ERIC Number: EJ1367101
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jul
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: EISSN-1939-0599
Does Kindergarten Instruction Matter for Sustaining the Prekindergarten (PreK) Boost? Evidence from Individual- and Classroom-Level Survey and Observational Data
Meghan P. McCormick; Mirjana Pralica; Christina Weiland; JoAnn Hsueh; Lillie Moffett; Paola Guerrero-Rosada; Amanda Weissman; Kehui Zhang; Michelle F. Maier; Catherine E. Snow; Emily Davies; Anne Taylor; Jason Sachs
Developmental Psychology, v58 n7 p1298-1317 Jul 2022
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.
Descriptors: Kindergarten, Preschool Education, Outcomes of Education, Sustainability, Instructional Effectiveness, Mathematics Instruction, Literacy Education, Teacher Student Relationship, Individualized Instruction, Language Skills, Mathematics Skills, Reading Skills
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Related Records: ED662932
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Preschool Education
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: R305N160018