Outcomes
aeioTU Longitudinal Study
October 2018
The aeioTU Longitudinal Study is a randomized trial longitudinal study into the immediate and short-term cognitive, linguistic, nutritional and social effects of a comprehensive educational and nutritional 0-5 intervention in Colombia, in the form of aeioTU centers. The research is headed by Milagros Nores from the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) in collaboration with Raquel…
Seattle Pre-K Program Evaluation
October 2018
The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University and Cultivate Learning, at the University of Washington, have conducted evaluations of the demonstration phase of the Seattle Preschool program. Evaluations assessed preschool quality and measured children’s gains in receptive vocabulary, literacy, math and executive functions. The City of Seattle is in the final year of a…
NIEER Pre-K Data Snapshot: State Policies Supporting Comprehensive Preschool Services
June 2018
Third in a series of policy briefs addressing specific topics based on State of Preschool yearbook data. For the past 15 years, NIEER has been collecting information on what comprehensive services state-funded preschool programs have provided to children and families. Comprehensive services encompass health and nutrition, such as providing a daily meal, participation in transition to kindergarten activities, and referrals for those…
RWJF RESEARCH: EXCELLING IN EARLY EDUCATION–NJ
June 2018
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , the National Institute for Early Education Research recently launched a multi-year study engaging more than 1,000 children across New Jersey to see how preschool policies and practices at school district, school, and classroom levels influence child development and health. Subscribe to RWJF/NIEER Research Study Newsletter Purpose Research has indicated a link between physical activity and children’s cognitive performance, as well…
Getting the Facts Right on Pre-K and the President’s Prek-K Proposal
June 2017
This policy Fast Fact was originally published in February 2013 and recently re-loaded to our website. Both science and public policy are best advanced based on impartial analysis of all the available evidence. No single study stands on its own, much less provides the definitive answers to policy questions on its own. This requires that…
Brookings Institution: The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects
April 2017
The question of how the U.S. will develop a citizenry with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century has attracted the attention of legislators, scientists, and educators. Answering this question leads inevitably to its roots: how well are we preparing young children to enter kindergarten ready to learn? Educators in k-12…
How Much Can High-Quality Universal Pre-K Reduce Achievement Gaps?
April 2016
Many children of color and children from low-income families enter kindergarten without the academic skills they need to succeed. Compared to their white peers, African American and Hispanic children are anywhere from 9 to 10 months behind in math and 7 to 12 months behind in reading when they enter kindergarten. These achievement gaps are concerning:…
Technical Report: Kindergarten Early Learning Scale
September 2014
The Kindergarten Early Learning Scale (KELS) was developed as a concise observational assessment for young children. It examines three domains including (1) Math/Science, (2) Social Emotional/Social Studies, and (3) Language and Literacy, with a total of 10 items across the domains. Scores reported for each of the 10 items are based upon observational evidence collected by the teacher over a period of roughly three months. This [report] outlines how decisions about the content of the instrument were made, based on several criteria, and the value of the instrument. The items assessed represent the development of kindergarten children, are measurable (observable), develop on a continuum (to see growth and development over time), and are critical to present and future learning.
Fact Sheet: The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study (APPLES)
December 2013
Beginning in the 2005-2006 school year, the seventh year of implementation of the high-quality pre-K program in New Jersey's Abbott districts, NIEER began a longitudinal study to measure learning gains from participating in Abbott pre-K. At the time the study began, quality had risen but not yet to its current level, and 40,500 3- and 4-year-old children were served. This fact sheet presents key takeaways from NIEER's longitudinal study of the program quality and child outcomes.
Expanding Access to Quality Pre-K is Sound Public Policy
December 2013
In 2013, preschool education received more attention in the media and public policy circles than it has for some time, in part because of a series of high-profile proposals to expand access to quality pre-K. The scientific basis for these proposed expansions of quality pre-K is impressive. This paper brings to bear the full weight…