Monday, January 23, 2006
Does investing in early school readiness pay?
Just released:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE McEVOY LECTURE: “COST EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY INTERVENTION”
DRS. ARTHUR REYNOLDS AND JUDY TEMPLE, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
JANUARY 20, 2006
BACKGROUND:
Arthur Reynolds, a new faculty member at the U of M’s Institute of Child Development, has specialized in low income children participating in the Chicago “Child-Parent Center” Program within the public school system.
Judy Temple specializes in the economics of the public sector with an emphasis on understanding how investments in children enhance the well-being of children. A new faculty member, she holds a joint appointment between the Department of Applied Economics and the HHH Institute.
METHODOLOGY AND FOCUS:
The 20 year study has examined the performance of 1,539 Chicago children as part of a 1986 kindergarten cohort (baseline for preschool includes ages 2-6) through age 22. Nine hundred eighty-nine students who attended high poverty area Child-Parent Centers (CPC) are compared to the performance of 550 similar children enrolled in five randomly selected schools serving low-income families.
The curriculum focused on basic skills and parent involvement and was administered by degree holding teachers being paid an average of $55K a school year.
SELECTED FINDINGS:
More reinforcement that school readiness is a vital topic...
Just released:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE McEVOY LECTURE: “COST EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY INTERVENTION”
DRS. ARTHUR REYNOLDS AND JUDY TEMPLE, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
JANUARY 20, 2006
BACKGROUND:
Arthur Reynolds, a new faculty member at the U of M’s Institute of Child Development, has specialized in low income children participating in the Chicago “Child-Parent Center” Program within the public school system.
Judy Temple specializes in the economics of the public sector with an emphasis on understanding how investments in children enhance the well-being of children. A new faculty member, she holds a joint appointment between the Department of Applied Economics and the HHH Institute.
METHODOLOGY AND FOCUS:
The 20 year study has examined the performance of 1,539 Chicago children as part of a 1986 kindergarten cohort (baseline for preschool includes ages 2-6) through age 22. Nine hundred eighty-nine students who attended high poverty area Child-Parent Centers (CPC) are compared to the performance of 550 similar children enrolled in five randomly selected schools serving low-income families.
The curriculum focused on basic skills and parent involvement and was administered by degree holding teachers being paid an average of $55K a school year.
SELECTED FINDINGS:
- There is a demonstrated link between high quality preschool and long term educational attainment with emphasis on school readiness, social skills and achievement.
- Improved outcomes were evidenced in physical health, mental health and reduced criminal activity.
- Significantly higher school achievement, lower rates of remedial education, juvenile arrest and child maltreatment were also evidenced.
- IQ scores for students entering 1st grade were higher for those participating in the program.
- Impacts for all children are similar though boys are benefited slightly more than girls.
- Key elements of a universal P-K plan are fourfold:
1. active parental involvement;
2. core principles for measurement of effectiveness;
3. well-trained and compensated staff; and,
4. the ability to tailor the program to individual family needs.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS:
- The CPC program, costing less than $5K a year per student, is estimated to have returned $10.15 for every dollar invested over the two decade duration of the study.
- Savings accrue generally from educational attainment resulting in better jobs and crime prevention.
- Effects of high quality early care and education like those offered in the CPC exceed those of other social investment programs.
- Parents of the CPC students exhibited greater social and economic stability.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: This Chicago Longitudinal Study is one of twelve longer term programs to have concluded that there is significant economic return to high quality early care and education.
More reinforcement that school readiness is a vital topic...
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:38 PM 
