Professor Greg Duncan (School of Education, University of California, Irvine)'s presentation on the long-term effects of early math proficiency on student success in secondary and post-secondary education.

1. The Long Reach of
Early Math Skills
Greg J. Duncan
School of Education
University of California, Irvine

2. How important are K-5 math
skills for completed schooling?
How important are school-entry math
skills for school achievement?
How important are adolescent
math skills for labor market
success?

3. Skills and Behaviors
Achievement Engagement Problem Behaviors
Description: Concrete math
and reading skills
Ability to control
impulses and
focus on tasks
i) Ability to get
along with
others
ii) Sound mental
health
Example test
areas or
question
wording:
Knowing letters
and numbers;
beginning word
sounds, word
problems
Can’t sit still;
can’t concentrate;
score from a
computer test of
impulse control
i) Cheats or tells
lies, bullies, is
disobedient at
school
ii) Is sad, moody

4. Skill and behavior gaps between high- and low-income
kindergarteners
+106
+53
-27 -30
-100
Kindergarten gap 5th grade gap
Math
achievement
Mental
health
problems
Anti-social
behavior
School
engagement
Source: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort.

5. Skill and behavior gaps between high- and low-income
kindergarteners and fifth graders
+106
+53
-27 -30
+121
+59
-42 -31
-100
Kindergarten gap 5th grade gap
Math
achievement
Mental
health
problems
Anti-social
behavior
School
engagement
Source: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort.

6. How important are school-entry
math skills for school
achievement?
How important are K-5 math skills
for completed schooling?
How important are adolescent math
skills for labor market success?

7. Effects of school-entry skills and
behaviors on later achievement
Mental health
Reading
Math
Engagement
Anti-social
0
0 10 20 30 40

8. Effects of school-entry skills and
behaviors on later achievement
Mental health
Reading
MathEngagementAnti-social
0
0 10 20 30 40

9. Kindergarten teaching – hours/wk
All teachers
Teachers in low-
income schools
Reading 4.9 5.0
Math 3.1 3.1

10. Kindergarten student mastery vs.
time spent teaching
Mastery by Fall K
Basic Counting
& Shapes
95%
Patterns &
Measurement
62%
Place value &
Currency
25%
Addition &
Subtraction
7%
11,517 students 2,176 teachers

11. Kindergarten student mastery vs.
time spent teaching
Mastery by Fall K
Mean Days/Month
spent teaching
Basic Counting
& Shapes
95% 12.70
Patterns &
Measurement
62% 7.68
Place value &
Currency
25% 8.61
Addition &
Subtraction
7% 4.38
11,517 students 2,176 teachers

12. Instruction time and math achievement
-.041
+.065
0
Basic math Advanced math
Mathlearninginkindergarten
All students Low-income students only
Source: Claessens and Engel (under review)
Basic math
instruction time
Advanced math
instruction time

13. Instruction time and math achievement
-.041
+.065
-.029
+.056
0
Basic math Advanced math
Mathlearninginkindergarten
All students Low-income students only
Source: Claessens and Engel (under review)
Basic math
instruction time
Advanced math
instruction time

14. How important are school-entry
math skills for school
achievement?
How important are K-5 math skills
for completed schooling?
How important are adolescent math
skills for labor market success?

15. Effects of K-5 skills and behaviors on
completed schooling
0
0 10 20 30

16. Effects of K-5 skills and behaviors on
completed schooling
Anxiety Reading
Anti-social
Attention
Math
0
0 10 20 30

17. How important are school-entry
math skills for school
achievement?
How important are K-5 math skills
for completed schooling?
How important are adolescent math
skills for labor market success?

18. Effects of adolescent skills and behaviors
on earnings
0
0 10 20

19. Effects of adolescent skills and behaviors
on earnings
Anxiety Reading
Anti-social
Attention Math
0
0 10 20

20. Why math?
(preliminary)
• Structural story:
• teachers and schools provide extra
opportunities for early math achievers?
• moderate math skills keeps kids out
of special education?

21. Why math (con’t)?
• Motivational story:
• Math feedback is very concrete?
• Kids who don’t master math don’t
think they are good at math or good at
school?

22. Summary
• Early math is surprisingly important
• Kindergartent teachers spend much
less time on math than reading
• Early math instruction is geared toward
skills kids already know
• Math is also highly predictive of
completed schooling and earnings

23. Greg J. Duncan
gduncan@uci.edu
School of Education
University of California, Irvine