Schools: early executive functions, but not cognitive skills, predict the likelihood of receiving disciplinary referrals

 This study uses field experiments with nearly 900 children to investigate how skills developed at ages 3-5 drive later-life outcomes. The researchers find that skills map onto three distinct factors - cognitive skills, executive functions, and economic preferences. Returning to the children up to 7 years later, they find that executive functions, but not cognitive skills, predict the likelihood of receiving disciplinary referrals. Economic preferences have an independent effect: children who displayed impatience at ages 3-5 were more likely to receive disciplinary referrals. Random assignment to a parenting program reduced disciplinary referrals. This effect was not mediated by skills or preferences.