ERIC Number: EJ1220773
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2332-8584
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
If You Offer It, Will They Come? Patterns of Application and Enrollment Behavior in a Universal Prekindergarten Context
Shapiro, Anna; Martin, Eleanor; Weiland, Christina; Unterman, Rebecca
AERA Open, v5 n2 Apr-Jun 2019
Universal public prekindergarten programs have been expanding in recent years, but not all eligible families apply to these programs, for reasons that are not well understood. Using two cohorts of students (N = 8,391) enrolled in Boston Public Schools, we use geographic information systems to combine administrative records with census data to compare the student-, neighborhood-, and school-level characteristics of kindergarteners who did and did not apply to the Boston Public Schools prekindergarten program. We find that nonappliers are more likely to be non-White (SD = 0.27), low income (SD = 0.11), and dual language (SD = 0.58), particularly those who did not attend any other prekindergarten program. We find similar differences at the neighborhood and school levels. Our study provides some of the first descriptive information on the sociodemographic characteristics and spatial distribution of families who opt out of applying to universal prekindergarten programs. Findings may inform recruitment strategies to promote equitable and universal prekindergarten enrollment.
Descriptors: Public Schools, Behavior Patterns, Neighborhoods, Preschool Children, Geographic Distribution, Low Income Students, Bilingual Students, Minority Group Students, Kindergarten, Elementary Schools, Institutional Characteristics, Community Characteristics, Academic Achievement, School Choice, Enrollment
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts (Boston)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A140059; R305B150012
Author Affiliations: N/A