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New Study Shows Early Childhood Education Programs Have Big Benefits For Students And School Boards

Unfortunately, the United States is way behind the rest of the industrialized world in ECE enrollment.

 Tod Perry
11.20.17

The United States is woefully behind the rest of the industrialized world when it comes to early childhood education (ECE). A 2016 study found that out of 36 countries, the U.S. ranked 29th in enrollment rates for its 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. In 2014, only 42% of 3-year-olds and 68% of 4-year-olds were enrolled in ECE or preschool programs in the U.S. In comparison, France, Belgium, Israel, Spain, Norway, Germany, Sweden, and Italy all have enrollment rates of 90% and above for both age groups.

According to a new meta-analysis by the American Educational Research Association, low ECE enrollment does students and school boards a major disservice. The organization’s study found that students who were enrolled in ECE programs showed increased high school graduation rates, reduced special education placement, and reduced instances of grade retention.

Photo by Seattle City Council/Flickr.

Researchers reviewed 22 studies published between 1960 and 2016 that tracked students enrolled in ECE programs. Participation in high-quality ECE programs reduced future special education placement by 8.1%, decreased grade retention by 8.3%, and increased high school graduation rates by 11.4%. “Early childhood education programs on balance seem to be effective for these important school outcomes,” said Greg Duncan, professor of education at the University of California. “These differences are big enough to translate into real dollars being saved for K-12 schooling.”

The study also shows the economic benefits of ECE programs. According to the American Educational Research Association, when students are held back in school, it costs districts an additional $8,000 to $12,000 per student. Dropping out of high school costs students and society a serious amount of money as well. It’s estimated to cause a $689,000 reduction in lifetime earnings and adds a $262,000 cost to the broader economy as well.

“It is exciting that our results show that the benefits of early childhood education are sustained through elementary school and beyond,” Dana McCoy, a study co-author, said. “These results provide further evidence for the potential individual and societal benefits of expanding early childhood education programming in the United States.” Studies like these provide solid evidence of the benefits of ECE and can help to further the expansion of programs designed to increase enrollment.

Education

Youth activists gather to fight climate change at UN Summit: 'We need to transform anger into action'

Julian Meehan

Young leaders from around the world are gathering at the United Nations Headquarters in New York Saturday to address arguably the most urgent issue of our time. The Youth Climate Summit comes on the heels of an international strike spearheaded by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden, who arrived in New York via emissions-free sailboat earlier this month.

Translated from Swedish, "berg" means "mountain," so it may feel fated that a young woman with Viking blood in her veins and summit in her name would be at the helm. But let's go out on a limb and presume Thunberg, in keeping with most activists, would chafe at the notion of pre-ordained "destiny," and rightly so. Destiny is passive — it happens to you. It's also egomaniacal. Change, on the other hand, is active; you have to fight. And it is humble. "We need to get angry and understand what is at stake," Thunberg declared. "And then we need to transform that anger into action."

This new generation of activists' most pernicious enemy is denial. The people in charge — complacent politicians and corporation heads who grossly benefit from maintaining the status quo — are buffered from real-life consequences of climate change. But millions of people don't share that privilege. For them, climate change isn't an abstract concept, but a daily state of emergency, whether it comes in the form of "prolonged drought in sub-Saharan Africa…devastating tropical storms sweeping across Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific…[or] heatwaves and wildfires," as Amnesty International reportsare all too real problems people are facing on a regular basis.

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18 of the best signs from New York's Climate Strike march

Millions of people in over 150 countries across the globe marched for lawmakers and corporations to take action to help stop climate change on Friday, September 20.

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"We need to act right now to stop burning fossil fuels and ensure a rapid energy revolution with equity, reparations and climate justice at its heart," organizers say.

There's no doubt the visual images from the marches send a powerful message to those on the ground but especially those watching from around the world. GOOD's own Gabriel Reilich was on the scene for the largest of the Climate Strikes. Here are 18 of the best signs from the Climate Strike march in New York City.

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September 20th marks the beginning of a pivotal push for the future of our planet. The Global Climate Strike will set the stage for the United Nations Climate Action Summit, where more than 60 nations are expected to build upon their commitment to 2015's Paris Agreement for combating climate change.

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Major US phone carriers have yet to build out the infrastructure necessary to provide a consistent 5G experience, so Apple didn't feel it necessary to integrate the technology into its latest iPhone.

A dramatic new feature on the iPhone 11 Pro is its three camera lenses. The three lenses give users the the original wide, plus ultrawide and telephoto options.

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Woman dreams she swallowed her engagement ring and wakes up with it missing

Dreams can have a powerful effect on us.

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People often dream about their significant others and studies show it actually affects how we behave towads them the next day.

"A lot of people don't pay attention to their dreams and are unaware of the impact they have on their state of mind," said Dylan Selterman, psychology lecturer at the University of Maryland, says according to The Huffington Post. "Now we have evidence that there is this association."

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