the impact of early childhood education on later academic success.
Creators: name: Nur Hassan, Ayub Mustaf
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: early childhood
childhood education
academic success

description: Early childhood education holds promise for improving long-term educational outcomes. Reflecting this promise, enrollment rates in state-funded early childhood programs more than doubled between 2002 and 2016 (McCoy et al., 2017). As program enrollment increases, questions arise regarding whether early childhood education is fulfilling the promise of leveling the playing field for all students. As stated by Solano and Weyer (2017), “Achieving equity in early childhood education—making sure all children have the resources to be successful in school—is a fundamental goal” of all leaders in education (p. 1). Achieving this goal is a challenge as growing numbers of students live in poverty and speak languages other than English. Currently, one in four children under the age of 18 in the United States is Latinx (Bachman, Elliott, Scott, & Navarro, 2016). English language learners (ELLs) account for more than 15% of the student population in Texas (National Clearinghouse English Language Acquisition [NCELA], 2018). Thirty-eight percent of African American children live below the poverty line and are four times more likely to be poor than their White or Asian peers (Patten & Krogstad, 2015). African American children are at-risk for being unprepared for kindergarten at rates disproportionate to their White peers (Lee, Auty, & Williams, 2008; Lee & Bowen, 2006).

Despite the rising enrollment rates, early childhood program attendance rates are not as high in the United States as in other developed counties. Solano and Weyer (2017) found that almost 20% of U.S. children do not attend any form of preschool before entering kindergarten. Twenty-nine percent of high-income families enroll in preschool while only 19% of low-income families enroll in high-quality preschool programs. This can lead to children from low-income families, especially Latinx and African American children, entering kindergarten significantly academically behind their White and high-income peers, resulting in an opportunity gap. Early childhood education holds promise for improving long-term educational outcomes.




Reflecting this promise, enrollment rates in state-funded early childhood programs more than doubled between 2002 and 2016 (McCoy et al., 2017). As program enrollment increases, questions arise regarding whether early childhood education is fulfilling the promise of leveling the playing field for all students. As stated by Solano and Weyer (2017), “Achieving equity in early childhood education—making sure all children have the resources to be successful in school—is a fundamental goal” of all leaders in education (p. 1). Achieving this goal is a challenge as growing numbers of students live in poverty and speak languages other than English. Currently, one in four children under the age of 18 in the United States is Latinx (Bachman, Elliott, Scott, & Navarro, 2016). English language learners (ELLs) account for more than 15% of the student population in Texas (National Clearinghouse English Language Acquisition [NCELA], 2018). Thirty-eight percent of African American children live below the poverty line and are four times more likely to be poor than their White or Asian peers (Patten & Krogstad, 2015). African American children are at-risk for being unprepared for kindergarten at rates disproportionate to their White peers (Lee, Auty, & Williams, 2008; Lee & Bowen, 2006).

Despite the rising enrollment rates, early childhood program attendance rates are not as high in the United States as in other developed counties. Solano and Weyer (2017) found that almost 20% of U.S. children do not attend any form of preschool before entering kindergarten. Twenty-nine percent of high-income families enroll in preschool while only 19% of low-income families enroll in high-quality preschool programs. This can lead to children from low-income families, especially Latinx and African American children, entering kindergarten significantly academically behind their White and high-income peers, resulting in an opportunity gap.