LATimes.com | Preschool: the best policy money can buy

Preschool: the best policy money can buy
Why Proposition 82 is a wise investment in California's future.
By Arthur J. Reynolds

No other social program has been evaluated more than preschool education. Since the early 1960s, thousands of short- and long-term studies have been conducted across the country of many programs serving many populations. Findings have been remarkably consistent — and remarkably positive.

[...] A much-discussed 2005 Rand Corp. study found that a universal program of high quality for all California 4-year-olds would return to society from $2 to $4 for every dollar invested. That's a conservative calculation. It takes into account economic impacts related to the achievements of kids from all backgrounds, but it doesn't include benefits that derive from the fact that preschools improve kids' health, decrease the cost of crime victims' pain and suffering (because the crime rate is lower), increase parents' educational achievement and decrease employers' training costs.
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LATimes.com May 24, 2006