On WestSouthwest, we have a rebroadcast of an interview from earlier this year on the impact that pre-school can have on a child's education and beyond.
Upjohn Institute Researchers Tim Bartik and Brad Hershbein joined WMUK's Gordon Evans for an interview that originally aired in May. They are co-authors of a working paper on the impact of high-quality pre-school.
Bartik and Hershbein say that high-quality pre-school can have long-lasting effects that benefit those children into adulthood. But they say identifying quality is the key. The research shows that majority African-American districts with pre-k programs have seen greater increases in math and reading scores. Bartik says that's in line with research showing students from disadvantaged backgrounds get more benefits from preschool education.
There has been rapid growth in enrollment of children in pre-kindgarten programs. Hershbein says the problem is that if pre-school is being expanded quickly without the funding necessary for quality, it may not have the desired benefits.
