Jill S. Cannon

Senior Policy Researcher; Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in public administration, University of Southern California; M.P.P. in public policy, University of California, Los Angeles; B.A. in political science, University of California, Los Angeles

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Jill Cannon is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. Her work focuses on examining the relationship between early childhood programs and policies and child outcomes. She was previously a policy fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, and prior to that she served as the associate director of child policy at RAND, as well as associate director of the Promising Practices Network on Children, Families, and Communities.

Cannon has led multiple studies, and her research includes studies of early care and education quality rating and improvement systems, home visiting programs, pre-kindergarten experiences of children of immigrants, early grade retention, school entry age policy, and the effectiveness of full-day kindergarten. She also has coauthored publications on cost and outcome analysis of early childhood interventions.

Her current and recent projects include a developmental evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles; a study of the cost of quality pre-K in the U.S.; a synthesis of early childhood intervention research and estimates of economic returns; a randomized field trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a home visiting program for new parents in New Mexico; and evaluations of California's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System and a PreK–3 initiative in San Mateo County, California.

Cannon received her Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Southern California.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Quality Start Los Angeles Developmental Evaluation
Quality Pre-K Cost Study
Evaluation of The Big Lift PreK-3 Initiative in San Mateo County, CA
New Mexico Home Visiting Randomized Trial Evaluation
Hawai'i Early Childhood Educator Compensation Equity Study

Commentary

How Are the Kids Doing? The Well-Being of Children and the Nation's Potential
Today's children are growing up amid extraordinary challenges that could shape their health, development, and well-being for years to come. Investing in a new approach to measure their potential to flourish could promote national well-being in the long term.
Oct 22, 2021 Health Affairs Blog
Making Preschool Investments Count Through the American Families Plan
The American Families Plan would address disparities in preschool access by adding $200 billion for high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds. How can we make sure that this historic investment, if approved by Congress, counts?
Jun 3, 2021 The RAND Blog
Louisiana's Education System Is Evolving: Here's What Parents Need to Know
Louisiana has taken big steps to improve its education policies and the education of the state's children, from birth to grade 12. Parents can help their children benefit from the reforms by being informed about the changes and knowing how to take advantage of new resources.
Sep 12, 2018 The Advocate

Publications

Report
The Big Lift Evaluation: Research Findings Five Years In
The authors examine participation rates, kindergarten readiness, and third-grade outcomes of children eligible to participate in The Big Lift™, a preschool–third-grade initiative to designed to boost reading proficiency.
Nov 9, 2021
Journal Article
Professional Development Incentives for Oregon's Early Childhood Education Workforce: A Randomized Study
This study used two trials to test whether sending emails and offering different financial incentives to Oregon ECE workforce members increased career lattice sign-up and increased education and training levels or workplace retention.
Sep 24, 2021
Research Brief
High-Quality Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs: How Much Do They Cost?
There is strong evidence that children who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs learn skills that benefit them in school and life. In this brief, RAND researchers estimate the cost of such programs and outline implications.
May 6, 2021
Report
Understanding the Cost to Deliver High-Quality Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs
RAND researchers use cost data collection and cost modeling to estimate the cost of a high-quality publicly funded pre-kindergarten program. They outline the challenges in understanding full program costs and the implications for policymakers.
May 6, 2021
Report
The Quality Start Los Angeles Developmental Evaluation: Research Findings and Lessons Learned
RAND researchers conducted a developmental evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, the voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early learning providers in Los Angeles County.
Feb 1, 2021
Report
Establishing A Research-Practice Partnership To Improve Early Care and Education Supports Within Quality Start Los Angeles: Partnership Insights and Lessons Learned
This report describes a developmental evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, a quality rating and improvement system, and provides recommendations for research-practice partnerships looking to achieve evidence-based decisionmaking.
Dec 17, 2020
Report
Data Use in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Lessons Learned from Quality Start Los Angeles
Through an evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) that supports early learning providers, the authors identified lessons learned that could benefit other QRISs as they create or expand data systems.
Sep 9, 2020
Report
Evaluation of Families Forward Learning Center: Participant Perspectives and Student Outcomes
In this report, the authors examine how participants in the Families Forward Learning Center (FFLC)'s two-generation learning program perceive its benefits and compare FFLC children's educational outcomes through third grade with their peers'.
Aug 3, 2020
Research Brief
A Two-Generation Learning Program Educates and Empowers Parents and Children: An Assessment of Families Forward Learning Center in Pasadena, California
This brief summarizes how participants in the Families Forward Learning Center (FFLC)'s two-generation learning program perceive its benefits, and also compares FFLC children's educational outcomes through third grade with their peers' results.
Aug 3, 2020
Journal Article
Cost Analysis of a Randomized Trial of Getting to Outcomes Implementation Support of CHOICE in Boys and Girls Clubs in Southern California
This study estimates the societal costs of implementing CHOICE, a voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug prevention program for adolescents, in Boys and Girls Clubs across Southern California with and without an implementation support system called Getting To Outcomes.
Mar 11, 2020
Report
The Big Lift Descriptive Analyses: Progress Across Three Kindergarten Classes
In this report, the authors present results describing early learning outcomes of children from three kindergarten classes who were eligible to participate in The Big Lift, a preschool-third-grade initiative that aims to boost reading proficiency.
Jan 13, 2020
Journal Article
Sustaining an Evidence-Based Program Over Time: Moderators of Sustainability and the Role of the Getting to Outcomes® Implementation Support Intervention
This randomized controlled trial advances the literature by testing the effects of Getting To Outcomes, an after-school evidence-based program for preventing substance use among middle-school students.
2020
Report
Raising the Bar for Early Childhood Education: Early Signals on How Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies Are Working for Early Childhood Providers and Community Networks
This report, part of a four-part series on the implementation and outcomes of Louisiana's education initiatives, focuses on the state's efforts to support and improve early childhood education.
Jun 11, 2019
Report
The "Raising the Bar" Series on Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies to Support Students from Birth Through High School: Technical Appendix — Data Sources and Methods
This technical appendix describes the data sources, samples, and analytic methods used in a series of reports examining implementation and outcomes associated with Louisiana's education policy actions.
Jun 11, 2019
Research Brief
What Other States Can Learn from Louisiana's Ambitious Efforts to Reshape Its Education System
This brief highlights findings from a series of four reports that examine Louisiana's education policy strategies, how they are being implemented, and how those policy actions are related to successful student outcomes.
Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article
Influence of an Implementation Support Intervention on Barriers and Facilitators to Delivery of a Substance Use Prevention Program
Findings highlight that implementation support, such as Getting to Outcomes, is likely to help low-resourced community-based organizations improve program delivery through a focus on implementation processes.
2019
Journal Article
Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus: Cost Study Final Report
This report includes estimates of the Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus expenditures in the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 school years as part of a larger evaluation of VPI+ that also examined the impacts of VPI+ on children's kindergarten entry outcomes.
2019
Research Brief
The Big Lift Preschool, Two Years In: What Have We Learned So Far?
The Big Lift preschool-third-grade initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency. This second in a series of descriptive analyses shares follow-up data on 2016-2017 kindergarten class participants and initial data on 2017-2018 participants.
Dec 12, 2018
Report
The Welcome Baby Program: An Implementation and Outcomes Evaluation
This report presents the findings from an evaluation of First 5 LA's Welcome Baby home visitation program.
Dec 11, 2018
Report
The Big Lift Descriptive Analyses: Kindergarten Readiness and Elementary School Reading Outcomes for the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 Kindergarten Classes
The Big Lift initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency in San Mateo County, California. This second in a series of descriptive analyses shares follow-up data on the 2016-2017 kindergarten class and initial data for the 2017-2018 class.
Oct 10, 2018
Research Brief
Raising the Bar for Student Outcomes in Louisiana
This brief examines Louisiana's approach to improving student outcomes, highlighting overarching themes and identifying potential policy implementation challenges.
Aug 3, 2018
Report
Raising the Bar: Louisiana's Strategies for Improving Student Outcomes
Louisiana has received attention for new education policies and promising early results. This report describes Louisiana's approach to improving student outcomes since 2012 and summarizes potential policy implementation challenges.
Jun 28, 2018
Report
The Big Lift Implementation Study: Final Report
The Big Lift, a learning initiative extending from preschool to third grade initiative in San Mateo County, aims to increase third grade reading proficiency in the county. As part of a Big Lift evaluation, this report focused on collective impact design and activity pillars.
Jun 25, 2018
Journal Article
Testing Implementation Support For Evidence-Based Programs in Community Settings: A Replication Cluster-Randomized Trial of Getting To Outcomes
The systematic support provided by Getting to Outcomes can help community organizations implement evidence-based prevention programs with more fidelity.
2018
Research Brief
Big Lift Participation and School Entry Indicators: Early Findings
This brief summarizes results from RAND's descriptive analysis of participation rates and school readiness outcomes for children served in the first year of the Big Lift collective impact initiative.
Nov 28, 2017
Report
Big Lift Participation and School Entry Indicators: Findings for the 2016–2017 Kindergarten Class
The Big Lift is a learning initiative extending from preschool to third grade in San Mateo County, California. This report provides descriptive analyses of participation in Big Lift programs along with measures of kindergarten-readiness at school entry.
Nov 28, 2017
Research Brief
Decades of Evidence Demonstrate That Early Childhood Programs Can Benefit Children and Provide Economic Returns
An updated comprehensive review of rigorous evaluations of early childhood programs confirms and strengthens RAND researchers' findings from previous syntheses showing that many early childhood programs can improve a range of outcomes for children.
Nov 16, 2017
Report
Investing Early: Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Programs
This report synthesizes evidence on the outcomes, costs, and benefits of early childhood programs, including those that provide early care and education, home visiting, parent education, government transfers, and combinations of approaches.
Nov 16, 2017
Report
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education Programs: Making the Second Generation Better
This perspective explores ways in which states can be more strategic about the allocation of funds for and within quality rating and improvement systems to achieve their goals of expanding access to and improving the quality of ECE programs.
May 1, 2017
Journal Article
Home Visiting and Use of Infant Health Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Home visits delivered by a nurse-parent educator team reduced children's health care use in the first year of life.
Jan 27, 2017
Journal Article
Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System: Cumulative Technical Report
This final comprehensive report highlights key findings from the half-term report and presents additional results related to the implementation of the system, quality improvement (QI) supports provided through the system, program quality and children's developmental outcomes, and perceptions of quality and the rating system.
Dec 5, 2016
Journal Article
Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System: Cumulative Technical Report Executive Summary
These findings can be used to make revisions to improve the QRIS as a measure of program quality and to identify promising ways to support QI efforts among early childhood programs.
Dec 5, 2016
Journal Article
Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System
Implementation of the RTT–ELC QRIS was in an early stage at the time the study began, but significant progress has been made over the course of the system's development, from 2012 to 2015.
Dec 5, 2016
Report
Parenting Programs in Shelby County, Tennessee: A Brief Review of the Research Literature
This report presents an overview of outcomes associated with rigorously evaluated parenting programs currently operating in Shelby County, Tennessee.
May 16, 2016
Report
Professional Development for the Early Care and Education Workforce in Shelby County, Tennessee
This report examines how early care and education caregivers with licensed providers in Shelby County, Tennessee, gain through ongoing professional development the relevant knowledge for working with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children.
Apr 13, 2016
Journal Article
Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System: Half-Term Report
This half-term report presents findings which focus on the Validity and Reliability Study of California's RTT-ELC quality and improvement system (QRIS).
Nov 19, 2015
Journal Article
Home Visiting Start-Up: Lessons Learned from Program Replication in New Mexico
Growth in federal, state, and private funding is fueling the initiation of home visiting programs around the country.
Aug 1, 2015
Journal Article
The Effect of Attending Full-Day Kindergarten on English Learner Students
A significant and growing English learner (EL) population attends public schools in the United States.
Jul 9, 2015
Tool
Off To A Good Start: Social and Emotional Development of Memphis' Children
Drawing on national, state, and local data, the Urban Child Institute partnered with RAND to explore the social and emotional well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn.
Jan 15, 2015
Tool
Programs That Work, from the Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities
This document includes summaries of all of the programs that were reviewed by the Promising Practices Network (PPN) and met the criteria for either a Promising or Proven program, as listed on the PPN website at the time it was archived in June 2014.
Sep 26, 2014
Report
Process Evaluation of the New Mexico Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Competitive Development Grant
This report describes the evaluation of the New Mexico Home Visiting Competitive Development Grant, which aimed to pilot test the use of implementation supports to improve the development and implementation of home visiting in high-need communities.
Jul 23, 2014
Journal Article
Local Quality Improvement Efforts and Outcomes Descriptive Study: Final Report: Executive Summary: A Governor's State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Project
Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) constitute an ambitious policy approach to improving early care and education practices and child outcomes.
Jul 1, 2013
Journal Article
Local Quality Improvement Efforts and Outcomes Descriptive Study: Final Report: A Governor's State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Project
Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) constitute an ambitious policy approach to improving early care and education practices and child outcomes.
Jul 1, 2013
Draft
Factors that Influence Successful Start-Up of Home Visiting Sites: Lessons Learned from Replicating the First Born® Program
Proposes measures of successful home visiting program implementation and identifies factors that promote successful implementation or serve as barriers to program initiation based on lessons learned from the replication of the First Born® Program.
Nov 7, 2011
Research Brief
The Promise of Preschool for Narrowing Readiness and Achievement Gaps Among California Children
This research brief summarizes an evaluation of the potential of preschool to make a difference in the achievement gaps among California children in order to assess the potential expansion of public funding for preschool education.
Dec 12, 2007
Report
Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California's Children
Describes which groups of California's children are falling short of proficiency in English-language arts and mathematics in the early elementary grades and evaluates the potential for well-designed preschool programs to close achievement gaps.
Oct 27, 2007
Draft
Is Full Better than Half? Examining the Longitudinal Effects of Full-day Kindergarten Attendance
This paper uses the Early Child Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 to evaluate the efficacy of the full-day kindergarten policy.
Nov 11, 2005
Report
Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise
Presents a review and synthesis of current research that addresses the potential for various forms of early childhood intervention to improve outcomes for participating children and their families.
Oct 18, 2005
Research Brief
Children at Risk: Consequences for School Readiness and Beyond
This research brief describes work documented in Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise (MG-341-PNC).
2005
Research Brief
Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions
This research brief describes work documented in Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise (MG-341-PNC).
2005
Periodical
RAND Review: Vol. 29, No. 3, Fall 2005
Outlines the wisdom of bearing the up-front costs for publicly funded high-quality early childhood intervention programs so that society can reap the plentiful returns over time; also reviews energy security, obesity, and national security issues.
2005
Report
Meeting Decision Makers’ Needs for Evidence-Based Information on Child and Family Policy
Describes the rationale behind the Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities.
2003
Report
Assessing Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Intervention Programs: Overview and Applications to the Starting Early, Starting Smart Program: Executive Summary
The authors identify the conceptual and methodological issues associated with the analysis of costs and outcomes of early intervention programs and review the prior application of these methods to several programs.
2001
Report
Assessing Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Intervention Programs: Overview and Applications to the Starting Early, Starting Smart Program
The authors identify the conceptual and methodological issues associated with the analysis of costs and outcomes of early intervention programs and review the prior application of these methods to several programs.
2001
Report
Directions for Cost and Outcome Analysis of Starting Early Starting Smart: Summary of a Cost Expert Meeting
In August 2000, RAND convened a meeting of national experts to discuss issues surrounding cost-benefit and related analyses of Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS).
2001

Multimedia

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Raising the Bar: Louisiana's Strategies for Improving Student Outcomes
Dec 4, 2019