Investing Early: The Impact of State Prekindergarten Funding on Kindergarten Academic Outcomes
This study examines how state-level investment in prekindergarten for four-year-olds (PreK4) relates to kindergarten math performance in a sample of 31 large school districts in nine U.S. states. Drawing on data from over 200,000 kindergarten students using Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment in the 2023–24 school year, the analysis explores how state-level PreK4 investment, enrollment patterns, and district-level characteristics are related to early academic outcomes.