The Economic Consequences of Early Childhood Education on the School System

Summary

This paper presents research on the economic impacts of preschool on school systems using data from the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey – Kindergarten (1998) and the Schools and Staffing Survey (2000). Noting budgetary savings for school systems on items such as special education expenditures and teacher pay, the authors estimate cost savings per preschooler over the K-12 time period. The authors also review academic literature on educational achievement and youth behaviors.