1. School Readiness Initiatives: Assessing Their Yield Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D. & Sharon L. Ramey, Ph.D. Georgetown University Center on Health and Education National Governors Association Orlando, FL December 16, 2003 www.che.georgetown.edu

2. Why states have a stake in early childhood education Children’s school readiness and academic performance are strongly predicted by school entry skills (language, pre-literacy, math) Majority of children experience non-parental care prior to K (majority of which is non-optimal) Evidence that high quality early childhood education can increase school readiness skills of “at risk” children Independent economic analyses confirm positive return on investments (from 1:4 to 1:7)

3. Defining features of high quality, early childhood education programs Adults who are highly responsive and interactive with children Age-appropriate ratios of adults:children Adults who stimulate children’s language development and actively teach new skills Frequent monitoring and assessment of adults and children used to inform program decisions

4. The Abecedarian (ABC) Program (1971 – 2003) Designed to test whether a high quality, early education program could significantly improve school readiness and achievement Provided to families with extremely low economic and educational resources Provided continuously from infancy through kindergarten via a randomized controlled trial (RCT)

5. Supports and Services for the Abecedarian (ABC) Program  Comparison Families & Children received:  Nutritional Supplements  Quality Pediatric Care  Social Services  Referral & Treatment for Developmental Problems ABC Families & Children received: Nutritional Supplements Quality Pediatric Care Social Services Referral & Treatment for Developmental Problems Center-based Childhood Education: Full day, Year round for 5 years Plus Parent Program

6. Quality Assurance Procedures included in the ABC Program Intensive Pre-Service and In-Service Training for Teachers, Assistants, and Education Directors Structured Curriculum with Lesson Plans and Individualization for Each Child “Open classrooms” with Videotape Monitoring and Frequent Classroom Observations Daily Documentation of Educational Curriculum Activities for Each Child Individual Child Assessments (linked to curriculum) by Teachers every 2 weeks to Inform Individualized Educational Plans (plus independent assessments by trained assessors to evaluate program impact)

7. Key Findings from Child Assessments in the ABC Program: 18 mos. – 21 yrs.  Higher performance on standardized tests of intelligence and cognition at all ages  Superior learning in experimental settings  More advanced language skills (receptive and expressive) at all ages  Higher reading achievement at all ages  Higher math achievement at all ages  Improved social responsiveness

8. Documented Benefits of Increased Skills for Children in ABC Program Grade Repetition declined 46.5% (from 56% to 30% by age 15) Special Education Placement reduced 75% (from 48% to 12%) 4-Year College Attendance increased 300% (from 12% to 36%) Age at Birth of First Child significantly delayed Tobacco and Drug Use (self-report) decreased Adult Academic Skills for Work Force increased

9. Findings from ABC Program Replicated in Other RCT* Studies Project CARE: for very low income, multi-risk children, using same ABC program Note: an intensive, 5 yr. home visiting program using the same curriculum did not yield child benefits The Infant Health and Development Program: for low birthweight, premature infants in 8 cities, using adaptation of the ABC early childhood education curriculum from infancy – 3 years *Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

10. Example of Recent Success in a State-led Early Childhood Education Initiative Louisiana Pre-K Program – legislative initiative with administrative authority in Dept. of Education Launched in 2000 with free tuition to children below poverty All teachers have certification in Early Childhood Education Assessments of classroom environment (very high: 5.7 out of 7) and children on Developmental Skills Checklist (major gains from fall to spring, with largest benefits to children from families with lowest parental education) Fall Scores: 82%, 82%, and 90% scored in the lowest quartile (national norms) in language, print awareness, and math Spring Scores: only 17%, 16%, and 25% respectively scored in the lowest quartile

12. Why Direct Assessment of Children and Programs is Essential for States To demonstrate accountability for public investments To link program objectives to measurable gains To protect children and families from poor quality and/or ineffective programs For monitoring and individualization of educational activities for children For estimating cost:benefit ratios and conducting comparative cost:efficiency analyses

13. Safeguards for Responsible Direct Assessment of Children and Programs Outcomes to be measured are clearly linked to important program goals Assessment procedures (tests, tools, observations) are reliable and valid indicators; sources of bias minimized Purpose of assessment and data analysis plans are made public in advance Independent, ongoing checks on accuracy of data collection, entry, and analyses Recognition of limits of assessment and ongoing plans for quality improvement in assessment

14. Recommendations Engage multiple, diverse stakeholders in timely, comprehensive, and open review of current efforts and evidence for quality and benefits Build upon scientific findings of what produces positive, large gains for “at risk” children Consider innovative ways to coordinate, consolidate, and/or enhance multiple early childhood initiatives to realize immediate benefits for children and their families

15. For information and references about effective early childhood education Go to www.che.georgetown.edu Contact us at 202-687-2874 (Georgetown University Center on Health and Education) See Ramey & Ramey, 2000, Securing the Future See Ramey et al, 2000, Applied Developmental Science Campbell et al, 2002, Applied Developmental Science