Does the age that children start kindergarten matter? Evidence of long-term educational and social outcomes

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

Volumn 28, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 153-179

  Lincove, Jane Arnold ^a   Painter, Gary ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Age at entry; Economics of education; Kindergarten policy

Indexed keywords

EID: 33746335638     PISSN: 01623737     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3102/01623737028002153     Document Type: Article

References (68)

1. Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Horsey, C. S. (1997). From first grade forward: Early foundations of high school dropout. Sociology of Education, 70(2), 87-102.
2. Angrist, J. D., & Krueger, A. B. (1991). Does compulsory school attendance affect schooling and earnings? Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106(4), 979-1014.
3. Bedard, K., & Dhuey, E. (2005). The persistence of early childhood maturity: International evidence of long-run age effects. Mimeo. University of California, Santa Barbara.
4. Baer, A. (1958). The school progress and adjustment of underage and overage students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 49, 17-19.
5. Bear, G. G., & Modlin, P. D. (1987). Gesell's developmental testing: What purpose does it serve? Psychology in the Schools, 24(January), 40-44.
6. Bickel, D. D., Zigmond, N., & Strayhorn, J. (1991). Chronological age at entrance to first grade: Effects on elementary school success. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 6, 105-117.
7. Bound, J., & Jaeger, D. A. (1996). On the validity of season of birth as an instrument in wage equations: A comment on Angrist and Krueger's "Does compulsory school attendance affect schooling and earnings?" NBER Working Paper Series. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
8. Bracey, G. W. (1989). Moving around, scoring low. Phi Delta Kappan, 70(9), 731-734.
9. Brent, D., May, D. C., & Kunden, D. K. (1996). The incidence of delayed school entry: A twelve-year review. Early Education and Development, 7 (2), 121-135.
10. Breznitz, Z., & Teltsch, T. (1989). The effect of school entrance age on academic achievement and socialemotional adjustment of children: Follow-up study of fourth graders. Psychology in the Schools, 26, 62-68.
11. Byrd, R. S., Weitzman, M., & Auinger, P. (1997). Increased behavioral problems associated with delayed school entry and delayed school progress. Pediatrics, 100(4), 654-661.
12. Cameron, M. B., & Wilson, B. J. (1990). The effects of chronological age, gender, and delay of entry on academic achievement and retention: Implication for academic redshirting. Psychology in the Schools, 27, 260-263.
13. Carter, L. B. (1956). The effect of early school entrance on the scholastic achievement of elementary school children in Austin Public Schools. Journal of Educational Research, 50, 91-103.
14. Coleman, J. (1990). Foundation of social theory. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
15. Crosser, S. (1991). Summer birth date children: Kindergarten entrance age and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 84, 140-146.
16. Crosser, S. (1998). He has a summer birthday: The kindergarten entrance age dilemma. Lanham, MD: Education Resources Information Center.
17. Datar, A. (2006). Does delaying kindergarten entrance give children a head start? Economics of Education Review, 25(1), 23-62.
18. Davis, B. G., Trimble, C. S., & Vincent, D. R. (1980). Does age of entrance affect school achievement? Elementary School Journal, 80(3), 133-143.
19. Dehejia, R., & Wahba, S. (2002). Propensity score matching methods for non-experimental causal studies. Review of Economics and Statistics, 84(1), 151-161.
20. Dickinson, D. J., & Larson, D. J. (1963). The effects of chronological age in months on school achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 56, 492-493.
21. Dietz, C., & Wilson, B. (1985). Beginning school age and achievement. Psychology in the Schools, 22, 93-94.
22. Elkind, D. (1987). Miseducation. New York, Alfred A. Knopf.
23. Frank, K. A. (2000). Impact of a confounding variable on a regression coefficient. Sociological Methods & Research, 29(2), 147-194.
24. Graue, E., & DiPerna, J. (2000). Redshirting and early retention: Who gets the "gift of time" and what are its outcomes? American Educational Review Journal, 37, 509-534.
25. Graue, E., & Shepard, L. (1989). Predictive validity of the Gesell School Readiness Tests. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 4, 303-315.
26. Gredler, G. R. (1997). Issues in early childhood screening and assessment. Psychology in the Schools, 34(2), 99-106.
27. Green, D. R., & Simmons, S. V. (1962). Chronological age and school entrance. The Elementary School Journal, 63, 41-47.
28. Hall, R. V. (1963). Does entrance age affect achievement? The Elementary School Journal, 63, 391-395.
29. Harding, D. J. 2003. Counterfactual models of neighborhood effects: The effect of neighborhood poverty on high school dropout and teenage pregnancy. American Journal of Sociology, 709(3): 676-719.
30. Hauser, R. M. (2000). Should we end social promotion? Lanham, MD: Education Resource Information Center.
31. Heckman, J. J., Ichimura, H., & Todd, P. E. (1997). Matching as an econometric evaluation estimator: Evidence from evaluating a job training programme. Review of Economic Studies, 64, 605-654.
32. Hirano, K., & Imbens, G. W. (2001). Estimation of causal effects using propensity score weighting: An application to data on right heart catheterization. Health Services and Outcome Methodology, 2, 259-278.
33. Holmes, C. T. (1989). Grade-level retention effects: A meta-analysis of research studies. In L. A. Shepard & M. L. Smith (Eds.), Flunking grades: Research and policies on retention. London: The Palmer Press.
34. Ilg, F., Ames, L., Haines, J., & Gillepspie, C. (1978). School readiness: Behavior tests used at the Gesell Institute. New York: Harper & Row.
35. Jones, L. D., & Sutherland, H. (1981). Academic redshirting: A positive approach to grade retention. Education, 102, 173-175.
36. Jones, M., & Mandeville, K. (1990). The effect of age at school entry on reading achievement scores among South Carolina students. Remedial and Special Education, 11, 56-62.
37. Karweit, N. (1988). Effective preprimary programs and practices. Principal, 67, 18-21.
38. Katz, L. G. (2000). Academic redshirting and young children. Washington, DC: Office of Education Research and Improvement.
39. Kundert, D., May, D., & Brent, D. (1995). A comparison of students who delay kindergarten entry and those who are retained in grades K-5. Psychology in the Schools, 32, 202-209.
40. Langer, P., Kalk, J., & Searls, D. (1984). Age of admission and trends in achievement: A comparison of Blacks and Caucasians. American Educational Research Journal, 21, 61-78.
41. Levine, D. I., & Painter, G. (1999). The NELS curve: Replicating The Bell Curve with the National Educational Longitudinal Survey. Industrial Relations, 38(3), 364-401.
42. Levine, D. I., & Painter, G. (2003). The costs of teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing: Analysis with a withinschool propensity score matching estimator. Review of Economics and Statistics, 85(4), 884-900.
43. Marshall, H. H. (2003). Opportunity deferred or opportunity taken? An updated look at delaying kindergarten entry. Young Children, 58(5), 84-93.
44. May, D. C., & Kundert, D. K. (1997). School readiness practices and children at-risk: Examining the issues. Psychology in the Schools, 34 (2), 73-84.
45. May, D. C., Kundert, D. K., Nickoloff, O., Welch, E., Garret, M., & Brent, D. (1994). School readiness: An obstacle to intervention and inclusion. Journal of Early Intervention, 18 (3), 290-301.
46. May, D. C., & Welch, E. (1986). Screening for school readiness: The influence of birthday and sex. Psychology in the Schools, 23, 100-105.
47. Mayer, S. E., & Knutson, D. (1999). Does the timing of school affect how much children learn? In S. E. Mayer & P. E. Peterson (Eds.), Earning and learning. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
48. McClelland, M., Morrison, F., & Holmes, D. (2000). Children at risk for early academic problems: the role of learning-related social skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 7, 155-174.
49. Meisels, S. J. (1987). Uses and abuses of development screening and school readiness testing. Young Children, 42(2), 4-9.
50. Meisels, S. J. (1992). Doing harm by doing good: latrogenic effects of early childhood enrollment and promotion policies. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 7, 155-174.
51. Miller, V. V. (1957). Academic achievement and social adjustment for children young for their age. The Elementary School Journal, 57, 47-59.
52. Moore, R. S. (1979). School can wait. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press.
53. National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). The elementary school performance and adjustment of children who enter kindergarten late or repeat kindergarten. Washington, DC: Author.
54. National Center for Education Statistics. (2002). National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, fourth follow-up: Student component data file user's manual. Washington, DC: Author.
55. Piaget, J. (1970). Science of education and the psychology of the child. New York: Orion Press.
56. Reinherz, E. M., & Kinard, H. (1986). Birthdate effects of school performance and adjustment: A longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Research, 76(6), 366-372.
57. Rosenbaum, P., & Rubin, D. (1983). The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70, 41-55.
58. Saluja, G., Scott-Little, C., & Clifford, R. M. (2000). Readiness for school: A survey of state policies and definitions. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 2(2).
59. Shepard, L. A. (1997). Children not ready to learn? The invalidity of school readiness testing. Psychology in the Schools, 34(2), 85-97.
60. Shepard, L. A., & Smith, M. L. (1986). Synthesis of research on school readiness and kindergarten retention. Educational Leadership, (November), 78-86.
61. Shepard, L. A., & Smith, M. L. (1987). Effects of kindergarten retention at the end of first grade. Psychology in the Schools, 24, 346-357.
62. Spitzer, S., Cupp, R., & Parke, R. (1995). School entrance age, social acceptance, and self-perceptions in kindergarten and 1st grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 10, 433-450.
63. Stipek, D. (2002). At what age should children enter kindergarten? A question for policy makers and parents. Social Policy Report. Society for Research in Child Development.
64. Stipek, D., & Byler, P. (2001). Academic achievement and social behaviors associated with age of entry into kindergarten. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 175-189.
65. Sweetland, J. D., & De Simone, P. A. (1987). Age of entry, sex, and academic achievement in elementary school children. Psychology in the Schools, 24, 406-412.
66. Uphoff, J. K., & Gilmore, J. (1986). Pupil age at school entrance: How many are ready for success? Young Children, 11-16.
67. U.S. Department of Education (2003). No Child Left Behind Act. http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml.
68. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.