Christina Weiland

It is increasingly clear that children’s experiences in preschool and early elementary school matter for whether the preschool boost on cognitive and academic skills lasts (Phillips et al., 2017). However, less is known about which specific malleable factors from preschool through third grade are the “best bets” for promoting a lasting boost and strong third grade outcomes. In this presentation, Dr. Weiland will share early findings from an ongoing study in the Boston Public Schools that focuses on four potential such factors – the types of skills measured and promoted from P-3; curriculum alignment; overall instructional quality; and peer preschool experiences. The study is part of the IES Early Learning Network and is joint across the Boston Public Schools, MDRC, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan.