Econ Focus
Minds Matter
Early childhood education meets economic development
By Betty Joyce Nash
Evaluating Outcomes
Children in three early intervention programs in North Carolina, Illinois, and Michigan have been followed into adulthood. This has enabled researchers to evaluate the outcomes of these programs, and the results are generally positive. Studies of the federal Head Start program have found similar outcomes.
| Early Intervention Program | Description | Age of Participants | Achievement Tests | Other Outcomes |
| Carolina Abecedarian Project (Chapel Hill, N.C.) | Full-time, year-round preschool classes; assistance from home-school teacher for first three years of primary schooling | 6 weeks - 8 years |
T>C at ages 8, 15, 21 | Employment Status: T=C at age 21 School Dropout Rate: T |
| Child-Parent Center Program (Chicago, Ill.) | Part-time preschool program and after-school activities, other services for school-age children | 3 years - 9 years |
T>C at grade 2, T=C at grade 8 | School Dropout Rate: T T |
| High/Scope Perry Preschool Project (Ypsilanti, Mich.) | Home visits, intensive preschool programs | 3 years - 5 years |
T>C at ages 9, 14 | Employment: T>C age 19, T=C age 27 Arrests: T |
| NOTE: "T" refers to treatment group and "C" refers to control or comparison group SOURCE: Janet M. Currie, "Early Childhood Education Programs," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 2001 |
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