In general, early data from Educare schools reveals promising results in preparing low-income young children for later academic achievement. Evidence shows, for example, that the more time children spend at Educare, the better prepared they are for kindergarten.
National and Local Research
Educare’s National Learning Network engages in ongoing assessment and tracking of child learning outcomes in two main areas:
- Social-emotional development
- Cognitive development in early language and math skills
Founded in 1966, the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina oversees the national evaluation of Educare schools. Researchers from the FPG Child Development Institute have tracked program quality and outcomes at Educare Schools across the nation.
In addition, each of the schools in the Educare Learning Network hires a local evaluation partner (LEP) to document Educare’s core features and assess the program’s impact on young children and families at each Educare site. Arizona State University serves as the local evaluation partner for Educare Arizona.
Children who begin the program between birth and two-years-old:
- Exceed the national average for school readiness by 9 points.
- Demonstrate average vocabulary scores of 96.9, approaching the national mean for all children.
- Enter kindergarten exhibiting average or above average social-emotional skills.
Young, underprivileged children attending Educare schools graduate with a solid foundation for success in school, helping them negotiate their important transition to kindergarten with new teachers, new peers, and new demands.