Effects of public preschool expenditures on the test scores of fourth graders: evidence from TIMSS

Articles:

Title:: Effects of public preschool expenditures on the test scores of fourth graders: evidence from TIMSS
Author(s):: Waldfogel, Jane
Zhai, Fuhua
Date:: 2008
Type:: Articles
Department:: Social Work
Volume:: 14
Permanent URL:: http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14635
Book/Journal Title:: Educational Research and Evaluation
Abstract:: This study examines the effects of public preschool expenditures on the math and science scores of 4th graders, holding constant child, family, and school characteristics, other relevant social expenditures, and country and year effects, in seven Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries -- Australia, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, U.K., and U.S -- using data from the 1995 and 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Our results indicate that there are small but significant positive effects of public preschool expenditures on the math and science scores of 4th graders and preschool expenditures reduce the risk of children scoring at the low level of proficiency. We also find some evidence that children from low-resource homes and homes where the test language is not always spoken may tend to gain more from increased public preschool expenditures than other children.
Subject(s):: Early childhood education
DOI:: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803610801896372