Early Childhood Education Programs
评估早期儿童教育项目的目标、效果、最佳时机、对象和内容，发现对弱势儿童效果最大，能减少留级和特殊教育成本，部分模型项目提升了教育成就和收入，但Head Start的长期效果尚不确定。
This paper discusses early childhood education programs: their goals; effectiveness; optimal timing, targeting, and content; and costs and benefits. Early intervention has significant short- and medium-term benefits: most notably it reduces grade repetition and special education costs, and provides quality child care. The effects are greatest for more disadvantaged children. Some model programs have produced exciting improvements in educational attainment and earnings and have reduced welfare dependency and crime. The jury is still out on the long-term effects of Head Start, but Head Start would pay for itself if it produced a quarter of the long-term gains of model programs.