In a consensus letter, over 600 researchers and scholars have signed on urging policymakers at all levels to support greater investment in high-quality early childhood education. The letter released includes a wide range of distinguished signatories, including James Heckman, T. Berry Brazelton, Jack Shonkoff, Barbara Bowman, Sharon Lynn Hagan, Arthur Reynolds, Craig Ramey, Deborah Phillips, Jeffrey Sachs, Greg Duncan, and UW-Madison’s Katherine Magnuson.

According to NIEER Online News, the letter identifies the scientific agreement on five points:
• Quality early childhood education can reduce the achievement gap, producing more important impacts on long-term life outcomes than on test scores.
• Many low- and moderate-income families cannot obtain high quality early education on their own, which may increase inequality in child development and life outcomes.
• Quality programs address the needs of the whole child, stimulating language and cognitive growth while nurturing social and emotional development. They use evidence-based curricula, coach teachers to high levels of practice, and include health and family engagement activities.
• Quality early education can be brought to scale; examples are available across the country.
• Such programs can benefit children from middle-income families, as well as those in poverty, and everyone benefits from the economic returns to society.
Dave Edie