Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California's Children

Abstract

With the goal of raising student achievement at the top of the education policy agenda, policymakers and the public are exploring potential strategies to address achievement shortfalls. One possibility is to expand public funding for preschool education. To evaluate the potential of this approach, the RAND Corporation has undertaken the California Preschool Study, an effort to improve understanding of achievement gaps in the early elementary grades, the adequacy of preschool education currently given, andwhat efficiencies or additional resourcesmight be brought to bear in early care and education. This volume reports on the first component of this larger study effort,which addresses the following questions: • What is the number and percentage of students in grades K–3who do not meet state education standards? • How does the fraction that fails to meet standards vary across groups defined by gender, race-ethnicity, English-language ability, parent education attainment, and family economic status? • Do high-quality preschool programs have the potential to close the observed achievement gaps? To