Does kindergarten instruction matter for sustaining the prekindergarten (PreK) boost? Evidence from individual- and classroom-level survey and observational data.

Abstract

The sustaining environments hypothesis theorizes that the lasting effects of PreK programs are contingent on the quality of the subsequent learning environment in early elementary school. The current study tests this theory by leveraging data from students (N = 462) who did and did not enroll in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) prekindergarten (PreK) program as well as features of their kindergarten instruction measured at the child-and classroom-levels using surveys and observations. Taken together, findings revealed limited evidence for the sustaining environments hypothesis. The bulk of the results were null, indicating that in general, associations between enrollment in BPS PreK and language, literacy, and math skills through the spring of kindergarten did not vary by kindergarten instructional experiences. When examining distinct types of instructional experiences, there were some inklings that child-level observational measures of kindergarten learning experiences-particularly those capturing constrained versus unconstrained instruction-were more predictive of PreK persistence than observed global classroom quality measures or survey-based measures of advanced instruction. However, these associations were not always specific to outcomes matching the content delivered during this instruction (math vs. literacy), consistent with the possibility of either cross-domain effects or that instructional variables are proxies for more general instructional practices. Findings for future research and theory are discussed.

Early childhood language gains, kindergarten readiness, and Grade 3 reading achievement

“…For example, one explanation concerns the quality or content of learning experiences as children move into elementary school. Several studies have investigated this, with differing results (Ansari & Pianta, 2018; Claessens et al., 2014; Jenkins et al., 2018; Magnuson et al., 2007; McCormick et al., 2022). Overall, there is little support for this explanation; however, it may be due to methodological limitations such as power (Bailey, Jenkins, et al., 2020).…”

Investigating if high‐quality kindergarten teachers sustain the pre‐K boost to children's emergent literacy skill development in North Carolina

“…Moreover, individualized and differentiated instruction may be necessary to further support the advanced learning of former pre-K participants and lead to sustaining the pre-K boost (Phillips et al, 2017). Indeed, a study by McCormick et al (2022) examined the extent to which individual children experienced content-rich and cognitively demanding instruction in kindergarten as a sustaining environment-finding that these factors were associated with sustaining the pre-K boost to emergent literacy skills to some degree. Measuring children's individual classroom experiences seems to be a fruitful path forward for future research investigating pre-K convergence.…”

“…To date, a number of studies have examined factors during elementary school in relation to convergence of the pre‐K boost. This includes classroom‐level observations of teacher‐child interaction quality (Burchinal et al., 2022; Carr et al., 2019; McCormick et al., 2022); observations of teachers' instruction, planning, and environment based on the Charlotte‐Danielson rubric (Pearman et al., 2020; Swain et al., 2015); measures of structural classroom quality, including teacher degree (Bailey, Jenkins, et a., 2020; Bassok et al., 2019; Jenkins et al., 2018; Magnuson et al., 2007); teacher‐reported measures of teacher‐child relationships (Ansari et al., 2020); measures of instructional content (Burchinal et al., 2022; Jenkins et al., 2018; McCormick et al., 2022); and a measure of the proportion of former pre‐K participating peers in the classroom (Burchinal et al., 2023). Previous studies have also examined school‐ and school district‐level characteristics (Burchinal et al., 2022; Jenkins et al., 2018; Watts et al., 2023) including measures of school‐ or school district‐level achievement growth (Carr, Peisner‐Feinberg, et al., 2021; Carr, Watts, et al., 2021; Pearman et al., 2020; Swain et al., 2015).…”

The Effect of the Organizational Climate on the Integrative–Qualitative Intentional Behavior in Romanian Preschool Education—A Top-Down Perspective

“…According to research, high-quality preschool is essential for preparing children for success and bridging the achievement gap [ 33 ]. The research also demonstrates that the effectiveness of preschool programs determines the advantages of early childhood education [ 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Even though a preschool educational institution may appear to have all the measurable characteristics, four essential qualities are particularly important: the preschool’s rules and procedures for handling discipline, the setting in which the child will learn, the quality of the instructors, and the resources available to them.…”