Title: Understanding the Role of Parents and Preschool Programs in Supporting Low-Income Children’s School Success

Abstract: This presentation is directed at identifying potential policy remedies for inequality in America with a focus on publicly funded preschool and two-generation programs. To this end, Study 1 will focus on the conditional impacts of the Head Start program on parents’ investment and discipline practices as a function of their initial skills and abilities. Study 2 will consider the implications of mixed-age classrooms in Head Start for children’s academic and social-behavior development. Finally, Study 3 will examine whether different forms of publicly funded preschool programs have academic benefits for children through the end of the third grade year. Future research plans will also be discussed.