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Hello, I thought you would find the following article interesting. Link: http://www.plan4preschool.org/docs/single/increasing-the-effectiveness-of-preschool-programs/ Download: http://www.plan4preschool.org/documents/increase-effect.pdf Abstract: Preschool attendance has become the norm for 4-year-olds in many parts of the country. Policymakers, educators, and families have embraced publicly funded preschool programs as a way to improve young children’s learning and development. They also expect preschool programs to bring about long-term effects. Although such gains have been produced by high-quality preschool programs, the quality of programs currently available is far from uniform, with the vast majority considered to be mediocre. These results stem in part from weak program standards, which tend to be lower and more variable than those found in K-12 education. Inadequate funding often is behind weak standards. The effectiveness of preschool programs could be significantly improved if they more closely replicated models that have had strong impacts and if formative evaluations were implemented to provide regular feedback to program staff regarding how well programs work. This report reviews research on the inputs contributing to quality, features of programs that impact children’s learning and development, and current state policies related to these characteristics, and makes recommendations on how to increase effectiveness.