Waldfogel Jane author Columbia University. Social Work Zhai Fuhua author Columbia University. Social Work Columbia University. Social Work originator text Articles 2008 manuscript version English 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. Early childhood education 14 1 9 28 2008-02 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803610801896372 http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14635 NNC NNC 2012-09-07 16:40:05 -0400 2012-09-07 16:46:00 -0400 8658 eng