Learning & Development
Journal Article
Benefits of Compensatory Preschool Education
Date
February 22, 2018
By Barnett, W. S. (1992).
Although there is widespread agreement that compensatory preschool education can produce short-term gains in test scores, its ability to produce meaningful long-term improvements in educational and economic success has been questioned. This paper reviews the evidence regarding long-term effects, including a classical experiment and benefit-cost analysis. It is concluded that compensatory preschool education can produce long-term gains in school success through contributions to cognitive abilities not adequately measured by intelligence (IQ) tests. Greater educational success is accompanied by substantial improvements in social and economic outcomes including employment, teen pregnancy, and welfare assistance.
The Authors
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.