HighScope Perry Preschool

This study demonstrates that young children who receive high-quality early education do better in school academically, are less likely to drop out of high school, be arrested, repeat grades, or be placed in special education services. In addition to the increased earnings capacity by those who participated in the program, the study found that society saves more than $7 for ever $1 invested in preschool. Conducted by Dr. Arthur Reynolds of the University of Wisconsin, the study followed 989 students enrolled in 20 Chicago Parent-Child Centers beginning at age three and a comparison group of 550 other eligible children who did not participate in the program until the children reached the eighth grade.

Conducted by Dr. Craig Ramey, one of the nations leading early childhood researchers, this was the first study to track participants in an early learning program from infancy to age 21. Based in North Carolina, this study tracked 111 low-income African-American families. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive full-time early learning intervention services starting at infancy; the other received no educational services.