Professor Heckman’s latest research on the Perry Preschoolers at midlife finds multi-generation gains for the participants and children of participants in the areas of education, health, employment and civic life. The research provides a compelling indication that early childhood education can be an effective way to break the cycle of poverty. Select download to access…
Type: Academic Papers
An Analysis of the Memphis Nurse-Family Partnership Program View Academic Paper
Professor Heckman’s latest research is a critical analysis of the Memphis Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program. This research puts a widely-known voluntary home visiting program through its most rigorous analysis to date and finds short- and long-term impacts for mothers and their children. Select download to review the full academic paper. Learn more at The University…
Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program Paper View Academic Paper
Based on their recent cost benefit analysis of the ABC/CARE Program, Professor Heckman and his team look at the differences in outcomes based on gender in their paper, Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program. As with most early childhood studies, they find that quality early childhood education benefits low income…
Quantifying the Life-cycle Benefits of a Prototypical Early Childhood Program View Academic Paper
This paper estimates the large array of long-run benefits of an influential early childhood program targeted to disadvantaged children and their families. It is evaluated by random assignment and follows participants through their mid-30s. The program is a prototype for numerous interventions currently in place around the world. It has substantial beneficial impacts on (a)…
Early Childhood Education View Academic Paper
Professor Heckman’s new paper detailing the benefits of high-quality early childhood education, the markers of high-quality programs and the need for society to increase access to these programs for more children. To view the one-pager on this paper, click here.
The Health Effects of Two Influential Early Childhood Interventions View Academic Paper
Professor Heckman, Gabriella Conti (University College London) and Rodrigo Pinto (University of Chicago) examine the comparative impact of the Perry Preschool Project and the Abecedarian Project on long-term health.
The Economics of Human Development and Social Mobility View Academic Paper
This paper lays out the evidence on the importance of early life conditions in shaping multiple life skills. Authors James Heckman and Stefano Mosso find that parental engagement, stimulating interaction and attachment are essential for skill development and critical determinants of later-life success.
The Rate of Return to the HighScope Perry Preschool Program View Academic Paper
This academic paper re-analyzes the effects of the Perry Preschool Program and confirms the 7-10% rate of return previously estimated in “Schools, Skills, and Synapses.” It can be used to justify investment in high-quality preschool programs for disadvantaged children. This paper estimates the rate of return to the HighScope Perry Preschool Program, an early intervention…
Labor market returns to an early childhood stimulation intervention in Jamaica (2014) View Academic Paper
Published in the journal Science on May 30, 2014, a study by Professor Heckman, UC Berkeley economist Paul Gertler, and fellow researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of the West Indies, the World Bank and the University of London finds that a high-quality early childhood intervention boosted the earnings of disadvantaged children in…
Early Childhood Investments Substantially Boost Adult Health View Academic Paper
This 2014 Science article features an analysis of the health benefits derived from the North Carolina Abecedarian project in North Carolina, a birth-to-five early childhood education program that included early health, nutrition, and learning. Heckman and co-authors from the Frank Porter Graham Institute at the University of North Carolina find that comprehensive early childhood education boosts…