Early Childhood Education Program Evaluation

RAND Education and Labor examines a wide range of questions in order to help inform the debate on early childhood education.

Success during the years of pre-k through third grade helps close the gap in school readiness; improves the chance for positive outcomes in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education; and saves government spending in the long run.

Evaluating early childhood education, however, is a difficult task. There are many elements at play: from assessing the home environment to addressing professional development challenges to determining the most effective way to measure quality. RAND Education and Labor researchers study effective programs for improving child outcomes, improving caregiver-child interactions, and investing in early childhood education.

Researcher Spotlights

Jill S. Cannon

Senior Policy Researcher; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy
Lynn A. Karoly

Senior Economist; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy
Anna Shapiro

Associate Policy Researcher
Christopher Joseph Doss

Senior Policy Researcher; Professor of Public Policy, RAND School of Public Policy

Recent Publications

Research

Apr 22, 2025

Translating Reading Science into Practice—Foundational Reading Instruction in Public Elementary Schools: Findings from the Spring 2024 American Instructional Resources Survey

In this report, the authors describe how state policies that promote the science of reading are associated with elementary teachers’ reading instructional practices. They also explore how these practices vary by grade taught and teacher experience.

Anna Shapiro, Laura Bellows
Research

Apr 9, 2025

Creating a Nationally Representative Survey Panel of Public School Pre-K Teachers

This report describes the effort to recruit public school pre-kindergarten (pre-K) teachers to the American Teacher Panel. Authors discuss the sample, recruitment methods, recruitment results, and weighting approach to surveys with pre-K teachers.

David Grant, Anna Shapiro, Elizabeth D. Steiner, Joshua Eagan, Dorothy Seaman, Cyril Cherian, Gerald P. Hunter, Ashley Woo, Jill S. Cannon, Christopher Joseph Doss, Lynn A. Karoly
Research

Apr 9, 2025

Instructional Resources in Public School–Based Pre-K: Findings from the Spring 2024 American Pre-K Teacher Survey

This report presents findings from the first American Pre-K Teacher Survey, a nationally representative survey of pre-kindergarten teachers in public schools across the United States, fielded through RAND’s American Teacher Panel.

Anna Shapiro, Elizabeth D. Steiner, Ashley Woo, Jill S. Cannon, Christopher Joseph Doss, Lynn A. Karoly, Emma B. Kassan
Research

Apr 9, 2025

American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey: Spring 2024 Technical Documentation and Survey Results

This technical report contains descriptions of the data, samples, and methodology for the spring 2024 Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Survey, including survey results.

David Grant, Anna Shapiro, Elizabeth D. Steiner, Ashley Woo, Jill S. Cannon, Christopher Joseph Doss, Lynn A. Karoly
Research

Jan 16, 2025

Does One Plus One Always Equal Two? Examining Complementarities in Educational Interventions

In an elementary school setting, I examine whether community-level interventions focusing on similar needs and providing resources to build capacity in high-need communities could improve outcomes by improving the effectiveness of individual-level interventions.

Umut Ozek
Research

Jan 16, 2025

Effects of Large-Scale Early Math Interventions on Student Outcomes: Evidence From Kentucky's Math Achievement Fund

This study examines the effectiveness and costs of Kentucky's Math Achievement Fund—a unique state-level program that combines targeted interventions, peer-coaching, and close collaboration among teachers to improve math achievement in grades K-3.

Zeyu Xu, Umut Ozek, Jesse Levin, Dong Hoon Lee
Research

Dec 5, 2024

Supporting the Social-Emotional Learning of Young Learners: An Evaluation of PEDALS

The authors evaluate the Positive Emotional Development and Learning Skills program, a social-emotional learning program being implemented in prekindergarten classrooms in Western and Central New York and Southeast Michigan.

Christopher Joseph Doss, Elaine Lin Wang, Jill S. Cannon, Nastassia Reed, Joshua Eagan, Brian Kim
Research

Nov 11, 2024

Universal Early Childhood Education and Care for Toddlers and Achievement Outcomes in Middle Childhood

We estimate the effects of expansion of universal early childhood education to all 1- and 2-year-olds in Norway on achievement tests in 5th grade. Findings suggest that wider access to early learning has the potential to reduce education inequality.

Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Eric Dearing, Nicolai Topstad Borgen, Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør, Lynn A. Karoly

Early Childhood Education Program Evaluation

Researcher Spotlights

Jill S. Cannon

Lynn A. Karoly

Anna Shapiro

Christopher Joseph Doss

Recent Publications

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Translating Reading Science into Practice—Foundational Reading Instruction in Public Elementary Schools: Findings from the Spring 2024 American Instructional Resources Survey

Creating a Nationally Representative Survey Panel of Public School Pre-K Teachers

Instructional Resources in Public School–Based Pre-K: Findings from the Spring 2024 American Pre-K Teacher Survey

American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey: Spring 2024 Technical Documentation and Survey Results

Does One Plus One Always Equal Two? Examining Complementarities in Educational Interventions

Effects of Large-Scale Early Math Interventions on Student Outcomes: Evidence From Kentucky's Math Achievement Fund

Supporting the Social-Emotional Learning of Young Learners: An Evaluation of PEDALS

Universal Early Childhood Education and Care for Toddlers and Achievement Outcomes in Middle Childhood

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