Scaling Early Childhood Education: The System Dynamics of Well-Meaning Policies and Interventions to Grow Access

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Complexity Theories in Education SIG Roundtable

Abstract

Intervening on educational systems without consideration of its interconnected, complex dynamics can create long-term consequences that last for generations. In expanding early childhood education, efforts to grow access have unintended consequences (e.g., Brown, 2018; Blau, 2007). Ultimately, children in poverty are the least likely to gain from ECE’S benefits. This study asks, “How can we scale early childhood educational access and quality from a systems perspective?” Using community participatory research methods with system dynamics modeling, we conduct two computational experiments to demonstrate the effect of popular ECE interventions to scale over time. The results emphasize the critical role of taking a systems approach to policy-making and change.

Authors

• Saras Chung, SKIP Designed

• NIshesh Chalise, Federal Reserve St. Louis

• Rachel Matsumoto, SKIP