Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The long-term effects of state-funded pre-K programs have not been well studied, due to the absence of good longitudinal data on fully scaled-up programs.  In this paper, we use data from several sources to estimate the long-term benefits and short-term costs of Tulsa’s high-quality universal pre-K program, which originated in 1998.   First, we estimate the effects of pre-K participation on grade retention up to 9^th grade, using propensity score weighting and data from 2,061  students who attended TPS kindergarten in the fall of 2006 and who currently attend public school in the Tulsa metropolitan area.  Next, we estimate the effects of grade retention on adult earnings and crime, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.  Finally, we generate overall estimates of the benefits and costs of participation in Tulsa’s pre-K program.