Much hypothesized, rarely tested: Public preschool attendance predicts executive functioning skills in 3rd grade

Abstract

Public preschool enhances consequential long-term education, economic, and health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. One much-hypothesized—but rarely tested—explanation is that preschool predicts improved executive functioning (EF) in middle childhood. Our study provides empirical support linking preschool to middle childhood EF. We draw on a large, racially-diverse sample of children from low-income families in Tulsa, OK (N = 685, M_{age at 3rd} = 8.5 years), home to a nationally-recognized universal public preschool program administered in school-based pre-k and Head Start classrooms. Using propensity score weighting, we compare the 3rd grade EF skills of children who attended school-based pre-k or Head Start to those who did not. School-based pre-k attendance predicts better impulse control and working memory skills in 3rd grade (d = .35–.37); Head Start attendance predicts better working memory (d = .47). This evidence highlights public preschool’s potential to promote the EF skills of diverse children from low-income families into middle childhood.

Data availability

Data from the Tulsa SEED Study are not yet publicly available and are instead embargoed consistent with informed consent and IRB approval. De-identified data are available after embargo and by request by qualified scientists. Data analysis code and results are available for review. To request data, email PI Dr. Anna D. Johnson with the following information:

1. Requestor name, title, affiliation, email address, and physical location including phone number

2. A short concept paper outlining the research aims and justification

3. Reference the following analysis folder and run the programs included in the folder in numerical order: Tulsa SEED Study/Ongoing Projects by Topic/PK Boost 3.0 - Outcomes to 3rd grade/PK Boost 3b - EF outcomes in 3rd/Analysis Files to Share if Requested Programs, to be in run in order, include:

01_Create PK Boost 3.0 Data File

01_Create PK Boost 3.0 Data File.log

02_TWANG Weighting_EF

02_TWANG Weighting_EF.log

03_Multiple Imputation_EF

03_Multiple Imputation_EF.log

04_Imputed Weighted Models_EF

04_Imputed Weighted Models_EF.log

PI of Tulsa SEED Study:

Dr. Anna D. Johnson

Associate Professor of Psychology, Georgetown University

301-D White-Gravenor Hall

3700 O Street, NW

Washington, DC 20057

Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone]

Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to the Tulsa Public School district, CAP-Tulsa Head Start, Tulsa Educare, charter school officials, and the many teachers, parents, and children who participated in this study. We thank Drs. Ian Lyons, Meghan McCormick, Taryn Morrissey, Tyler Watts, and the many participants at the Fall 2022 APPAM and SREE conferences for valuable feedback on earlier analyses, and Dr. Elizabeth Stuart for her guidance on propensity score matching. All errors are the responsibility of the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Heising-Simons Foundation (Grant #s 2016-107 and 2017-329), the Foundation for Child Development (Grant #GU-03-2017), the Spencer Foundation (Grant # 201800034), and the National Institutes of Health NICHD (Grant #1R01HD092324-01A1). Data collection was also supported by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University Strategic Organization Initiative at the University of Oklahoma.