Pre-K Quality Stalls in New York City
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Pre-K Quality Stalls
in New York City
While Rising for White and Asian Families
Key Findings New York’s Progress
Children benefit from widening access to preschool in
• Young children have likely benefited since 2014
from New York City’s progress in widening access to New York City, free to families with a 4-year-old, no matter
preschool. Household budgets also gain by extending how rich or poor. The city has tripled the count of public
free pre-k to tens of thousands of families.
pre-k slots since 2014, now serving about 70 percent of
• Whether pre-k helps to remedy children’s lost year of all 4-year-olds, spurred by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Pre-K
learning and early growth, resulting from the pandemic,
depends on whether preschool quality elevates kids for All campaign.1 The pandemic slowed progress in
who have suffered most. serving additional 3-year-old children.
• During the initial years of Pre-K for All, quality lagged
behind in sites that served mostly Black or Latino The quality of classrooms and teaching practices remains
children, and those situated in the city’s poorest
adequate, spread across some 1,800 neighborhood
census tracts (2014-2016), as two independent
research teams (Berkeley and Princeton) have found. programs, whether situated in city schools or community-
based organizations (CBOs). The observed quality of
• This brief details how average pre-k quality began to
plateau in 2017 and has failed to rise appreciably since city pre-k’s falls below those observed in Boston and
then, based on two gauges of quality derived from the San Francisco Bay Area, on average, yet rises above
on-site observations of classrooms by city monitors.
public preschools in Florida.2
• We observe two notable exceptions to the city-wide
stalling of quality, after matching 1,273 pre-k’s that
have completed at least two quality assessments since Quality Flattens
2014: sites hosting predominantly White children Our Berkeley team detailed in summer, 2020 how
display significant gains in quality, 2014-2019, as do
pre-k’s mainly serving Asian-heritage youngsters.
average pre-k quality, after climbing during the program’s
initial years, has largely stalled on two gauges of quality,
• It’s difficult to see how Pre-K for All will help narrow
each stemming from site observations conducted by
early disparities in child development if quality fails
to climb for children of color and in programs located Department of Education (DOE) monitors. We distributed
in poor neighborhoods. these results in the wake of nationwide protests seeking
Update from Berkeley studies in early education, 2021
racial fairness, and as the city’s preschools struggled to
Bruce Fuller and Talia Leibovitz remain open as the coronavirus spread.
1Figure 1 displays mean scores on the city’s two quality among the 402 pre-k’s serving the highest shares of
barometers – the Early Childhood Environment Rating Black children, compared with the like number of pre-k’s
scale (ECERS) and Classroom Assessment Scoring enrolling the lowest percentages of Black youngsters,
Assessment System (CLASS) – between 2014 and 2019. observed between 2014-2018. The same unequal pattern
City pre-k’s have inched-up on the ECERS by just one- is observed between pre-k’s that serve low versus high
tenth of one point since 2015 on this 7-point scale. concentrations of Latino children.
Figure 2. Mean ECERS quality scores for pre-k’s split by percentage of children enrolled,
Figure 1. Change in mean ECERS and class quality scores, 2014-15 to 2018-19
Black or Latino (quartiles) first wave observations, 2014-2018
7.0 4.35
6.7 4.32 4.31
6.5
6.0 4.3
6.0
4.25
5.5 4.23
5.0 4.2
4.18
4.3 4.16
4.5 4.15 4.14
4.15
3.9
4.0 4.08
4.1
3.5
3.6
2.9 4.05
3.0
2.5 4
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 Lowest enrollment % Second quartile Third quartile Highest enrollment
Black enrollment: mean ECERS score Latino enrollment: mean ECERS score
CLASS Emotional Support ECERS Total Score Class Instructional support
Note: N=1,610 pre-k sites. The difference in ECERS mean scores between sites with lowest percentage
N of pre-k sites with observation scores equal 1,116, 1,541, 1,802, 1,761, and 1,748 of Black children (first quartile) to highest percentage (fourth quartile) equals one-quarter (0.24) SD.
across the five years, respectively. The gap is similar for Latino children.
CLASS scores on emotional support have moved We are not suggesting that racial composition of pre-k
upward slightly since 2017, while instructional support sites determines their capacity to improve organizational
for children (one subscale that predicts early learning) quality. In the K-12 arena, race often proxies underlying
has declined steadily since 2014. The DOE was unable disparities in teacher qualities, instructional materials,
to observe programs in 2020, many closed for several and school facilities. Which of these mechanisms operate
months during the pandemic. to constrain preschool quality remains poorly understood.
These trends in quality stem, in part, from the increasing Disparities in pre-k quality also appear when comparing
count and evolving mix of school and CBO-based pre-k’s programs situated in poor versus middle-class parts of
coming online since 2014. the city (Figure 3). After splitting the city’s 1,057 census
tracts by median household income, we see that ECERS
The DOE labors mightily to lift pre-k quality. In January scores are more than one-third SD lower in the poorest
2021, the DOE announced that 105 CBO-based pre-k’s one-fourth of tracts, compared with the one-fourth
would be defunded, given that other nearby programs of tracts with the highest median household income.
had “received higher quality scores.”4
How large are these disparities in quality? Children,
Quality Falls in Mostly Black or age 4, who attend one year of a state-funded pre-k
Latino Pre-K’s nationwide – programs that mainly serve kids from
We know that average pre-k quality ranges lower, on lower-income families – gain about one to two-fifths
average, in pre-k sites that serve higher concentrations SD in their early language skills and grasp of simple
of Black or Latino children (Figure 2). The ECERS quality math concepts.5 We detect quality gaps equaling
score averages one-quarter standard deviation (SD) lower between one and two-fifths SD among programs
2differing by racial composition or economic setting. in magnitude, compared with White-Black gaps in
Disparities at these levels of magnitude constrain the pre-k quality.6
developmental benefits that high-quality preschool
can yield for children. Figure 3. Mean total ECERS scores, for pre-k’s, split by median-household-income
of census tracts (quartiles), first wave observations, 2014-2018
4.5
A second research team – based at Princeton University – 4.4
4
4.3 4.2
4.3
has detailed similarly wide disparities in pre-k quality 4.2
4.2 4.2
4.1
across the city, especially for racially segregated pre-k 4.1
4.0
sites (based on one year of observational data, 2017-18). 3.9
3.8
These scholars found that the average White 4-year-old 3.7
3.6
attends a pre-k program that scores one-half SD higher 3.5 9
Poorest Second Third Most Most
on both the ECERS and CLASS gauges of quality, income quartile
[mean=$25,181]
quartile
[mean=$41,159]
quartile
[mean=$58,442]
comfortable
quartile
comfortable
10% of tracts
[mean=$90,333] [mean=$90,333]
compared with the average Black child. They observed Note: N=1,057 census tracts hosting 1,610 pre-k sites. ECERS mean scores are about one-third (0.35) SD
higher in the higHest two income quartiles, relative to the poorest quartile of tracts.
quality gaps between White and Latino children, although
the magnitudes were one-third to one-half less severe
Fi gu re 4. D i stri bu ti on of qu al i ty am on g pre-k si tes i n N ew York Ci ty, 2014-2018
Observed E arl y Ch i l dh ood E n vi ron m en t R ati n g Scal e (ECE R S) scores by si te an d n ei gh b orh ood weal th or p overty
P re- K S i te Typ e
Com m u n i ty- based D epartm en t of Ch arter Sch ool
cen ter (CB O), i n cl u di n g Edu cati on cen ters i n
th ose p revi ou sl y el em en tary sch ool s an d
overseen by ACS. free- stan di n g p re- k' s
B ron x
EC E R S R ou n d ed Level
Cen ters wi th :
2 or 3 4 5 or 6
N = 235 N =749 N = 615
M ed i an H ou seh ol d I n com e (q u arti l es), 20 17 M an h attan
Average eq u al s $ 62, 671
Less th an $ 31, 335 $ 62, 672 - $ 125, 342
$ 31, 356 - $ 62, 671 G reater th an $ 125, 342
Qu een s
B rookl yn
Staten I sl an d
An al ysi s by U n i versi ty of Cal i forn i a, B erkel ey
Sou rces: M edi an h ou seh ol d i n com e from Am eri can Com m u n i ty Su rvey
(ACS) 2013- 2017. Qu al i ty m easu res from th e D epartm en t of Edu cati on .
M ap p rodu ced by G reen I n fo N etwork, 2021
3We can visualize the locations of lower-quality pre-k sites enjoy quality gains. Programs with enrollments
sites, as seen in Figure 4. We divided preschool programs 50 to 75 percent, Asian or White children, display the
among those scoring a 3 or below on the ECERS 7-point strongest gains – one-third of a scale point on the
scale, those judged by city inspectors as a 4, and sites ECERS gauge – as seen in the bottom panel of Figure 5.
scoring 5 or above. We see that pre-k quality ranges
lower in the Bronx, on average, the Lower Eastside, and Figure 5 Top Panel. Change in average ECERS quality scores by percentage
pre-k enrollment, Black, 2014-2019 (n=1,273 pre-k’s)
parts of Brooklyn. Quality moves higher in much of
Queens and other sections of Brooklyn.
Fraction scalee points, ECERS quality measure
0.35
Quality Climbs for White and 0.25
0.19
Asian-Heritage Children 0.15
0.11
Moving forward, parents and educators hope to see 0.05
gains in pre-k quality, teachers and classrooms that -0.05
75%
effectively buoy children’s early learning. To examine -0.15
-0.04 -0.05
the question of whether quality may be rising in certain
sites, we matched 1,273 preschool programs, 2014-2019,
sites in which city monitors conducted quality assesments
in multiple years, typically spread three years apart. Figure 5 Bottom Panel. Change in average ECERS quality scores by percentage
pre-k enrollment, Asian or White, 2014-2019 (n=1,273 pre-k’s)
We then can track changes in quality for a constant
Fraction scalee points, ECERS quality measure
set of pre-k’s, rather than an evolving mix of differing 0.35
0.32
0.30
school and CBO-based sites. 0.28
0.25
0.19
0.20
Pre-k’s with two observation rounds averaged small 0.15
0.13
0.11
gains, bumps of just 0.13 and 0.14 of a scale point on 0.10 0.10
0.07
0.05
ECERS and CLASS gauges of quality, respectively. Yet we 0.0
0.00
also found that pre-k’s serving larger shares of White or 75%
Asian-heritage children enjoyed greater gains in quality, Change in ECERS by White Change in ECERS by Asian
enrolled Percentage enrolled Percentage
when assessed with the ECERS and CLASS tools, than
programs serving larger percentages of Black youngsters.
Gains for programs with over 75 percent, Asian children,
We split pre-k’s into four groups based on the percentage are lower because they displayed the highest baseline
of enrollment comprised of Black children. Figure 5 (top score, 4.5, and have less room to grow. In contrast,
panel) shows changes in the ECERS barometer of quality sites with 50-75 percent, Asian enrollment, displayed a
for each group. Quality levels climbed about one-fifth lower ECERS score at baseline, just 4.1, showing sufficient
of a point (7-point scale) for pre-k’s enrolling less than room to improve. Stronger gains for predominantly
25 percent, Black children, while inching downward for White or Asian sites appear for the CLASS gauge of
sites with enrollments over half, Black youngsters. quality as well, yet at lower levels of magnitude.
Isolating on pre-k’s that mainly serve Asian or White We delved into additional factors – inside pre-k sites
children further sharpens the disparity in which pre-k or neighborhoods – that help predict growth in quality
4over time. Preschool programs in poor or densely This is not to say that pre-k’s serving mostly Black or
populated communities displayed less growth than Latino children cannot muster the will and resources
in middling neighborhoods (2014-2019). Pre-k’s hosted to improve their observed quality. Figure 6 shows the
by city schools enjoyed slightly greater bumps in quality location of the city’s 443 preschool sites that raised
than programs earlier run by the Administration for their ECERS scores by at least one-half point between
Children’s Services on both the ECERS and CLASS gauges. 2014 and 2019 (of the 1,273 programs with multiple
quality assessments). The color of each site indicates
Even after taking into account 14 other possible the largest racial group served by that pre-k.
predictors of change in quality, pre-k’s serving larger
shares of Black children displayed weaker to no gains, We see that sites with rising quality are distributed widely
relative to other sites, on the ECERS and CLASS across the city. But relatively few pre-k’s in which Black
barometers. When predicting levels of change in children are the largest group enrolled showed this level
quality for the CLASS, pre-k’s enrolling greater shares of quality gain. Sites exceeding this notable boost in
of Latino children similarly displayed weaker or no quality enroll lower shares of Black children 23%, relative
discernible improvement in observed quality. to pre-k’s falling short of this growth threshold (26%).
Fi gu re 6. Locati on s of pre-k si tes i m provi n g i n qu al i ty, 2014-2019
L argest raci al grou p of ch i l d ren en rol l ed a t p re- k si tes, 20 14
B l ack L ati n o
Asi an Wh i te B ron x
M ed i an H ou seh ol d I n com e (q u a rti l es), 20 17
Average eq u al s $ 62, 671
Less th an $ 31, 335 $ 62, 672 - $ 125, 342
$ 31, 356 - $ 62, 671 G reater th an $ 125, 342
M an h attan
Qu een s
B rookl yn
Staten I sl an d
An al ysi s by U n i versi ty of Cal i forn i a, B erkel ey
Sou rces: M edi an h ou seh ol d i n com e from Am eri can Com m u n i ty Su rvey
D i sp l ays 443 p re- k si tes th at i m p roved on th e ECE R S q u al i ty m easu re by at l east a h al f- p oi n t (0. 5) on th e 7- p oi n t scal e, 2014- 2019. (ACS) 2013- 2017. Qu al i ty m easu res from th e D epartm en t of Edu cati on .
M ap p rodu ced by G reen I n fo N etwork, 2021
5Good News on Quality This year of lost learning appears to have worsened
Recall how we remove the effect of the churning mix already wide gaps in student achievement, with some
of pre-k sites by selecting the 1,273 pre-k sites in which children falling two years behind.7 Less evidence has yet
city monitors have conducted two quality observations. to surface on the likely developmental losses suffered
When isolating on these two-thirds of the city’s 1,800- by preschool-age children.
plus pre-k’s, we do observe that quality have inched
upward overall. These sites are not representative of Could New York City’s pre-k system – reaching so many
the entire mix of pre-k’s serving children: they are more 4-year-olds – play a role in recovering the pause in
selective in terms of longevity and unobserved attributes cognitive and social-emotional growth that arrived with
within the city’s program. the shut-down and erratic reopening of preschool?
Possibly, yes. But these new findings suggest that current
Figure 7. Mean change in ECERS and CLASS quality scores by pre-k auspice,
2014-2019 (n=1,273 sites with two observations) distributions of quality across the city’s preschools
0.76
0.80
will not likely narrow disparities in child development.
0.60 4
0.40
0.32
Instead, lopsided gains in the quality of programs that
0.26
0.12 0.18 0.16
0.20
0.08 0.10 serve Asian or White children, seen in recent years,
0.00
-0.20
may ironically reinforce inequities in early growth.
-0.18
-0.40
-0.60
-0.63 The DOE moved in January, 2021 to expand the supply
-0.80
ACS (formerly) CBOs (non-ACS) DOE pre-k center City school Charter school
of pre-k slots in parts of the city hit hardest by the
Change in ECERS Change in CLASS
pandemic, as parents struggle to get back to work and
N of pre-k sites equals: formerly ACS, 232; other CBOs, 484; charter schools, 10; city school sites, 717,
dedicated pre-k centers run by DOE, 37.
find affordable child care.8 Allied efforts to address the
regressive distribution of preschool quality could help
Figure 7 reveals how the buoyancy of pre-k quality varies remedy racially arranged disparities.
by organizational auspice. The DOE’s own dedicated
pre-k centers show robust gains in quality, three-quarters Cutting support of programs that remain stuck at low
of a scale point on the ECERS and one-third of a point levels of quality may help, which the city also announced
on the CLASS between 2014 and 2019. The quality of in January. But this does not necessarily address the
CBO-run pre-k’s inched upward (their quality on average maldistribution of high versus low-quality programs,
was higher than city-school sites at baseline). But ECERS which threatens to reinforce inequality among children
quality scores fell among pre-k’s formerly overseen by from the start.
the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and
barely budged on the CLASS barometer. The small count A notable count of some pre-k’s serving mostly Black
of pre-k’s hosted by charter schools showed mixed or Latino children have raised their program quality.
changes in quality levels. Neither the racial composition of preschool sites, nor
surrounding economic conditions, necessarily determine
Children’s Learning Loss – pre-k quality. The DOE dedicates over one hundred staff
Can Pre-K Help? members to track and elevate pre-k quality across the
We know that children’s learning curves flattened or fell city’s 1,800-plus sites. Still, future research should
during the covid-induced shut down of public schools. pinpoint why pre-k quality falls lower in predominantly
6Black and Latino sites, then inform how to best remedy pre-k quality. The DOE could better target their
these shortfalls. efforts to enrich quality within certain neighborhoods.
By sharing data on teacher attributes and migration
It may be that stronger pre-k teachers move to among pre-k sites, the DOE would enable independent
communities where they believe working conditions analysts to identify underlying factors in play.
are better, or sites receive stronger resources and
parental support in certain neighborhoods. Some pre-k’s Until the distribution of quality better lifts children
in public housing reportedly suffer from cramped space of color, along with youngsters in the poorest parts of
and aging facilities. the city, Pre-K for All may fail to un-do early disparities
in early learning and development.
We have much to learn about how such underlying
resources and mechanisms inhibit or foster gains in
1
Barnett, S., Friedman-Krauss, A., Gomez, R., Horowitz, M., Weisenfeld, G. et al. (2016). The state of preschool 2015: State preschool yearbook.
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University.
2
These between-region quality comparisons are detailed in Latham, S., Sattin-Bajaj, C., Corcoran, S., & Jennings, J. (2020). Racial disparities in pre-k
quality: Evidence from New York City’s universal pre-k program. Princeton: School of Public and International Affairs. Also, see our earlier report: Fuller, B.,
Leibovitz, T., Chin, D., Du, K., & Garcia, N. et al. (2020). Equity and institutions: Distributing preschool quality in New York City: Berkeley: Graduate School
of Education. The Princeton paper is forthcoming in the journal, Educational Researcher.
3
Fuller et al. (2020) and online review of empirical results.
4
Reported by Edelman, S. (2021). NYC DOE cancels 105 pre-k programs, leaving parents in the lurch. New York Post, January 16. Online.
5
Barnett, W., Jung, K., Friedman-Krauss, A., Frede, E., Nores, M. et al. (2018). State prekindergarten effects on early learning at kindergarten entry:
An analysis of eight state programs. AERA Open, vol. 4, no. 2. Online.
6
Latham, S.,Sattin-Bajaj, C., Corcoran, S., & Jennings, J. (2020).
7
The Northwest Educational Assessment firm continues to analyze national data on the growing disparities observed among student subgroups. Another
study, drawing test score data from large California districts, also details lagging achievement for children of color and English learners: Pier, L., Hough, H.,
Christian, M., Bookman, N. et al. (2021). Covid-19 and the educational equity crisis. Stanford, CA: Policy Analysis for California Education.
8
Reported by Elsen-Rooney, M. (2021). NYC Education Dept. to fund new preschool seats in neighborhoods hit hardest by pandemic. New York Daily
News, January 26.
For prior studies of early education in New York and further details: b_fuller@berkeley.edu
University of California, Berkeley, 2021.
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