Unequal at the Starting Line: How Early Learning Experiences and School Capital Influence Stratification in The United States

Abstract

While the impact of early childhood education on kindergarten readiness is well established, the relationship of such experiences to later life outcomes is not well understood. This dissertation uses longitudinal survey data to examine which children gain access to early childhood experiences, and of what type and intensity, and whether these experiences have long term effects on test scores and educational attainment. Further, this dissertation theorizes and tests a mechanism, referred to as "school capital," through which long term benefits of early childhood educational experiences may operate.