2-066 - Creating, Sustaining, and Scaling Positive Effects in Early Childhood Programs: Lessons for Contemporary Programs and Studies

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Integrative Statement

Public funding of early childhood programs has continued to increase. Federal Preschool Development Grants and state expansion of prekindergarten total more than a billion dollars in new funding over the past five years (Council of Economic Advisors, 2015). Public-private initiatives such as Pay for Success are also expanding access (Temple & Reynolds, 2015). The key goals of these initiatives are to increase school readiness and enhance well-being.

This increased investment presents both challenges and opportunities. Many contemporary programs do not show significant or sustained effects on child well-being. Those that do are not usually implemented with the level of quality and intensity that have been documented for the most exemplary programs. What strategies can effectively address these limitations? The opportunity is that if the effectiveness of commonly available preschool programs is increased, the gains that are sustained can yield positive benefits to society.

This roundtable will discuss current issues and controversies about the size, duration, and scope of effects of contemporary preschool programs and the extent to which programs can be scaled to produce sustained effects. Evidence and lessons from three model programs, HighScope Perry Preschool, Child-Parent Centers, and the Abecedarian Project, as well as current preschool programs will be discussed to identify areas of program improvement. Critiques of research and practice in program development, effectiveness principles, implementation and impact assessment, and cost-effectiveness will be highlighted. Leading scholars intimately involved in both model and contemporary programs will address these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The moderator is Arthur Reynolds.

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Moderator

• Arthur J Reynolds, University of Minnesota

Panelists

• Lawrence J Schweinhart, HighScope Educational Research Foundation

• Sharon L Ramey, Virginia Tech

• Craig T. Ramey, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute