Does the “Where” Matter? School-Based Pre-K Versus Center-Based Pre-K and its Link To Students’ Absenteeism

Abstract It is well established that school absenteeism negatively shapes student outcomes. Yet, students continue to miss school at alarmingly high rates, underscoring the urgency of identifying settings that may improve attendance. To contribute to this, using nationally representative data, we investigated the relationship between going to Pre-K and absenteeism in kindergarten through 2nd grade, as well as whether the type of Pre-K setting played a role in later attendance. Our findings suggest that children who attended Pre-K had lower absenteeism rates in the early elementary years compared to those who did not participate in any Pre-K program. Importantly, the setting of the Pre-K program—whether school-based (SBPK) or center-based (CBPK)—did not significantly predict differences in absenteeism. These results suggest that while Pre-K participation itself may link to lower absenteeism, the specific type of Pre-K setting may not.