We demonstrate the social efficiency of investing in high-quality early childhood education using newly collected data from the HighScope Perry Preschool Project. The data analyzed are the longest follow-up of any randomized early childhood education program. Annual observations of participant outcomes up to midlife allow us to provide a…

Background: Little is known about the cost-effectiveness of parent training programs when offered universally in U.S. elementary schools in disadvantaged urban communities. Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a universal school-based implementation study of the Chicago Parent Program (CPP). Methods: CPP was offered universally from…

Utilization of telehealth in school-based health centers (SBHCs) is increasing rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect on school absences and cost-benefit of telehealth-exclusive SBHCs at 6 elementary schools from 2015-2017. The effect of telehealth on absences was estimated compared…

This study examines the efficacy, cost, and implementation of an integrated science and literacy curriculum for kindergarten. The study was conducted in a large urban district and included 1,589 students in 71 classrooms in 21 schools. The research includes a multi-site cluster-randomized controlled trial and mixed-methods cost and implementation…

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the ways forms of literacy and cultural oppression operate in the content of the corpus of 60 books distributed by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) to children who entered kindergarten in the fall of 2022 from their birth to age 5. A growing number of affiliates, including many U.S.…

Children from low-income families face many social and economic disadvantages, and high-quality preschool can help to alleviate some of them. Is "preschool for all" the best way to extend preschool subsidies to unserved disadvantaged children? Fully funding such a policy would be costly, and it is likely that a significant minority of…

"The Upstart Great Plains TASK Force: Taking All to Success in Kindergarten" was a five-year Education, Innovation and Research (EIR) expansion grant (U411A180001) funded through the US Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Four research studies were conducted during the grant period of 2018 to 2023: a…

This report provides a comprehensive review of the research on the effect of K-12 school funding on student outcomes. In other words, does money matter in education? This is the third edition of this review, with the first two editions having been published in 2012 and 2016. In the previous edition of this report, the authors reviewed the evidence…

In recent years, there has been considerable investment at the European Union level in expanding early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. In line with this quantitative substantial initiative, research and social policies are increasingly focusing on the quality of such facilities. High quality depends, among other things, on…

The call for fostering digital literacies and use of digital technologies in the early childhood classroom is fairly ubiquitous in current times. Open-ended tools can be especially supportive for promoting child-initiated conversation, enhancing multilingual learners' vocabulary development, and increasing accessibility for all learners. In this…

Despite growing evidence about the significance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, public investment has been relatively low, resulting in slower expansion of evidence-based ECD programs. This dissertation consists of three essays on conducting and using economic evaluation methods to scale up early childhood education and development…

We evaluate an intervention using SMS messaging to send short stories to 2nd and 3rd graders in Zambia's Eastern province, aimed at improving reading skills. For nine months households received three text messages weekly comprising a short story for children to read with their families, and a question about the story. Additionally, parents…

By nurturing early literacy skills, we invest in young minds, building a strong foundation for lifelong learning, communication, and success. This Spotlight will help you evaluate research on early literacy gains from tutoring; analyze what experts say makes a strong early reading law; learn how reading on screens can worsen comprehension for…

To address the learning crisis and other challenges facing children and youth (those 15-24 years of age) it is critical for governments, multilateral and bilateral funders, other donors, and implementers to have a clear understanding of program costs and cost breakdowns to inform financing decisions. For nearly a decade, the Center for Universal…

This paper describes the research protocol for the Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study, which will examine the implementation of two years of funded kindergarten prior to the first year of school in Victoria, Australia. EDGE will examine whether children's language, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioural…