Kindergarteners’ Future Success Affected by Class Size, Teacher Experience

A recent study dispels any lingering doubts that early education is nothing more than publicly-funded baby-sitting. Harvard-based researchers recently presented some yet unpublished data that indicates kindergarten experiences can have a significant impact on adult indicators of success such as college completion, salary, and marriage rates.

According to the report, kindergarten class size and the test scores of classmates are both indicators of future success, but the most influential factor appears to be the quality of early education teachers. A teacher who can raise standardized test scores by 1%, even if those scores flatten later in a child’s school career, is worth about $12,000 per student in future earnings. Assuming an average class size of about 20 students, a great kindergarten teacher can be responsible for an additional $240,000 in future earnings from each group of protégés.

According to National Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a kindergarten teacher in the United States is $50,380. Given the value of the additional money that a full class of students can expect to earn over their careers, Raj Chetty, the lead author of the study, and his colleagues, estimate that a standout kindergarten teacher is worth about $320,000 a year. It’s not likely that a salary jump anywhere near that significant will take place anytime soon.

According to a 2006 study done by the National Education Association, 50% of teachers leave the profession within five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries. Yet on average kindergarten teachers make less than their underpaid colleagues. The average salary for elementary school teachers is $53,150, average for middle school teachers is $53,550, and average salary for high school and vocational teachers is $55,150.

Let’s hope some of the recent news coverage of this study encourages school districts to reconsider areas of priority when it comes to funding. Kindergarten students are young, but they are building a foundation that will help shape their paths later in life.

What do you think of this report and its calculations?

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