Financing Early Childhood Care and Education: A Critical Investment Larry Schweinhart South Asian Regional Conference in ECCE New Delhi August 27, 2012

The HighScope Perry Preschool Study 123 children born in poverty at risk of school failure Randomly assigned to program or no program (with departures corrected) Program group got an interactive preschool child development program Only 5 percent of data from ages 3 to 40 missing

High Scope Perry Preschool Childhood Effects

HighScope Perry Preschool Adult Effects

HighScope Perry Preschool Return on Investment

Three studies have found strong long-term effects and return on investment  HighScope Perry Preschool Study through 40  Abecedarian Enhanced Child Care Study through 30  Chicago Child-Parent Centers Study through 28

These studies differed in time, place, and design. Time – Perry program in the 1960s, ABC in the 1970s, and CPC in the 1980s. Place – Perry and ABC in college towns, CPCs throughout Chicago. Design – Perry and ABC were true experiments with a little over 100 children, CPCs used existing classes of 1,500 children.

At least two of these programs… Had state-certified teachers and developed and validated a curriculum. Served low-income 3 and 4 year olds with part-day programs and parent outreach – ABC served children birth to 5 full day full year. Engaged in regular assessment of program implementation and children’s development and the program leader was also the research leader.

At least two of the studies found…  Improved intellectual performance  Improved school achievement in adolescence  Improved high school graduation rate  Fewer special education placements  Fewer grade retentions  Fewer teen pregnancies  Lower arrest rates

Two similar studies in this part of the world Turkish Early Enrichment Project in Istanbul Mauritius-Penn Child Health Study

Turkish Early Enrichment Project Follow-up at ( Kagitcibasi et al, 2009) Children in disadvantaged areas of Istanbul Mother training and preschool education for 4- to 6-year-olds At 13-15, greater school success At 25-27, greater educational attainment, vocabulary, lower age of first employment, occupational status, computer and credit card ownership

Mauritius-Penn Child Health Study through 23 (Raine et al., 2003) Middle-income, multi-ethnic democracy Random assignment of children Program of nutrition and high-quality education At 10, better social skills, more organized thinking At 17 and 23, more socially adjusted, calmer, 52% less crime, especially by participants malnourished at 3

But other US studies find modest short-term effects  Head Start Impact Study – trivial effects  Head Start FACES study and Five-State Preschool Study – modest effects

Highly effective preschools have special ingredients.  Certified and/or well-supervised teachers  A validated curriculum with evidence of its effectiveness  Systematic engagement of parents  Feedback from regular assessment of program implementation and children’s development

General finding, specific expressions General finding: High-quality early childhood education has long-term benefits and produce strong return on investment. Specific expressions: cognitive skills, social skills, high school graduation, employment, crime reduction.

“India ranks last overall” (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2012) “A combination of limited availability, the lowest overall quality, and relatively high costs.” “India faces the toughest social conditions: high rates of child malnutrition and child mortality combined with low rates of literacy and immunisation.” “All countries face difficult decisions regarding how to allocate scarce resources towards child development, but these are especially pressing in India.”

What does South Asia need?  Public or third-party funded preschool programs for the poorest children.  Quality standards Qualified teachers Validated curriculum Parent involvement Feedback from assessment