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Our overriding goal was to understand territorial inequalities regarding secondary school completion by testing which contextual factors and educational resources are associated with their change in high- and low-density Portuguese municipalities. Our analysis covered the time between 2009 and 2018, including both the economic crisis and the economic recovery period. Drawing mostly on publicly available data from 253 municipalities and following a Linear Mixed Model approach, we found that low-density municipalities depicted significantly greater levels of secondary school attainment by 2013 compared to high-density municipalities. Moreover, growing unemployment rates were associated with a reduction in secondary school completion rates across the assessed time points. Contrary to our expectations, higher rates of permanent teachers were associated with worse rates of secondary school completion. In addition, we found a significant increase in the rates of secondary school conclusion at higher levels of preschool enrollment among high-density municipalities. Our discussion counteracts the usual overstating of vulnerable territories' worse educational indicators. We also underline the importance of improving secondary education indicators for reducing structural inequalities in the school-to-work transition in less affluent territories and pinpoint the importance of implementing policies, such as improving access to preschool education in Portuguese high-density municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Children in rural areas have similar early learning opportunities, regardless of whether they live with both parents or are left behind in rural areas because of parental migration. • Children who migrate from rural to urban areas are more likely to be enrolled in preschool and experience more stimulating home learning environments than their peers in rural areas. • Migrant children have lower preschool enrolment rates and receive less stimulation at home than urban native children. This study considers how living arrangements among migrant families have affected young children in China and compares the early learning opportunities of urban migrant children and urban native children. We leveraged nationally representative data from the China Family Panel Studies (2012-2018). Participants were 4,306 three- to five-year-olds and their caregivers. They were classified into five groups, with three of them affected by migration. The sample included 1,357 children who had migrated along with their parents to urban areas; 253 children who were left-behind in rural areas with one parent; and 269 children who were left-behind in rural areas with a relative. An additional 1,595 children from non-migrant families living in rural areas and 832 urban native children served as comparison groups. After adjusting for selection bias through propensity score approaches, results indicated that, regardless of parental migration status, the early learning opportunities of children living in rural areas were similar. Migrating to urban areas was positively associated with stimulating home learning environments and the likelihood of preschool enrollment, but urban native children experienced more stimulating home learning environments and had higher preschool enrollment rates than migrant children. Implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our overriding goal was to understand territorial inequalities regarding secondary school completion by testing which contextual factors and educational resources are associated with their change in high- and low-density Portuguese municipalities. Our analysis covered the time between 2009 and 2018, including both the economic crisis and the economic recovery period. Drawing mostly on publicly available data from 253 municipalities and following a Linear Mixed Model approach, we found that low-density municipalities depicted significantly greater levels of secondary school attainment by 2013 compared to high-density municipalities. Moreover, growing unemployment rates were associated with a reduction in secondary school completion rates across the assessed time points. Contrary to our expectations, higher rates of permanent teachers were associated with worse rates of secondary school completion. In addition, we found a significant increase in the rates of secondary school conclusion at higher levels of preschool enrollment among high-density municipalities. Our discussion counteracts the usual overstating of vulnerable territories’ worse educational indicators. We also underline the importance of improving secondary education indicators for reducing structural inequalities in the school-to-work transition in less affluent territories and pinpoint the importance of implementing policies, such as improving access to preschool education in Portuguese high-density municipalities.

This study examines whether associations between enrollment in public and non-public PreK and children's (N = 508; Mage  = 5.60 years in fall of kindergarten) math and language and literacy outcomes were more likely to be sustained through the spring of kindergarten for unconstrained versus constrained skills. Associations between public PreK and language, literacy, and math outcomes were more strongly sustained through the spring of kindergarten for unconstrained skills, relative to constrained skills. Only associations between non-public PreK and unconstrained language skills were sustained through the spring of kindergarten. Associations in the fall of kindergarten differed by family income and dual language learner (DLL) status but there was no subgroup variation by the spring of kindergarten. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preschool improves children's kindergarten readiness, but the cognitive outcomes of preschool enrollees and nonenrollees tend to converge partially or fully in elementary school. In older programs, most of this convergence occurs in kindergarten (Li et al., 2016), but evidence from today's programs is sparse. Using data on 4,971 children who applied to the Boston Public School Prekindergarten program and a quasi‐experimental approach, we examine convergence in kindergarten through third grade (K‐3) literacy outcomes of prekindergarten enrollees and nonenrollees. Consistent with previous literature, most of the convergence in K‐3 literacy outcomes occurred in kindergarten. Our findings suggest that detailed investigations into the kindergarten teaching and learning context may be particularly important for solving the widely noted preschool convergence pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Media4u Magazine is the property of Ing. Jan Chromy, Ph.D. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary Expanding access to preschool education is a particularly important policy issue in developing countries, where enrollment rates are generally much lower, and where private institutions constitute a much larger share of the formal preschool sector, than in developed countries. This paper examines if an expansion in the supply of public preschool crowds-out private enrollment using rich data for municipalities in Brazil from 2000 to 2006, where federal transfers to local governments change discontinuously with given population thresholds. Results from a regression-discontinuity design reveal that larger federal transfers lead to a significant expansion of local public preschool services, but show no evidence of crowding-out of private enrollment, nor of negative impacts on the quality of private providers. This finding is consistent with a theory in which households differ in willingness-to-pay for preschool services, and private suppliers optimally adjust prices in response to an expansion of lower-quality, free-of-charge public supply. In the context of the model, the absence of crowding-out effects of more public preschool providers can be rationalized by the existence of relatively large differences in willingness-to-pay for preschool services across different demand segments. Our theoretical and empirical findings therefore suggest that in developing country settings characterized by relatively high income inequality, an expansion in public preschool supply will likely significantly increase enrollment among the poorest segments of society, and need not have adverse effects on the quantity or quality of local private supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying sociological and developmental theoretical perspectives to educational policy issues, this study analyzed data from 7,710 children from low-income families in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort. The goal was to examine how much the association between phonics instruction in kindergarten classrooms and children's reading achievement during the first year of school in the low-income population would depend on whether children had previously attended preschool as well as the socioeconomic composition of their elementary schools. Lagged linear models with a series of sensitivity tests revealed that this association was strongest among children from low-income families who had not attended preschool and then enrolled in socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary schools and among children from low-income families who had attended preschool and then enrolled in socioeconomically advantaged elementary schools. These findings demonstrate how insights into educational inequality can be gained by situating developing children within their proximate ecologies and institutional settings, especially looking to the match between children and their contexts. They are especially relevant to timely policy discussions of early childhood education programs, classroom instructional practices, and school desegregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a historical and international analysis of early childhood education in Turkey is made. More specifically, we explore the trend in pre-school enrolment, compare Turkey's enrolment rate with other countries, study whether access to pre-school is related to social class and gender, and investigate the impact of pre-school attendance on later academic performance. We use data from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2012 study and World Bank EdStats. The results indicate that Turkey's pre-school enrolment has strongly increased over the years. However, compared with other (newly) industrialised countries, Turkey has a very low pre-school enrolment rate. Regression analyses revealed that pupils from wealthy families are much more likely to attend pre-school than pupils from poor families, while no difference was found between girls and boys. Importantly, pre-school attendance was related to higher academic achievement, even though pupils from wealthy families benefited more than middle-class and poor pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study tested a conceptual model of the reciprocal relations among parents' support for early learning and children's academic skills and preschool enrollment. Structural equation modeling of data from 6,250 children (Ages 2 to 5) and parents in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort revealed that parental support for early learning was associated with gains in children's academic skills, which, in turn, were associated with their likelihood of preschool attendance. Preschool experience then was associated with further gains in children's early academic competencies, which were then associated with increased parental support. These patterns varied by parents' nativity status. Specifically, foreign-born parents' support for early learning was directly linked with preschool enrollment, and the association between the academic skills of children and parental support was also stronger for foreign-born parents. These immigration-related patterns were primarily driven by immigrant families who originated from Latin America, rather than Asia, and did not vary by immigrants' socioeconomic circumstances. Together, these results underscore the value of considering the synergistic relations between the home and school systems, as well as "child effects" and population diversity, in developmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between twin language, twins’ close ties, and social competence in a prospective longitudinal study. We hypothesized that twins whose tie is close would be more likely to develop a twin language, and these twins would be less likely to develop social competence. In addition, we hypothesize that some environmental factors, such as having an older sibling, preschool attendance, zygosity, and sex are also related to twin language, twins’ close ties, and social competence. At baseline in 1999 a mailed questionnaire survey was conducted, and a follow-up questionnaire was distributed in 2004 among 958 mothers. As a result, 516 respondents returned the questionnaire (53.9%). In this study, we used 261 twin pairs aged from 6 to 12 years (school-age children) for analysis, excluding those with missing values. In the present study, we found that zygosity and sex were associated with twins’ close ties. Having an older sibling and preschool attendance did not affect the twins’ close tie, twin language, or social competence. One of the most important findings was that social competence was not affected directly by twins’ close tie, but was affected when a twin language was found. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

President Obama's "Preschool for All" initiative calls for dramatic increases in the number of 4 year olds enrolled in public preschool programs and in the quality of these programs nationwide. The proposed program shares many characteristics with the universal preschools that have been offered in Georgia and Oklahoma since the 1990s. This study draws together data from multiple sources to estimate the impacts of these "model" state programs on preschool enrollment and a broad set of family and child outcomes. For lower-income children, the state programs increase the likelihood of preschool enrollment, the amount of time spent with mothers on activities such as reading, and test performance as late as eighth grade. For higher-income families, however, the programs shift children from private to public preschools, resulting in less of an impact on overall enrollment but a significant reduction in childcare expenses, and appear to have no effect on children's test scores. There is also little evidence that the state programs increase maternal labor supply, with the exception of a possible temporary increase in employment for mothers in lower-income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents information on how to select preschools for children based on her personal experience. She looks at a parent-friendly checklist from the U.S. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) on how to assess preschools on topics such as cost and quality, curriculum, and safety.

Copyright of Cadernos de Pesquisa is the property of Fundacao Carlos Chagas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States has increased rapidly during the past few decades. Research into social and behavioral determinants of obesity could lead to innovative strategies for prevention. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between childhood obesity and preschool enrollment and number of hours in child care among low-income preschool-aged children who were participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). We conducted a case-control study including 556 3- to 4-year-old children who were either obese (BMI > 95th percentile of reference standard) or normal-weight (BMI 25-75th percentile). The population was largely (96%) Hispanic, an ethnic group that has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in adults and children in the US. In multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for a variety of psychosocial and cognitive home environment variables, key demographics and maternal variables, the odds ratio of being obese was 0.61 for children who attended preschool more than 4 days a week (95% CI: 0.41-0.90). Watching television or videos for an hour or more on a typical day (odds ratio 1.71 (95% CI 1.07-2.75)), and higher maternal BMI (odds ratio 1.08 (95% CI 1.05-1.11)) were independently related to odds of obesity. The impact of preschool attendance and TV viewing are potentially instructive in terms of preventive interventions for children at this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine relationships between eating behaviors and the cognitive environment in primarily Hispanic low-income households with young children receiving WIC benefits in Los Angeles County. Survey data were collected from 3645 low-income families with children age 12–65mo in Los Angeles County. Eating behaviors were measured through questions about fruit, vegetable, milk, soft drink, and fast food intake. The cognitive environment was evaluated through questions on the home literacy environment (HLE), reading frequency, and preschool enrollment. All healthy eating behaviors measured were significantly and positively associated with reading frequency and HLE scores after adjustment for confounders. HLE and reading frequency scores were 18% and 14% higher, respectively, in children eating two or more servings of fruit per day and 12% and 9% higher, respectively, in children eating three or more servings of vegetables per day. Preschool enrollment was not significantly associated with any eating behavior. Outcomes varied by language-ethnic groups and child sex. Results suggest that healthy eating behaviors are positively associated with stronger cognitive environments in low-income Hispanic families with young children. Interventions to prevent childhood obesity in this group may therefore benefit from including a home literacy component. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The recent emphasis on universal prekindergarten programs, coupled with ongoing concern about children’s’ early literacy development in the first years of school, carry significant implications for how preschool educators program for literacy and assess literacy growth. We discuss the evolving role of literacy development in expanded preschool, examine key features of literacy assessments with particular attention to the content that might be assessed in preschool, and provide as an example one preschool literacy assessment tool that is in widespread use in the United States. We discuss the policy and practice implications of the growing emphasis on literacy assessment in preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three states recently introduced universal prekindergarten programs offering free preschool to all age-eligible children; policy makers in many other states are promoting similar programs. Using restrictedaccess data from the Census, together with birthday-based eligibility cutoffs, I employ a regression discontinuity framework to estimate the effects of universal pre-K availability on overall preschool enrollment and maternal labor supply. Universal pre-K availability increases statewide preschool enrollment by about 14% but has little effect on the labor supply of most women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal for Sociology of Education & Socialization / Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung & Sozialisation is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article reports the investigation of the extent to which US preschool federal funding (Head Start) and the preschool enrollment of African American males (aged three to five) affected the high school graduation rates of this population (aged 14 to 19). The authors found that a link exists between preschool enrollment and the high school graduation rate of this population. They also found a link between Head Start funding and the high school graduation rate for this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We used 37 years of follow-up data from a randomized controlled trial to explore the linkage between an early educational intervention and adult health. Methods. We analyzed data from the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program (PPP), an early school-based intervention in which 123 children were randomized to a prekindergarten education group or a control group. In addition to exploring the effects of the program on health behavioral risk factors and health outcomes, we examined the extent to which educational attainment, income, family environment, and health insurance access mediated the relationship between randomization to PPP and behavioral and health outcomes. Results. The PPP led to improvements in educational attainment, health insurance, income, and family environment Improvements in these domains, in turn, lead to improvements in an array of behavioral risk factors and health (P=.01). However, despite these reductions in behavioral risk factors, participants did not exhibit any overall improvement in physical health outcomes by the age of 40 years. Conclusions. Early education reduces health behavioral risk factors by enhancing educational attainment, health insurance coverage, income, and family environments. Further follow-up will be needed to determine the long-term health effects of PPP: (Am J Public Health. 2009;99:1431-1437. doi:10.2105/AJPH. 2008.148353) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study investigating how decreases in student enrollment will affect human resource management (HRM) for preschools in Hong Kong, China. The author suggests that educational leadership should promote participation in staff evaluation. The effect of low birthrates in Hong Kong on school enrollment and distinctions between HRM and personnel management (PM) are noted. It is suggested that voluntary redundancy can aid in the reduction of preschool staff.

Context Early childhood development programs such as Head Start have proven benefits for impoverished children. However, few physicians assist families with enrollment. Objective To test if a primary care-based intervention is efficacious in increasing Head Start attendance. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized controlled trial of 246 Head Start-eligible children aged 0 through 4 years recruited in spring 2003 from 4 health clinics in Seattle, Washington. Interventions List of Head Start telephone contacts provided to families of all children and, for those in the intervention group, a computer-generated packet containing a physician referral letter (and a physical examination form and immunization record, if available) mailed directly to Head Start by study personnel. Main Outcome Measure Head Start attendance by January 2004. Results The 123 children analyzed in each study group were similar at baseline. Overall, 72 children (29%) were successfully connected with Head Start (ie, actively attending or on a waiting list) by January 2004. Among the intervention group, 50 children (41%) were successfully connected with Head Start, contrasted with 22 (18%) in the control group (adjusted difference, 17%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8%-27%). Among the intervention group, 31 children (25%) were actively attending Head Start, contrasted with 14 (11%) in the control group (adjusted difference, 12%; 95% CI, 3%-21%). Only 2 clinics contributed children to Head Start waiting lists. Among children from these clinics, 19 of 87 (22%) in the intervention group got onto a Head Start waiting list, vs 8 of 94 (9%) in the control group (adjusted difference, 13%; 95% CI, 5%-21%). To get 1 child either into Head Start or onto a waiting list, we needed to refer 4 children. Conclusion Facilitating an initial connection to Head Start on families' behalf substantially increased Head Start attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the worldwide expansion of preschool enrollments between 1965 and 1980 and summarizes the findings of a longitudinal study linking expanded preschool enrollments with women's increased levels of participation in the labor force. Economic, political, and organizational explanations for the expansion of preschool enrollment were also tested in the study. It was found that a floor of economic development is necessary before preschool expansion can take place. In industrialized countries, the effect of women's participation in the service and industrial sectors of the labor force is evident; it indicates a shift in the care and education of young children from the family to the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is a globally observed trends towards preschool expansion. • Changes in preschool enrollment rates are unrelated to changes in student achievement. • Null effects on achievement in primary and secondary school. • No evidence for effect heterogeneity for disadvantages and privileged children. The main purpose of the study is to analyze whether globally observed trends towards preschool expansion have impacted student achievement in primary and secondary school. We use data from multiple study cycles of two international large-scale assessments that have a longitudinal component at the country level—PIRLS and PISA—and combine these data with a country-level measure of preschool enrollment rates as the main explanatory variable. Employing a multilevel regression with fixed effects for countries and years, we find that changes in preschool enrollment are unrelated to changes in average student achievement. Even after controlling for covariates on the individual and country levels, we do not find any support for the policy expectation that expanding preschool enrollment per se leads to better student achievement on country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]