The article discusses a study that found students who had highly effective kindergarten teachers were more likely to attend college, earn higher wages, and have better adult outcomes even though the academic boost faded by middle school. An analysis of students decades later from an education experiment in Tennessee in the 1980s found those who learned more in kindergarten had better life trajectories. While the causes are unclear, effective early education may impart lasting skills like patience and perseverance that are not captured by standardized tests.