Students who had learned much more in kindergarten were more likely to go to college than students with otherwise similar backgrounds. Students who learned more were also less likely to become single parents. As adults, they were more likely to be saving for retirement. Perhaps most striking, they were earning more.These results are despite the fact that during most of their school years, the effect of kindergarten doesn't show up in test scores. I'm sure this is going to attract a lot of attention, and it should. See Mankiw and Althouse.
Earlier this year I saw a mention of a similar result where early intervention didn't have lasting impact on test scores in school, but seemed to lead to better life results (less joblessness and crime, higher salaries). Intended to blog it, but it slipped through.
What I'd really like to know is data on the teachers of the best classes back in 1980's: who were they, what were their backgrounds, were they identified as good teachers by their principal and the local community, and, most importantly, what has happened to them in the intervening 20+ years? Did they find teaching kindergarteners a satisfying career, or did they move on?
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