Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Preschool enrollment has increased in the past decade, in part because states and cities have expanded the provision of public preschool. As attendance has increased, the research literature on the impacts of preschool attendance has also expanded. Recent research suggests that classrooms with demographic diversity produce positive peer effects in children’s learning and development. This paper includes a brief scan of current research on peer effects, as well as an overview of existing policies that promote socioeconomic integration. While more research is needed in this area, a number of studies have found that participation in preschool programs improves educational outcomes and kindergarten readiness both for low-income students and their higher-income peers, and that racial diversity likely contributes positively as well. The findings from the policy scan identify opportunities to promote children’s development and learning through greater classroom diversity, as well as areas where further research and evaluation are needed to evaluate the effects of peers in early childhood programs.