The dog that didn't bark: Preschool education and middle-school attitudes in Tulsa. Issue 3 (3rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Phillips, Deborah A.; Anderson, Sara; Gormley, William T.
• Is Part Of: Applied developmental science. Volume 22:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 200
• Page End: 216
• Publication Date: 2018-07-03
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1263154
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1088-8691

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To examine associations between participation in Tulsa's preschool programs and a set of middle-school attitudes, we used propensity score weighting to compare the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) pre-K participants and, separately, the Community Action Project (CAP) Head Start participants to students who had attended neither TPS pre-K nor Head Start as 4-year olds. In the context of very few significant findings, positive associations were found between pre-K participation (in both the TPS pre-K and CAP Head Start programs) and the students' attitudes about grit as assessed with the goal-setting subscale. Head Start participation was also associated with more cautionary views of risky sexual behavior. The results are discussed with regard to prevailing hypotheses guiding research on long-term pre-K impacts, measurement challenges, and expectations of pre-K education.