The Effects of Oklahoma's Pre‐K Program on Hispanic Children*

Objective. The objective of this work is to determine how much Hispanics benefit from a high‐quality pre‐K program and which Hispanic students benefit the most. Methods. Hispanic students in Tulsa, Oklahoma were tested (in English, Spanish) in August 2006. A regression discontinuity design addressed potential selection bias by comparing pre‐K alumni (treatment group) with pre‐K entrants (control group), controlling for age and other demographic variables. Results. Hispanic students experienced substantial improvements in prereading, prewriting, and premath skills. Hispanic students whose parents speak Spanish at home or whose parents were born in Mexico benefited the most. English‐language test gains were stronger than Spanish‐language test gains, but the latter were sometimes significant. Conclusions. Preschool education has considerable potential to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children.