Major federal randomized trial finds disappointing early effects of home visiting for low-income families—but obscures a potentially important silver lining
Highlights: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently reported early findings from a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of home visiting services for at-risk families with young children. The services included four program types, or...Large randomized trial finds state pre-k program has adverse effects on academic achievement. Reform is needed to increase effectiveness.
Highlights: This report discusses new findings from a well-conducted randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Tennessee’s voluntary prekindergarten program for low-income children. This study is the first large RCT of a state-funded pre-k program and one of only two such...Unreliable findings, published in Pediatrics, regarding the effects of a home visiting program on child obesity
Highlights: We review an article published in this month’s issue of Pediatrics, a leading scientific journal, that reported findings from a randomized controlled trial of an early childhood home visiting program called Minding the Baby. The key reported finding is...An important—but fixable—flaw in the What Works Clearinghouse that can make ineffective programs appear effective (part three in a series)
Highlights: This report, like the previous one, offers constructive criticism of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a widely-cited repository of evidence on “what works” in education that has successfully advanced rigorous evidence standards but also has flaws that...How “official” evidence reviews can make ineffective programs appear effective (part one in a series)
Highlights: A recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report reviews existing evidence on the long-term effects of four home visiting program models for families with young children. Report findings include: (i) “all four… models have found improvements...Showing 6 of 7 Reviews