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Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

Effectiveness of Infant and Early Childhood Programs

Photograph: A child care worker reads to a group of preschoolers. (Photograph by Alex Lazara)

In recent decades, research on the effectiveness of early childhood interventions has shifted from asking "Are early education programs effective?" to "How are certain elements of programs effective, in what ways, and for which children?".

Research on the economics of early childhood interventions has shifted from asking "Are early education programs economically efficient?" to "How can programs produce the greatest benefits at the lowest cost?".

The initiatives and research studies in this section address the following types of questions:

  • What types of outcomes can be expected from early intervention and early childhood programs?
  • How can these outcomes be measured?
  • Are these outcomes being achieved?
  • How do differences in interventions or program factors affect the outcomes?
  • How can the outcomes of interventions be differentiated from other influences on children's development?
  • What is the value of outcomes to children, parents, schools, and society as a whole?
  • How do the costs of early childhood interventions relate to the competing goals of other programs or national priorities?

OSEP National Longitudinal Studies

Two OSEP longitudinal studies relate specifically to young children with disabilities:

  • National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS): Final Report (1997–2007) followed a nationally representative sample of 3,338 children and their families who began early intervention services in 1997–1998 through their experiences in early intervention and into early elementary school. Findings from the study provide information about the characteristics of children and families receiving early intervention services, the services they receive, and the outcomes they experience.

  • Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS) followed a group of children who received preschool special education services as they progressed through the early elementary years. The information from PEELS was to be used to help policymakers and researchers understand the variety and effectiveness of preschool special education programs.

Field Research

  • From Neurons to Neighborhoods: An Update: Workshop Summary (2012) — This report from the National Academies Press is based on From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Early Childhood Development (2000), which has contributed to a growing public understanding of the foundational importance of the early childhood years and helped shape early childhood policy agendas and intervention efforts at national, state, and local levels.
  • Investing Early Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Programs (2017) — This free ebook from the RAND corporation analyzes evaluations of 115 early childhood programs serving families and children birth to age 5. The study reviewed programs in preschool, home visiting, parent education, government transfer benefits, and those that combined multiple approaches. Findings revealed that most of the programs made a positive impact for at least one child outcome, as well as, showed positive economic returns.
  • Programs That Work, from the Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities (2014) — Between 1998 and 2014, the Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families and Communities (www.promisingpractices.net) provided information on programs and practices that credible research indicated are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. This publication from the RAND Corporation includes summaries of all of the programs that were reviewed by the PPN and met the criteria for a Promising or Proven program, as listed on the PPN website in June 2014, when the project ended. Programs are listed by categories, such as age of the child when the intervention takes place, delivery setting, and outcomes improved.
  • Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University: Reports and Working Papers — These reports and working papers summarize findings from the research on the developing brain and underscore the importance of using science to intervene early and improve outcomes in learning, behavior, and health for all children, especially those whose prospects are compromised by adversity.

National Centers and Institutes

  • The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University — This center synthesizes current research findings on healthy brain development, how brain development can get disrupted by adverse early life experiences, how to put development back on track through scientifically informed interventions, and the factors that contribute to resilience. The Center translates these findings into clear, simple language and presents them in multiple formats.

  • What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) — This project of US DOE was funded in 2002 to summarize scientific evidence of effectiveness of programs and strategies to enhance educational outcomes. It will provide easily accessible and searchable online databases including registries for educational interventions (practices), evaluation studies, approaches and policies, test of instruments, and evaluators willing to conduct quality evaluations of education interventions. One current topic will focus on interventions for K-3 students who are having difficulties developing beginning reading skills. Although topic areas are chosen to meet the needs of K-12, possible future topic areas include interventions for preschool-aged children's school readiness.

  • National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) — Established at Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education with a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, NIEER supports early childhood education initiatives by providing objective, nonpartisan information based on research to ensure that every American child can receive a good education at ages three and four. NIEER has two studies on the long-term effects of variations in the intensity and duration of early education experiences for urban children in New Jersey.

  • The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) — Dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America's low-income families and children, NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation.