Population: Children and Schools

Preschool Children

In order to promote low-income children’s social and emotional development and behavioral and academic readiness for school, MDRC is looking at programs to enhance the quality of preschool settings through innovative teacher-training and evidence-based strategies.

The Latest

Brief

Preschool to Third Grade Alignment

There is growing evidence that alignment between preschool and elementary school can help sustain the learning gains that children make in preschool. A new policy brief examines two large-scale, multiyear projects seeking to build rigorous evidence about the promise of aligning instruction from preschool through third grade.

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Brief

Missing from the Start

Parents applying to kindergarten today must follow multiple steps. Identifying families who do not apply can help a school system improve its application process and can help it target families who need support. MDRC partnered with the New York City Department of Education to conduct this sort of diagnosis.

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Key Documents

Brief

Delivering on the Promise of Preschool: Investing in Social and Emotional Development and Early Math Skills

How do we make the most of the promise of preschool, particularly as preschool programs become universal? How do we avoid the “fade out” of early positive effects as children transition to elementary school? Part of our “Looking Forward” series, this policy memo describes how enhancing children’s social and emotional development and their early math skills may be part of the answer.

Seeking Answers to Big Questions

MDRC’s Portfolio in Early Childhood Education

Today, leaders from across the political spectrum are calling for new investments in early childhood education. But many important questions remain about how to make the most of the promise of preschool and related interventions. MDRC’s portfolio of research and demonstration projects is tackling some of the biggest ones.

Three Approaches to Preschoolers’ Social and Emotional Competence

A Summary of Impact and Implementation Findings from Head Start CARES

This two-page issue focus summarizes the main findings from Head Start CARES, a test of three distinct classroom-based approaches to enhancing children’s social-emotional development: Incredible Years Teacher Training Program, Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies), and Tools of the Mind–Play.

Improving Engagement in Elementary School Selection Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Behavioral Interventions Locations: New York	Get Ready Guilford Initiative Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Children and Schools Low-Income Populations Intervention: School Readiness, Case Management, Coordinated Care/Care Management, Home Visiting Locations: North Carolina	What Matters Most for Teachers and Young Children Focus Area: Preschool Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services Locations: New York
The Expanding Children’s Early Learning (ExCEL) Network Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School Child Care and Early Education After-School/Out-of-School Time Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Massachusetts	The High 5s Project Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Estimating Power for Multiple Hypothesis Tests Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools
Making Pre-K Count Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Families Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services Locations: New York	Head Start CARES Project Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Population: Children and Schools Families Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas

MDRC

Population: Children and Schools

Preschool Children

Preschool to Third Grade Alignment

Missing from the Start

Delivering on the Promise of Preschool: Investing in Social and Emotional Development and Early Math Skills

Seeking Answers to Big Questions

Three Approaches to Preschoolers’ Social and Emotional Competence

Improving Engagement in Elementary School Selection

Get Ready Guilford Initiative

What Matters Most for Teachers and Young Children

The Expanding Children’s Early Learning (ExCEL) Network

The High 5s Project

Estimating Power for Multiple Hypothesis Tests

Making Pre-K Count

Head Start CARES Project

Childhood Asthma Scan

Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies

Foundations of Learning Project

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Preschool Children

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