralized Lotteries to Measure Preschool Impact
Equitable Access to Universal Prekindergarten in Washington, DC
Who Wins the Preschool Lottery? Applicants and Application Patterns in DC Public Prekindergarten
Events
The Effects of Public Prekindergarten for 3-Year-Olds on Early Elementary School Enrollment