Research

Research Says PreK Programs Will Reap Billions in Benefits

In his research study, Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation: Public Investment in High-Quality Prekindergarten, economist Robert G. Lynch finds that investment in high quality prekindergarten programs will generate billions of dollars in economic and other benefits for the federal and state governments.

The study published by the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute shows huge benefits whether programs are universal or targeted to three- and four-year-old children from poor families. September 2007

Another Study Shows PreK Programs Reduce Future Crime

A longitudinal study of participants in a Chicago public schools program serving preK through third grade students reported that at age 24 program participants had acquired more education and were less likely to commit crimes than those who did not receive the same level of service.

"Effects of a School-Based, Early Childhood Intervention on Adult Health and Well-being" is a 19-year followup report in an ongoing study of Chicago's Child-Parent Center program, which appears which appears in the August 2007 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a monthly journal.

Arthur J. Reynolds, a child-development professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and the director of the study, told Education Week that "these findings are especially relevant to schools and policymakers in decisions about modifying existing programs or expanding access to early education."  August 2007

PreK Program Pays Off in Academic Development

New Mexico's preK initiative is paying off for its four-year-old participants in greater improvement in early language, literacy and math development.

That's among the findings of a study, "The Effects of the New Mexico PreK Initiative on Young Children's School Readiness," released Aug. 2, 2007 by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. The research was conducted by Jason T. Hustedt, W. Steven Barnett, and Kwanghee Jung. Find out more.  August 2007

Study: Policy Makers Should Consider Full-Day Preschool

A study by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) finds that the benefits of full-day preschool over half-day programs are significant and concludes that "policy makers should strongly consider implementation of full-day preschool."

The NIEER report discusses a randomized trial that compared children from low-income families in half-day and full-day public preschool programs.

Results show that children attending full-day programs did better on mathematics and literacy tests than children in a 2.5 to 3-hour public preschool program and the achievement gains continued at least until the end of first grade. Read more.  May 2006

Study Backs Benefits of Preschool

The journal Developmental Psychology has published new research that confirms that Oklahoma's pre-kindergarten program is successfully helping kids prepare for school. (Oklahoma is one of the few states to offer preschool to every four year old.) While learning gains were made by children of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, the study found the most significant improvements among Hispanic children. Researchers made a point of noting that the preschool program was staffed by well-educated, well-trained teachers who earn regular public school salaries. Listen to the NPR story by Michelle Trudeau or read a news release about the research report, entitled "The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development." You can find a link to the full study from there.  October 2005.

Survey Finds Wide Disparity in Preschool Availability

NEA leader Patricia Reeves, a long-time advocate of early childhood education, was on hand to help announce the results of the second annual survey of state preschool programs, which found a huge disparity in availability from state to state.

The report concludes that "across our nation, high-quality and readily available state-funded preschool programs are the exception rather than the rule." February 2004 .

Studies Show Long-Term Benefits

The High/Scope Perry Preschool Project and Abecedarian Early Childhood Intervention Project  are perhaps the two most-often cited studies thought to prove the long-term benefits of early childhood education.

Child Trends Offers Range of Research Services

Child Trends, a nonprofit and nonpartisan children's research organization, provides research and data on the benefits of early childhood education, a description of practices that support school readiness  and more. It collects and analyzes data; conducts, synthesizes, and disseminates research; designs and evaluates programs; and develops and tests promising approaches to research in the field.

Founded in 1979, Child Trends is supported by foundations, government agencies, private organizations, and individual donors. Child Trends has achieved a reputation as one of the nation's leading sources of credible data and high-quality research on children.

Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers

Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers  provides an in-depth perspective on the components of quality preschool programs; principles of learning that should be incorporated into preschool curriculum (without endorsing any particular curriculum), and appropriate use of early childhood assessments. The report includes recommendations regarding professional development, development of curricula and assessment tools, and public policies at the state and federal levels. The report is from the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy of the National Research Council's Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Early Childhood Research & Practice

Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), a peer-reviewed electronic journal sponsored by the Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8. ECRP emphasizes articles reporting on practice-related research and development, and on issues related to practice, parent participation, and policy.

Study Shows Importance of Early Experiences

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) is an ongoing effort by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The study follows a nationally representative sample of approximately 22,000 children from kindergarten through fifth grade in an effort to increase public awareness of the importance of children's early experiences in care and education evidenced by the National Education Goal on school readiness.