A Broader, Bolder
Approach to Education
On June 10, 2008 a diverse array of national policy
experts launched a campaign to break the cycle of failed
education reform efforts. An important part of the proposal
includes increased investment in high-quality early
childhood, pre-school, and kindergarten education. See
the
full story.
Good news on graduation rates?
After years of discouraging news about high school
graduation rates there may be good news on the horizon.
In a paper published on June 4, 2008 Economic Policy
Institute (EPI) president Lawrence Mischel and economist
Joydeep Roy argue that the data have been misinterpreted
by a number of influential sources, including Education
Week. The result is that estimates are "substantially
below" the actual graduation rates. See the statement
issued by the authors.
Preschool myths
A still-timely compilation of facts refuting common
myths about preschool. See it here.
"A Nation at Risk" Twenty-Five
Years Later
Richard Rothstein claims the National Commission on
Excellence in Education got it wrong in 1983 and did
more harm than good. See the essay
on the Cato Unbound site.
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Years of Research
The Parent-Child Home Program is backed
by over four decades of research. See the links... Bridging the Gap
Between Poor and Privileged
The summer 2004 issue of American Educator concludes
that, "the large body of research that has been
conducted on PCHP indicates that it is an effective
program that addresses many of the risk factors associated
with poverty by showing parents how to teach and stimulate
their children." See the full text here.
The Early Catastrophe
Children in welfare families experience a gap of 30 million spoken words
by age three, predicting diminished performance in later
school years according to a two-and-one-half year study
of children in 42 families. See the full study here.
Lake City Study
In a 2002 study of Parent-Child Home graduates in the
third grade in Lake City, SC, 84 students scored ready
for school at an average rate 2% above the state average
and 10% better than their at-risk peers on the Cognitive
Skills Assessment Battery during the first grade in
Florence School District 3. See the summary.
Investment in Preschool Yields Average Sevenfold
Return
Three rigorous, independent studies of the benefits
of preschool for disadvantaged children show an average 7 to 1 benefit.
That is, for every dollar invested in high quality preschool programs
there is a average savings of seven dollars in averted costs of remedial
education, crime, welfare, and low future earnings. (W. Steven Barnett,
National Institute for Early Education Research, "Cost-Benefit Analysis",
5/23/03)
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