@TechReport{iza:izadps:dp18790,
            	author={Mikdash, Maya and Zhong, Jiee},
            	title={Do State-Funded Pre-K Programs Improve Long-Run Outcomes?},
            	year={2026},
	month={Jul},
            	institution={Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)},
            	address={Bonn},
            	type={IZA Discussion Paper},
            	number={18790},
            	url={https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp18790},
	abstract={We study the long-term effects of access to state-funded early childhood education on educational attainment and labor market outcomes. To do so, we exploit quasi-random variation across districts and cohorts generated by the phased rollout of Texas's large-scale public Pre-K program. Using restricted-access administrative data, we find that access to state-funded Pre-K substantially increases enrollment, particularly in districts without alternative preschool options. Additional results show that in districts that provide Pre-K simultaneously for three- and four-year-olds, access to Pre-K increases earnings at age 27 and high-school graduation by about 4 percent, with no effect on college enrollment. In contrast, access to Pre-K has no effects on labor market and educational outcomes in districts that primarily serve four-year-olds only. We provide suggestive evidence that the effectiveness of state-funded Pre-K depends on program funding rather than access alone.},
	keywords={state-funded prekindergarten;early childhood education;human capital;educational attainment;labor market outcomes},
            }