early childhood programs: lasting benefits and … md...steve barnett, phd camden. october 30, 2015....

Early Childhood Programs: Lasting Benefits and Large Returns

Milagros Nores, PhD Steve Barnett, PhD

Camden. October 30, 2015.

Potential Gains from ECEC Investments

Educational Success and Economic Productivity

Achievement test scores

Special education and grade repetition

High school graduation

Behavior problems, delinquency, and crime

Employment, earnings, and welfare dependency

Smoking, drug use, depression

Decreased Costs to Government

Schooling costs

Social services costs

Crime costs

Health care costs (teen pregnancy and smoking)

What does all the evidence say: Cognitive gains from 0-5 ECE in the US (123 studies since 1960)

0

0.1

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0.7

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0.9

1

Treatment End Ages 5-10 Age >10

Effe

cts

(sd

)

Age at Follow-Up Note: 1 sd = achievement gap, so High Quality preschool closes

nearly half the achievement gap

All Designs HQ Programs

What do we know from the US meta-analyses?

1. Cognitive effects are positive and shrink after children enter school but do not disappear.

2. Higher quality programs have bigger effects, those with: – Intentional teaching

– Individualization & small groups

– Less emphasis on comprehensive services (Head Start is less effective for cognitive gains)

3. Effects on socialization and school success also persist

4. Larger short-term gains likely to produce larger long-term gains

Abecedarian Chicago High/Scope

(Perry)

Year began 1972 1985 1962

Location Chapel Hill, NC Chicago, IL Ypsilanti, MI

Sample size 111 1,539 123

Design RCT Matched

neighborhood

RCT

Ages 6 wks-age 5 Ages 3-4 Ages 3-4

Program schedule Full-day, year

round

Half-day, school

year

Half-day, school

year

Barnett, W. S., & Masse, L. N. (2007). Early childhood program design and economic returns: Comparative benefit-cost analysis of the Abecedarian program and

policy implications, Economics of Education Review, 26, 113-125; Temple, J. A., & Reynolds, A. J. (2007). Benefits and costs of investments in preschool education:

Evidence from the Child-Parent Centers and related programs. Economics of Education Review, 26(1), 126-144; Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W.

S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M. (2005). Lifetime effects: The High/Scope Perry Preschool study through age 40 (Monographs of the High/Scope Educational

Research Foundation, 14). Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

In-depth look: The Big Three

High/Scope Perry Preschool: Educational Effects

45%

15%

34%

66%

49%

15%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Graduated from highschool on time

Age 14 achievement at10th %ile +

Special Education (Cog.)

Program group No-program group

Berrueta-Clement, J.R., Schweinhart, L.J., Barnett, W.S., Epstein, A.S., & Weikart, D.P. (1984). Changed lives: The effects of the Perry Preschool Program on

youths through age 19. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

Perry Preschool: Economic Effects at 40

50%

62%

40%

76%

76%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Had SavingsAccount

Employed

Earned > $20K


Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W. S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M. (2005). Lifetime effects: The High/Scope Perry Preschool study through

age 40 (Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 14). Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

Perry Preschool: Crime Effects at 40

34%

48%

55%

14%

33%

36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Drug Crime

Violent Crime

Arrested > 5X


Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W. S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M. (2005). Lifetime effects: The High/Scope Perry Preschool study through

age 40 (Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 14). Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

Abecedarian : Academic Benefits

13%

51%

65%

49%

36%

67%

34%

31%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

4 Yr College

HS Graduation

Grade Repeater

Special Education


Barnett, W. S., & Masse, L. N. (2007). Early childhood program design and economic returns: Comparative benefit-cost analysis of the Abecedarian program and

policy implications, Economics of Education Review, 26, 113-125; Campbell, F.A., Ramey, C.T., Pungello, E., Sparling, J., & Miller-Johnson, S. ( 2002). Early

childhood education: Young adult outcomes from the Abecedarian Project. Applied Developmental Science, 6(1), 42-57.

Chicago CPC: Academic and Social Benefits at School Exit

25%

38%

25%

39%

17%

23%

14%

50%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Juvenile Arrest

Grade Repeater

Special Education

HS Graduation


Temple, J. A., & Reynolds, A. J. (2007). Benefits and costs of investments in preschool education: Evidence from the Child-Parent Centers and related programs.

Economics of Education Review, 26(1), 126-144

In depth look: NJ Abbott, NJ’s Urban Pre-K Transformation

• Teacher with BA & ECE + asst. in each class;

• Full-day (6 hour educational day), 180-day program, plus extended day/full year;

• Access to all 3 and 4 yr. olds in 31 school systems;

• Maximum class size of 15 students;

• Evidence-based curricula;

• Early learning standards and program guidelines;

• Support for potential learning difficulties; and

• Professional development for key staff.

3.9

19.9

34.6

27.7

12.1

1.70.0 0.24.2

32.2

47.4

16.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1.00-1.99 2.00-2.99 3.00-3.99 4.00-4.99 5.00-5.99 6.00-7.00

Perc

enta

ge o

f Cla

ssro

oms

ECERS-R Score (1=minimal, 3=poor 5= good 7=excellent)

00 Total (N = 232) 08 Total (N = 407)

NJ Raised Quality in Public and Private

1 Year of NJ Abbott Pre-K: Effects Over Time

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KAPPLES1 2APPLES1 4/5APPLES1

PPVT Read Math

2 Years of Abbott Pre-K Effects Over Time

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PPVT Read Math

NJ Effects on Achievement Grades 4 and 5

.12

.18 .17 .14

.17

.26 .22

.37

.29

.37

0.00

0.05

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LAL 4th LAL 5th Math 4th Math 5th Science 4 th

1 year Abbott pre-k 2 year Abbott pre-k

NJ Effects on Retention & Special Education at Grade 5

12% 12%

19%

17%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Retention Special Education

Abbott pre-K No Abbott pre-K

Increased Quality in NJ Pre-K Improved Education Outcomes

• Gains in language, literacy, math

• 2 years have twice the effect of 1

• 2 years closed 40% of the achievement gap

• Effects sustained through 2nd grade

• Grade repetition cut in half by 2nd grade

In depth look: Boston’s Pre-K

• Redirecting existing funds to quality improvement

• Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) universal preK program: rapid expansion, 2006-2008; BA level teachers paid at K12 scale

• 2008 assessment of observed quality: mediocre levels

• Decision to stop expansion and invest in quality through developmentally focused curricula + coaching

• Choose evidence-based language and math curricula (OWL and Building Blocks) for district-wide implementation

• In-classroom coaching supports

19 Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013, Child Development

In depth look: Boston’s Pre-K

• Rigorous regression discontinuity design • 2,018 children included • 85% of district schools and 70% of students in those schools • Diverse student population – 11% Asian, 27% Black, 41%

Hispanic, 3% Other, 18% White – Home language: 50% English, 27% Spanish, 22% Other – 69% receive free/reduced lunch, 9% students with disabilities

• Counterfactual: Majority of control group children were enrolled in other preschool programs

• Studied: What are the causal impacts of BPS preschool on children’s language, pre-literacy, math, and executive function at the beginning of kindergarten?

Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013, Child Development

Largest effects on language and math of public preschool to date in the US


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0.44***

0.62*** 0.59***

0.50***

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PPVT-III

(vocabulary) W-J LW (early

reading) W-J AP (numeracy) REMA Short

(numeracy, geometry)

effect

siz

e

Positive “Spillover” Effects on All Three Dimensions of Executive Function Skills


0.24*** 0.24*** 0.21***

0.28***

0.11

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Backward DS (working memory)

Forward Digit Span

(working memory)

Pencil Tap (inhibitory control)

DCCS (inhibitory control)

TOQ Attention (att. shifting)

effect

siz

e

22

Large reductions in societal disparities at school entry

• Subgroups of interest: Free/reduced lunch (poverty status), race/ethnicity

• Boston Public Schools Preschool program:

• Reduced disparities substantially by class and race

• Completely eliminated disparities between Latino and White students in early literacy and math skills.

23 Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013, Child Development

Takeaway Lessons

1. High Quality programs have shown persistent effects across various cognitive and behavioral domains.

2. Pre-K varies in initial and long-term effects—can only expect persistent gains from large initial gains, and that requires quality.

3. Proper design, high standards, adequate funding, and evaluation can ensure high cost/benefits

4. Essence of quality is strong individualized teacher-child interaction, especially 1:1 and in small groups.

5. High-quality preschool benefits both low- and middle income children, with substantial effects on both groups, but greater impact on children living in or near poverty and/or DLLs (Tulsa, Boston).

6. ECEC can be a strong public investment: Increased educational achievement and attainment, Decreased economic and educational inequality and fewer social problems and Job and GDP growth (local and national).

early childhood programs: lasting benefits and … md...steve barnett, phd camden. october 30, 2015....

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