We Learned A Lot In 2016 About How Preschool Can Help Kids

One of the most controversial questions in education has been whether preschool — and specifically Head Start — helps kids succeed as they move through elementary school.

Critics have long noted, and research has supported, that the benefits of Head Start fade in a few years. It's an important question for an $8 billion federal program that provides support for nearly a million low-income children and their families.

This year brought several new studies, however, that found that — when done right — Head Start and other programs can give low-income students lasting benefits. It's not only through elementary school: At least one study we wrote about found the benefits of preschool paying off for individuals, and society, into adult life.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/27/504712171/we-learned-a-lot-in-2016-about-how-preschool-can-help-kids