Brookings Institute
There is a lively debate about the promise of universal pre-K for narrowing education gaps and promoting more social mobility. So far the focus has been on availability and cost – but it turns out that rates of attendance may matter a great deal.
Chicago has been at the forefront of making pre-K available to its residents, and researchers at the Consortium on Chicago School Research have now studied pre-school absence rates across their city. They find strong connections between attendance rates and rates of learning – especially for those who start behind. Pre-K only really helps if the kids show up...