Preschools and early childhood development in a second best world: Evidence from a scaled-up expe... more Preschools and early childhood development in a second best world: Evidence from a scaled-up experiment in
positive youth development presented in this chapter have been derived from Lerner (2004). The da... more positive youth development presented in this chapter have been derived from Lerner (2004). The data presented in this chapter were reported originally in Lerner, et al. (2005). 1 How do we know if adolescents are doing well in life? What vocabulary do researchers, parents, teachers, policy makers, and often young people themselves, use to describe a young person who is showing successful development? All too often in the United States and internationally, we discuss positive development in regard to the absence of negative or undesirable behaviors. Typically, such descriptions are predicated on the assumption that children are “broken ” or in danger of becoming broken (Benson, 2003), and thus that young people are “problems to be managed ” (Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, & Foster, 1998). As such, when we describe a successful young person we speak about a youth whose problems have been managed or are, at best, absent. We might say, then, that a youth who is manifesting behavior indicati...
This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to st... more This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to study the effects of scholarships on encouraging primary school students to continue their studies in lower secondary school, and whether bigger grants worked better than smaller ones. The results of the study underscore the importance impact evaluation can have for policymakers, even as researchers plan a second round of data collection to answer some important questions raised by the results. Building on the lessons learned from this evaluation, the government of Cambodia is planning a revised approach in its 2014-2018 strategic education plan to strengthen the quality of preschools and ensure demand for these services. This Evidence to Policy note was jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF), and the British government's Department for International Development.
This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to st... more This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to study the effects of scholarships on encouraging primary school students to continue their studies in lower secondary school, and whether bigger grants worked better than smaller ones. The results of the study underscore the importance impact evaluation can have for policymakers, even as researchers plan a second round of data collection to answer some important questions raised by the results. Building on the lessons learned from this evaluation, the government of Cambodia is planning a revised approach in its 2014-2018 strategic education plan to strengthen the quality of preschools and ensure demand for these services. This Evidence to Policy note was jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF), and the British government's Department for International Development.
The World Bank has produced this policy Toolkit in response to a growing demand from our governme... more The World Bank has produced this policy Toolkit in response to a growing demand from our government clients and partners for advice on how to create and implement effective policies for at-risk youth. The author has highlighted 22 policies (six core policies, nine promising policies, and seven general policies) that have been effective in addressing the following five key risk areas for young people around the world: (i) youth unemployment, underemployment, and lack of formal sector employment; (ii) early school leaving; (iii) risky sexual behavior leading to early childbearing and HIV/AIDS; (iv) crime and violence; and (v) substance abuse. The objective of this Toolkit is to serve as a practical guide for policy makers in middle-income countries as well as professionals working within the area of youth development on how to develop and implement an effective policy portfolio to foster healthy and positive youth development.
The purpose of this report is to assist the Government of Indonesia to identify priorities for ex... more The purpose of this report is to assist the Government of Indonesia to identify priorities for expanding effective and sustainable early childhood services targeted to children in the first six years of life. The report is organized in three sections. The first section explains how expanding services for young children can help to alleviate inequities in human development outcomes. A second section presents the current situation of the early childhood education and development subsector in Indonesia and emerging issues. The final section sets forth recommendations.
Teenage pregnancies have potential negative consequences for the next generation. Children born t... more Teenage pregnancies have potential negative consequences for the next generation. Children born to adolescent mothers are particularly at a disadvantage with regard to their health, nutrition, cognitive, and socioemotional development. The early years, especially the first 1,000 days, are crucial for lifetime health, learning, and productivity. Particularly for the most vulnerable children and families, early childhood development (ECD) is a high-return investment. This policy brief presents evidence on the health, nutrition, and overall development of children in Zambia with a focus on those born to adolescent mothers.
How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are cr... more How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are crucial to healthy development. And that's just the start. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: governments haven't invested in preschools; private sector offerings may be too pricey or not close by; and parents may not understand the benefits. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: govern...
How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are cr... more How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are crucial to healthy development. And that's just the start. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: governments haven't invested in preschools; private sector offerings may be too pricey or not close by; and parents may not understand the benefits. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: govern...
This study analyzed the impact of a community-based preschool program on child development and sc... more This study analyzed the impact of a community-based preschool program on child development and schooling outcomes in high-poverty areas of rural Mozambique. Preschools were randomly assigned to 30 of 76 eligible communities. Using a panel survey of 2,000 households with preschool aged children, the study found that children who attended preschool experienced gains in cognitive development, communication, fine motor skills, and socio-emotional skills, scoring 0.33 standard deviations higher on a child development screening test. Preschoolers were 21 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in primary school, 14.9 percentage points more likely to enroll at the appropriate age, and had higher cognitive and communication scores in first grade. Treatment effects were generally larger for children from vulnerable households, those with higher initial development levels, and those with longer exposure to treatment. The preschool intervention also generated positive spillovers by increa...
Interventions targeting early childhood hold promise for reducing the intergenerational transmiss... more Interventions targeting early childhood hold promise for reducing the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Results from a randomized evaluation of a preschool construction program in Cambodia suggest caution. Overall impacts on early childhood outcomes are small and insignificant. Impacts on cognition are negative for the cohort with highest program exposure, with the largest negative effects among children of poorer and less educated parents. The results are explained by substitution from primary to preschool and differences in demand responses to preschools between more and less educated parents. Context, program specifics, and behavioral responses can hence lead to perverse effects of well-intentioned interventions.
Research and practice in youth development converge in an interest in positive development, or th... more Research and practice in youth development converge in an interest in positive development, or thriving. They converge also in seeking to promote among youth an orientation to act in support of their own and others’ well-being through contributions to self, family, and community. Based on the results of both qualitative (open and axial coding of parents’ and students’ answers to several open-ended questions) and quantitative analyses of data from Wave 2 (Sixth Grade; 2003-2004) of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD), we found that adolescents and parents define a thriving youth in different ways and, as well, that the groups differ in the salience of contribution as part of their respective conceptions of thriving. We discuss the implications for research and practice of the two generational groups’ contrasting views of thriving and contribution.
Preschools and early childhood development in a second best world: Evidence from a scaled-up expe... more Preschools and early childhood development in a second best world: Evidence from a scaled-up experiment in
positive youth development presented in this chapter have been derived from Lerner (2004). The da... more positive youth development presented in this chapter have been derived from Lerner (2004). The data presented in this chapter were reported originally in Lerner, et al. (2005). 1 How do we know if adolescents are doing well in life? What vocabulary do researchers, parents, teachers, policy makers, and often young people themselves, use to describe a young person who is showing successful development? All too often in the United States and internationally, we discuss positive development in regard to the absence of negative or undesirable behaviors. Typically, such descriptions are predicated on the assumption that children are “broken ” or in danger of becoming broken (Benson, 2003), and thus that young people are “problems to be managed ” (Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, & Foster, 1998). As such, when we describe a successful young person we speak about a youth whose problems have been managed or are, at best, absent. We might say, then, that a youth who is manifesting behavior indicati...
This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to st... more This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to study the effects of scholarships on encouraging primary school students to continue their studies in lower secondary school, and whether bigger grants worked better than smaller ones. The results of the study underscore the importance impact evaluation can have for policymakers, even as researchers plan a second round of data collection to answer some important questions raised by the results. Building on the lessons learned from this evaluation, the government of Cambodia is planning a revised approach in its 2014-2018 strategic education plan to strengthen the quality of preschools and ensure demand for these services. This Evidence to Policy note was jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF), and the British government's Department for International Development.
This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to st... more This bulletin showcases a World Bank supported study in Cambodia, where researchers set out to study the effects of scholarships on encouraging primary school students to continue their studies in lower secondary school, and whether bigger grants worked better than smaller ones. The results of the study underscore the importance impact evaluation can have for policymakers, even as researchers plan a second round of data collection to answer some important questions raised by the results. Building on the lessons learned from this evaluation, the government of Cambodia is planning a revised approach in its 2014-2018 strategic education plan to strengthen the quality of preschools and ensure demand for these services. This Evidence to Policy note was jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF), and the British government's Department for International Development.
The World Bank has produced this policy Toolkit in response to a growing demand from our governme... more The World Bank has produced this policy Toolkit in response to a growing demand from our government clients and partners for advice on how to create and implement effective policies for at-risk youth. The author has highlighted 22 policies (six core policies, nine promising policies, and seven general policies) that have been effective in addressing the following five key risk areas for young people around the world: (i) youth unemployment, underemployment, and lack of formal sector employment; (ii) early school leaving; (iii) risky sexual behavior leading to early childbearing and HIV/AIDS; (iv) crime and violence; and (v) substance abuse. The objective of this Toolkit is to serve as a practical guide for policy makers in middle-income countries as well as professionals working within the area of youth development on how to develop and implement an effective policy portfolio to foster healthy and positive youth development.
The purpose of this report is to assist the Government of Indonesia to identify priorities for ex... more The purpose of this report is to assist the Government of Indonesia to identify priorities for expanding effective and sustainable early childhood services targeted to children in the first six years of life. The report is organized in three sections. The first section explains how expanding services for young children can help to alleviate inequities in human development outcomes. A second section presents the current situation of the early childhood education and development subsector in Indonesia and emerging issues. The final section sets forth recommendations.
Teenage pregnancies have potential negative consequences for the next generation. Children born t... more Teenage pregnancies have potential negative consequences for the next generation. Children born to adolescent mothers are particularly at a disadvantage with regard to their health, nutrition, cognitive, and socioemotional development. The early years, especially the first 1,000 days, are crucial for lifetime health, learning, and productivity. Particularly for the most vulnerable children and families, early childhood development (ECD) is a high-return investment. This policy brief presents evidence on the health, nutrition, and overall development of children in Zambia with a focus on those born to adolescent mothers.
How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are cr... more How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are crucial to healthy development. And that's just the start. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: governments haven't invested in preschools; private sector offerings may be too pricey or not close by; and parents may not understand the benefits. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: govern...
How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are cr... more How can we help kids reach their full potential? Experts know that the first years of life are crucial to healthy development. And that's just the start. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: governments haven't invested in preschools; private sector offerings may be too pricey or not close by; and parents may not understand the benefits. Children need regular mental and physical stimulation along with healthcare and proper nutrition to keep their development on track. Preschool programs are a great way to give kids the educational building blocks to help them learn and prepare for primary school. But in low-income countries, parents don't always have the opportunity: govern...
This study analyzed the impact of a community-based preschool program on child development and sc... more This study analyzed the impact of a community-based preschool program on child development and schooling outcomes in high-poverty areas of rural Mozambique. Preschools were randomly assigned to 30 of 76 eligible communities. Using a panel survey of 2,000 households with preschool aged children, the study found that children who attended preschool experienced gains in cognitive development, communication, fine motor skills, and socio-emotional skills, scoring 0.33 standard deviations higher on a child development screening test. Preschoolers were 21 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in primary school, 14.9 percentage points more likely to enroll at the appropriate age, and had higher cognitive and communication scores in first grade. Treatment effects were generally larger for children from vulnerable households, those with higher initial development levels, and those with longer exposure to treatment. The preschool intervention also generated positive spillovers by increa...
Interventions targeting early childhood hold promise for reducing the intergenerational transmiss... more Interventions targeting early childhood hold promise for reducing the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Results from a randomized evaluation of a preschool construction program in Cambodia suggest caution. Overall impacts on early childhood outcomes are small and insignificant. Impacts on cognition are negative for the cohort with highest program exposure, with the largest negative effects among children of poorer and less educated parents. The results are explained by substitution from primary to preschool and differences in demand responses to preschools between more and less educated parents. Context, program specifics, and behavioral responses can hence lead to perverse effects of well-intentioned interventions.
Research and practice in youth development converge in an interest in positive development, or th... more Research and practice in youth development converge in an interest in positive development, or thriving. They converge also in seeking to promote among youth an orientation to act in support of their own and others’ well-being through contributions to self, family, and community. Based on the results of both qualitative (open and axial coding of parents’ and students’ answers to several open-ended questions) and quantitative analyses of data from Wave 2 (Sixth Grade; 2003-2004) of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD), we found that adolescents and parents define a thriving youth in different ways and, as well, that the groups differ in the salience of contribution as part of their respective conceptions of thriving. We discuss the implications for research and practice of the two generational groups’ contrasting views of thriving and contribution.
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