Cross-Productivities of Executive Functions: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Abstract

Preschool programs can have lasting effects on education and labor market outcomes, but we have limited knowledge of what skills these programs should target. Executive functions at school-start predict academic success, yet we do not know if preschool program-induced improvements in executive functions boost achievement in primary school. by combining experimental data with a skill-building model, we find that preschool program-induced improvements in executive functions led to improvements in mathematical and language skills in primary school. This finding suggests a dynamic complementarity: Preschool investments in executive functions increase the effectiveness of primary school investments in promoting mathematical and language skills.

Keywords: Executive Functions, Preschool, Cross-Productivities, Dynamic Complementarity, Randomized Controlled Trial