“Last year, more than 1,200 researchers signed a consensus statement describing in some detail what quality early care and education looks like and why it’s a sound public investment” wrote W. Steven Barnett in a recent National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) newsletter.

The ECE Consensus Letter for Researchers is based on a wide body of research in education, development psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and economics. They concluded that quality early care and education produces better education, health, economic, and social outcomes for children, families, and the nation.

Signatories include a “Who’s Who of Early Childhood Research”, including Katherine Magnuson (UW-Madison), James Heckman, Jack Shonkoff, Steve Barnett, Barbara Bowman, Arthur Reynolds, Craig Ramey, Greg Dunson, Deborah Phillips, and Ellen Frede.

Here are some of the key findings related to quality early childhood education (ECE) agreed upon by the researchers:

• Quality ECE can reduce the achievement gap.
• Access to quality ECE is essential.
• Quality ECE develops the whole child.
• Quality programs include health and home.
• Quality program can be brought to scale.
• Quality programs produce quality life outcomes.
• Quality ECE benefits children from diverse family backgrounds and circumstances.
• Investing in quality early childhood education pays off.
• Critics of greater investment ignore the full body of evidence.

A 2013 report, Investing in our Future, played a key role in developing the research consensus.

Dave Edie
Early Education Policy Analyst