This publication summarizes an academic review paper on preschool effectiveness, "Lottery Evidence on the Impact of Preschool in the United States: A Review and Meta-Analysis" by Jesse Bruhn and Emily Emick. The 44 papers summarized fall into three categories: studies of three model preschool programs begun in the 1960s known as…

This paper reviews research on the design and effectiveness of preschools in the United States. Three randomized controlled trials that enrolled roughly 350 total children in demonstration studies during the 1960s and 1970s shape much of the current discussion of preschool. We examine what these studies and more recent ones based on random…

In choosing the slate of winners for innovation grants totaling $650 million, the U.S. Department of Education decided to invest heavily in big-name teacher-training and school turnaround organizations while reserving one-fifth of the money for more-experimental programs it believes show promise. Last week, the department announced that 49…

This paper presents the results of a rigorous experiment examining the impact of pay for performance on student achievement and instructional practice. This study, conducted by the National Center on Performance Incentives in partnership with the RAND Corporation examines an experimental pay for performance program administered via a randomized…

Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards, an experimental, privately funded, conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help families break the cycle of poverty, was the first comprehensive CCT program in a developed country. Launched in 2007 by New York City's Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), Family Rewards offered cash assistance to low-income…

The impact of an experimental, one-semester suspension of mathematics and English prerequisites from 12 courses is investigated. Data on enrollment, student performance, and instructor opinions are analyzed for the total group, and results concerning English versus mathematics prerequisites are compared. Implications for further research on the…

Many school districts are putting data to good use, although much of the data used in administrative decision making ultimately derives from standardized test scores, which raises a host of other related concerns. The author's purpose in this article is not to critique the types or sources of data that administrators use, but to suggest that there…

In the present study, differences between a group of 69 Arts and Sciences freshmen who participated in a 1-year living-learning residence hall program, and 76 students in a matched control group were evaluated. The LL students, when compared with the control group, were better satisfied with the faculty, thought the campus atmosphere was more…

Project Broad Jump is a New York-based education program for some 600 youngsters from urban areas, in the third through tenth grades. The basic concept of the program is that academic opportunities are not accessible to many inner-city youth, whereas Head Start and Follow Through help pre-third graders, and Upward Bound helps high school students.…

An experimental study was conducted to determine whether the kind of homework a teacher gave made a difference in academic achievement in elementary school children and whether homework such as collecting, observing, listening, and constructing models improved reading ability. Subjects were nearly 700 students in grades 4 through 6 in two schools…

A discussion of the findings of a recent follow-up study of children who had participated in one of fourteen infant or preschool experimental programs during the 1960's. (BD)

The authors describe a program involving nine middle school boys and three high school boys on a 30-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail which attempted to: (1) improve attitudes toward school; (2) improve school achievement; (3) develop a helping relationship with an older boy; and (4) improve the self-concept of the younger boy. (Author/RP)