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Childhood Development

Commentary
Bernanke Knows a Good Investment When He Sees One
Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System Ben S. Bernanke cited RAND studies that have documented the importance of investing early in children's learning. He made the case that early education programs, especially those serving disadvantaged children, are one of the best investments that society can make in its future.
Aug 2, 2012
Report
Incorporating Child Assessments into State Early Childhood Quality Rating and Improvement Systems
Including child assessments in the design, implementation, and evaluation of quality rating and improvement systems or other quality improvement efforts could improve practice and raise care quality for early childhood education.
Feb 28, 2012
Testimony
Building Blocks for a Strong Preschool to Early Elementary Education System
The earliest years of a child's life are critical to physical, socio-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development. High quality early education can improve readiness and success in school, particularly for disadvantaged children, but access to such programs is uneven.
Feb 16, 2012
Journal Article
The Association Between CLASS Domains of Quality and Change in Child Outcomes During the Prekindergarten Year
The authors use data from the Universal Preschool Child Outcomes Study (UPCOS) to examine the association between classroom quality and prekindergarten children's progress from fall to spring on a range of cognitive and socio-emotional measures.
Apr 1, 2011
Project
Exploring the Benefits of Early Childhood Education in California
The California Preschool Study sought to understand achievement gaps among the state's children, whether existing preschool education programs is adequate, and what efficiencies could be achieved through public funding of early childhood education.
Sep 24, 2010
Journal Article
Endowments and Parental Investments in Infancy and Early Childhood
This article tests whether parents reinforce or compensate for child endowments.
Dec 31, 2009
Journal Article
Birth Weight Effects on Children's Mental, Motor, and Physical Development: Evidence from Twins Data
Determine the effect of very low birth weight (VLBW; /=2500 g) children by age 2.
Jan 1, 2009
News Release
RAND Study Provides Primer for Using Economics to Help Guide Early Childhood Policy Initiatives
A growing body of economic research suggests that public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare.
May 12, 2008
Research Brief
What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy?
This research brief describes how insights from the field of economics -- human capital theory and monetary payoffs -- provide science-based guidance for early childhood policy.
May 8, 2008
Report
What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy?
A growing body of economic research suggests that public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare.
May 6, 2008
Journal Article
Getting Ready for School: An Examination of Early Childhood Educators' Belief Systems
This study examines early childhood educators' beliefs about what children need prior to before entering kindergarten.
Jan 1, 2008
Journal Article
Population-based Assessments of Ophthalmologic and Audiologic Follow-Up in Children with Very Low Birth Weight Enrolled in Medicaid: A Quality-of-Care Study
Finds a shortfall in provision of critical services for children with very low birth weight (<1500 g) at high risk for vision and hearing problems and enrolled in Medicaid. Findings support the importance of enrollment in Early Intervention Program.
Jan 1, 2008
Research Brief
Publicly Funded Early Care and Education Programs for California Preschool-Age Children
This research brief summarizes a review of the system of subsidized early care and education programs serving preschool-age children in California in order to assess the potential expansion of public funding for preschool education.
Dec 12, 2007
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
News Release
Studies Examine California's School Readiness and Student Achievement Gaps, and the State's System of Publicly Funded ...
California's sizeable achievement gaps in English-language arts and mathematics in second and third grades have early roots, with the same groups of children that lag in academic performance in elementary school trailing in measures of school readiness when they enter kindergarten.
Nov 8, 2007
Report
Evaluating the Quality of California's Publicly Funded Preschool Programs
Participation in effective preschool programs has the potential to narrow achievement gaps, but California's current system of publicly funded early care and education programs are not designed to maximize the child development and school readiness benefits.
Oct 26, 2007
News Release
New Study Finds Serious Gaps in Health Care Quality for America's Children
Children in the United States are not receiving recommended preventive care and screening services, such as regular weight and measurement checks to ensure that they are growing properly and not at risk for obesity; nor are they receiving standard care for conditions such as asthma and diarrhea.
Oct 10, 2007
Journal Article
Quality-of-care Indicators for the Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up of Very Low Birth Weight Children: Results of an Expert Panel Process
To develop a set of quality indicators for the neurodevelopmental follow-up care of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) children
Jan 1, 2006
News Release
Study Finds High-Quality, Universal Preschool Would Benefit California's Population Centers
A RAND Corporation study issued today estimating the local impact of high-quality universal preschool in California concludes that such early education would benefit each of the state's most populated regions by cutting the need for special education, reducing juvenile crime and eliminating the need for many children to repeat grades.
Dec 15, 2005
Report
Universal Preschool Beneficial to California's Population Centers
High-quality universal preschool would benefit California's most populated regions by cutting the need for special education, reducing juvenile crime and eliminating the need for many children to repeat grades.
Dec 9, 2005

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Researcher Spotlight

Anita Chandra

Vice President and Director, RAND Social and Economic Well-Being

Anita Chandra (she/her) is vice president and director of RAND Social and Economic Well-Being and a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. The division that she leads covers a range of topics at the intersection of social and economic policy and the organization of the economy, the…
Roland Neil

Behavioral/Social Scientist, Assoc

Roland Neil is a social scientist at the RAND Corporation. He researches several topics related to crime and the criminal justice system, such as police behavior, why crime changes over time, and risk assessment instruments. He also studies discrimination, inequalities, and other challenges…

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