Media mention: Swain reconsiders Pre-K 'fade-out' effect
As access to preschools continue to expand nationwide, researchers have found that the benefits children receive from attending Pre-K seem to fade in the third grade. However, more studies are being conducted to determine if high-quality early grade teachers can help the Pre-K effect last longer.
Walker Swain, an assistant professor in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, recently joined Anna Gassman-Pines, an associate professor and affiliate of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, to discuss this effect on Policy 360, a podcast created by the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.
“Part of the reason why we focus on some of these early measurable things is so we can then connect test score gains to long-term earnings or success going to college or high school,” said Swain. “Policymakers on the ground want to make a change and not say we’ll tell you if it was effective 30 years from now.”