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Research in Brief

View Research by Topic

A collection of research summaries grouped by topic that have been carefully reviewed and selected to provide objective, high-quality evidence that is concise and easy to understand.


Academic Achievement


Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems — May 2010

Condition of Education 2010 — May 2010

Enduring Effects of Prenatal and Infancy Home Visiting by Nurses on Children: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial Among Children at Age 12 Years — May 2010

Enduring Effects of Prenatal and Infancy Home Visiting by Nurses on Maternal Life Course and Government Spending: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial Among Children at Age 12 Years — May 2010

Link Between Child Care and Academic Achievement and Behavior Persists Into Adolescence — May 2010

AfterZones: Creating a Citywide System to Support and Sustain High-Quality After-School Programs — Apr. 2010

America's Future: Latino Child Well-Being in Numbers and Trends — Apr. 2010

Autism Spectrum Disorders in Extremely Preterm Children — Apr. 2010

Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study: Findings After the First Year of Implementation — Apr. 2010

Risk and Protective Factors for Psychological Adjustment Among Low-Income, African American Children — Apr. 2010

State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08, Part 6: Has Progress Been Made in Raising Achievement for English Language Learners? — Apr. 2010

Teacher Quality Moderates the Genetic Effects on Early Reading — Apr. 2010

Youth's Needs and Services: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement — Apr. 2010

How Many Schools Have Not Made Adequate Yearly Progress Under the No Child Left Behind Act? — Mar. 2010

State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08, Part 5: Are There Differences in Achievement Between Boys and Girls? — Mar. 2010

The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2009 — Mar. 2010

Reinvesting in America's Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative — Feb. 2010

Head Start Impact Study: Final Report — Jan. 2010

Long-Term Effects of Prenatal and Infancy Nurse Home Visitation on the Life Course of Youths: 19-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Trial — Jan. 2010

Juvenile Arrests 2008 — Dec. 2009

The California Index of Child and Youth Well-Being — Dec. 2009

Tracking An Emerging Movement: A Report on Expanded-Time Schools in America — Dec. 2009

What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions — Dec. 2009

What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions — Dec. 2009

State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08: Has Progress Been Made in Raising Achievement for Students with Disabilities? — Nov. 2009

Understanding Links Between Adolescent Health and Educational Attainment — Nov. 2009

Effects of a Preschool Music and Movement Curriculum on Children's Language Skills — Oct. 2009

Ending Social Promotion in New York City Public Schools Without Leaving Children Behind — Oct. 2009

Impact of Teen Depression on Academic, Social, and Physical Functioning — Oct. 2009

Does Higher Quality Early Child Care Promote Low-Income Children's Math and Reading Achievement in Middle Childhood? — Sep. 2009

The Effects of Welfare Reform on the Academic Performance of Children in Low-Income Households — Sep. 2009

The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs — Sep. 2009

Effects of a Prekindergarten Educational Intervention on Adult Health: 37-Year Follow-Up Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial — Aug. 2009

Prenatal Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure and Child IQ at Age 5 Years — Aug. 2009

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009 — July 2009

State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08, Part 2: Is There a Plateau Effect in Test Scores? — July 2009

What Works? Targeted Truancy and Dropout Programs in Middle and High School — June 2009

Early Care and Education Quality and Child Outcomes — May 2009

Effectiveness of Selected Supplemental Reading Comprehension Interventions: Impacts on a First Cohort of Fifth-Grade Students — May 2009

Children in Poverty: Trends, Consequences, and Policy Options — Apr. 2009

College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2008 High School Graduates — Apr. 2009

Early School-Age Outcomes of Late Preterm Infants — Apr. 2009

New Indicators of High School Career/Technical Education Coursetaking: Class of 2005 — Apr. 2009

Parsing the Achievement Gap II — Apr. 2009

The Nation's Report Card: Trends in Academic Progress in Reading and Mathematics 2008 — Apr. 2009

America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness — Mar. 2009

Are Charter Schools Making a Difference? A Study of Student Outcomes in Eight States — Mar. 2009

Every Student Counts: The Role of Federal Policy in Improving Graduation Rate Accountability — Mar. 2009

No Child Left Behind Educational Options—Availability Expands, But Participation Remains Low — Feb. 2009

Study Finds Inconsistent Teaching Quality in First Grade Classrooms — Feb. 2009

The Impact of Episodic and Chronic Poverty on Child Cognitive Development — Feb. 2009

Trends in Child Health 1997-2006: Assessing Hispanic-White Disparities — Feb. 2009

Instruction, Student Engagement, and Reading Skill Growth in Reading First Classrooms — Jan. 2009

Military Enlistment of Hispanic Youth: Obstacles and Opportunities — Jan. 2009

Resilient Girls—Factors that Protect Against Delinquency — Jan. 2009

The Socioeconomic, Health, Safety, and Educational Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California — Jan. 2009

Trends in Child Health 1997-2006: Assessing Black-White Disparities — Jan. 2009

Class Size Reduction and Student Achievement: The Potential Tradeoff Between Teacher Quality and Class Size — Winter 2009

Taking a Chance on College: Is the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program a Winner? — Winter 2009

2009 KIDS COUNT Data: Overall State Rankings — 2009

The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007 — 2009

Does Job Corps Work? Impact Findings from the National Job Corps Study — Dec. 2008

Long-Term Academic Effects of Child's ADHD May Extend to Siblings — Dec. 2008

The State of America's Children 2008 — Dec. 2008

Implementing No Child Left Behind in Three States — Nov. 2008

New Program Teaches Preschoolers Reading Skills, Getting Along With Others — Nov. 2008

Reading First Impact Study, Final Report — Nov. 2008

The School Environment and Adolescent Well-Being: Beyond Academics — Nov. 2008

Impacts of Comprehensive Teacher Induction — Oct. 2008

Keeping Adolescents Out of Prison — Fall 2008

The Academic Status of Children and Youth in Out-of-Home Care — Sep. 2008

Title I Funds—Who's Gaining and Who's Losing: School Year 2008-09 Update — Sep. 2008

Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How? — Aug. 2008

Evaluating the Impact of Interventions That Promote Successful Transitions From High School — Aug. 2008

Parental Involvement in Middle Childhood: Can It Protect Children from Harmful TV Viewing Habits and Behavior? — Aug. 2008

Preparing High School Students for Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Employment — Aug. 2008

SAT® Scores Stable as Record Numbers Take Test — Aug. 2008

America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008 — July 2008

Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach for America in High School — July 2008

School Outcomes of Late Preterm Infants: Special Needs and Challenges for Infants Born at 32 to 36 Weeks Gestation — July 2008

Diplomas Count 2008: School to College, Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition? — June 2008

Has Student Achievement Improved Since 2002? State Test Score Trends Through 2006-07 — June 2008

Predicting Success on the California High School Exit Exam — June 2008

Prevalence of Developmental Delays and Participation in Early Intervention Services for Young Children — June 2008

Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool Programs: Longitudinal Findings from the Study of Promising Afterschool Programs — May 2008

What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy? — May 2008

Evaluating the Spirituality for Kids After-School Program — Apr. 2008

Parent Education — Apr. 2008

Parental Incarceration and Child Wellbeing in Fragile Families — Apr. 2008

Title I School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services Under No Child Left Behind: Progress Toward Implementation — Apr. 2008

CORAL Initiative — Feb. 2008

Disconnected Youth: Federal Action Could Address Some of the Challenges Faced by Local Programs That Reconnect Youth to Education and Employment — Feb. 2008

Drug Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 1985-2004 — Feb. 2008

How Maternal, Family and Cumulative Risk Affect Absenteeism in Early Schooling: Facts for Policymakers — Feb. 2008

Instructional Time in Elementary Schools: A Closer Look at Changes for Specific Subjects — Feb. 2008

Petitioned Status Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004 — Feb. 2008

Unrealistic Fatalism in U.S. Youth Ages 14 to 22: Prevalence and Characteristics — Feb. 2008

Behaviors of Youth Involved in the Child Welfare System — Jan. 2008

Early Childhood Health Problems and Prevention Strategies: Costs and Benefits — Jan. 2008

Variety of Approaches Help Children Overcome Auditory Processing and Language Problems — Jan. 2008

Building Bodies, Boosting Brains — Winter 2008

Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Consequences of Poor Infant Health: An Analysis Using Siblings and Twins — Winter 2008

Current-Generation Youth Programs: What Works, What Doesn't, and at What Cost? — 2008

Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel — 2008

Room for Improvement in the Use of High-Quality Preschool Programs for California's Children — 2008

An Effectiveness-Based Evaluation of Five State Pre-Kindergarten Programs — Dec. 2007

The Negative Impacts of Starting Middle School in Sixth Grade — Dec. 2007

Health and Economic Benefits of Reducing the Number of Students per Classroom in U.S. Primary Schools — Nov. 2007

To Read or Not to Read — Nov. 2007

A National Portrait of Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades — Oct. 2007

The Family: America's Smallest School — Oct. 2007

Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance — Fall 2007

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2007 — Sep. 2007

The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2007 — Sep. 2007

Vulnerable Infants and Toddlers in Four Service Systems — Sep. 2007

2007 School Lunch Report Card — Aug. 2007

Caregiver Well-Being Affects Academic Achievement — Aug. 2007

Changes in Family Functioning and Child Behavior Following Intensive In-Home Therapy — Aug. 2007

2007 Child Well-Being Index Special Focus Report on International Comparisons — July 2007

2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book — July 2007

Do Title I School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services Affect Student Achievement? — July 2007

Answering the Question That Matters Most: Has Student Achievement Increased Since No Child Left Behind? — June 2007

Students in Underperforming Schools Benefit from Supplemental Educational Services Under No Child Left Behind — June 2007

Young Latino Infants and Families: Parental Involvement Implications from a Recent National Study — June 2007

Extensive Television Viewing and the Development of Attention and Learning Difficulties During Adolescence — May 2007

National Evaluation of Early Reading First: Final Report to Congress — May 2007

Quality Time After School — May 2007

The Condition of Education 2007 — May 2007

The Nation's Report Card: Civics 2006 — May 2007

The Nation's Report Card: U.S. History 2006 — May 2007

Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation — Apr. 2007

New Study Points to Gap Between U.S. High School Curriculum and College Expectations — Apr. 2007

Social and School Connectedness in Early Secondary School as Predictors of Late Teenage Substance Use, Mental Health, and Academic Outcomes — Apr. 2007

Excellence in the Classroom — Spring 2007

Assessing Initiatives for Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care: An Overview of Models and Evaluations — Mar. 2007

Early Child Care Linked to Increases in Vocabulary, Some Problem Behaviors in Fifth and Sixth Grades — Mar. 2007

Kids' Share 2007 — Mar. 2007

Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness — Feb. 2007

State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia — Feb. 2007

The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education for America's Children — Feb. 2007

Hispanic Education in the United States — Jan. 2007

The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds — Jan. 2007

Para Nuestros Niños: A Demographic Portrait of Young Hispanics in the United States — 2007

The Impact of After-School Programs that Promote Personal and Social Skills — 2007

How the 2005 Hurricanes Affected Students in Louisiana — Dec. 2006

Ready for School: Can Full-Day Kindergarten Level the Playing Field? — Dec. 2006

Approaches to Parental Involvement for Improving the Academic Performance of Elementary School Children in Grades K–6 — Nov. 2006

Association Between Television, Movie, and Video Game Exposure and School Performance — Oct. 2006

Impacts of a Summer Learning Program: A Random Assignment Study of Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) — Aug. 2006

State High School Exit Exams: A Challenging Year — Aug. 2006

Estimating Graduation and Dropout Rates with Longitudinal Data: A Case Study in the Pittsburgh Public Schools — July 2006

2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book — June 2006

Arts Instruction of Public School Students in the First and Third Grades — June 2006

Diplomas Count: An Essential Guide to Graduation Policy and Rates — June 2006

Public Schools with Prekindergarten and Special Education Prekindergarten Programs — June 2006

The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate for Public High Schools — June 2006

The Condition of Education 2006 — June 2006

Learning From Small-Scale Experimental Evaluations of After School Programs — May 2006

PK-3: What is It and How Do We Know It Works? — May 2006

Reality Check 2006: How Black and Hispanic Families Rate Their Schools — May 2006

Making Good on a Promise: What Policymakers Can Do to Support the Educational Persistence of Dropouts — Apr. 2006

Rethinking High School Graduation Rates and Trends — Apr. 2006

Every Nine Seconds in America a Student Becomes a Dropout: The Dropout Problem in Numbers — Mar. 2006

What Are Kids Getting Into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of School Time Participation — Mar. 2006

Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 — Feb. 2006

Making Sense of Charter Schools: Evidence from California — Feb. 2006

Transition of Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants From Adolescence to Young Adulthood — Feb. 2006

PK-3 Education: Programs and Practices that Work in Children's First Decade — Jan. 2006

Children with Disabilities in Public Schools — 2006

Concentration of Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity and Poverty — 2006

Full-day Kindergarten — 2006

Language Minority School-Age Children — 2006

Participation in Education: Enrollment Trends by Age — 2006

Past and Projected Elementary and Secondary Public School Enrollments — 2006

Preschool and Prekindergarten Programs — 2006

Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Public School Students — 2006

Trends in Private School Enrollments — 2006

Children at Risk: Consequences for School Readiness and Beyond — Dec. 2005

Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions — Dec. 2005

The Preparedness of Schools to Respond to Emergencies in Children: A National Survey of School Nurses — Dec. 2005

Bullying, Psychosocial Adjustment, and Academic Performance in Elementary School — Nov. 2005

Higher Drop-Out Rate of Foreign-Born Teens — Nov. 2005

Indicators of School Crime and Safety in 2005 — Nov. 2005

Still Going Strong: Head Start Children, Families, Staff, and Programs in 2004 — Nov. 2005

A Decade of Entrepreneurship in Education: A Look at Edison Schools' Improvement Strategies and Their Effects on Student Achievement — Oct. 2005

Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? — Oct. 2005

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2005 — Oct. 2005

The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2005 — Oct. 2005

Association of Television Viewing During Childhood With Poor Educational Achievement — July 2005

Children's Television Viewing and Cognitive Outcomes — July 2005

The Brookline Early Education Project: A 25-Year Follow-up Study of a Family-Centered Early Health and Development Intervention — July 2005

The Challenge of Scaling Up Educational Reform: Findings and Lessons from First Things First — July 2005

Head Start Impact Study: First Year Findings — June 2005

Rates of Computer and Internet Use by Children in Nursery School and Students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade — June 2005

A New Look at Public and Private Schools: Student Background and Mathematics Achievement — May 2005

Making Progress Toward Graduation: Evidence from the Talent Development High School Model — May 2005

Does Teacher Preparation Matter? — Apr. 2005

Data on Distance Education in Elementary and Secondary Schools — Mar. 2005

Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-Olds — Mar. 2005

Making Out-of-School-Time Matter — Mar. 2005

Children Living on the Southwest Border — Feb. 2005

Delaying Kindergarten: Effects on Test Scores and Childcare Costs — Feb. 2005

Health and Well-Being of Young Children of Immigrants — Feb. 2005

Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works — Feb. 2005

California's K-12 Public Schools: How Are They Doing? — Jan. 2005

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2005 — 2005

Achieving State and National Literacy Goals, a Long Uphill Road — Dec. 2004

Parent-Teen Relationships and Interactions: Far More Positive Than Not — Dec. 2004

What Is Happening to Youth Employment Rates? — Nov. 2004

All Work and No Play? Listening to What Kids and Parents Really Want from Out-of-School Time — Nov. 2004

Evaluation of the Public Charter Schools Program: Final Report — Nov. 2004

The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40 — Nov. 2004

Toward Safe and Orderly Schools: The National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools — Nov. 2004

Trends in Educational Equity for Girls & Women — Nov. 2004

Parent Involvement and the Social and Academic Competencies of Urban Kindergarten Children — Oct. 2004

The Lingering Academic Deficits of Low Birth Weight Children — Oct. 2004

When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers Program — Oct. 2004

A Matter of Class: Educational Achievement Reflects Family Background More Than Ethnicity or Immigration — Fall 2004

Children, The Digital Divide, and Federal Policy — Aug. 2004

1.1 Million Homeschooled Students in the U.S. in 2003 — July 2004

Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten in the U.S. — June 2004

Moving Forward: Head Start Children, Families, and Programs in 2003 — June 2004

Teach for America Teachers Outperform Novice and Veteran Colleagues in Math; Achieve Same Results in Reading as Their Peers — June 2004

Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children — Apr. 2004

Individual Growth and School Success — Apr. 2004

Education Watch: Key Education Facts and Figures for the Nation — Spring 2004

Career Academies: Impacts on Labor Market Outcomes and Educational Attainment — Mar. 2004

Reduced School Dropout Rates Among Adolescent Mothers Receiving School-Based Prenatal Care — Mar. 2004

What Does Government Spend on Children? Evidence from Five Cities — Mar. 2004

Initiation of Sexual Intercourse Among Middle School Adolescents: The Influence of Psychosocial Factors — Feb. 2004

Who Graduates? Who Doesn't? A Statistical Portrait of Public High School Graduation, Class of 2001 — Feb. 2004

Changes in Children's Well-Being and Family Environments — Jan. 2004

English Language Learners: Boosting Academic Achievement — Jan. 2004

Largest Ever Study of Anti-Gay Harassment in Schools Shows the Problem Is Widespread, Dangerous and Preventable — Jan. 2004

Sex, Drugs, and Delinquency in Urban and Suburban Public Schools — Jan. 2004

Problems and Promise of the American Middle School — 2004

Attending Kindergarten and Already Behind: A Statistical Portrait of Vulnerable Young Children — Dec. 2003

Bullying in Schools Pervasive, Disruptive and Serious — Dec. 2003

Children in Foster Homes: How Are They Faring? — Dec. 2003

Charter Schools: Achievement, Accountability, and the Role of Expertise (Chapter 3 of the Brown Center Report on American Education) — Oct. 2003

Do Students Have Too Much Homework? — Oct. 2003

Parent Involvement and Early Literacy — Oct. 2003

The Nation's Achievement (Chapter 1 of the Brown Center Report on American Education) — Oct. 2003

Class Size: Counting Students Can Count — Fall 2003

Can Music Instruction Affect Children's Cognitive Development? — Sep. 2003

School Enrollment 2000 — Aug. 2003

Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions — May 2003

Data on Dropout Rates — Spring 2003

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2003 — 2003

Are Student Health Risks and Low Resilience Assets an Impediment to the Academic Progress of Schools? — 2003

How California Charter Schools Operate and Perform — 2003

A Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Abecedarian Early Childhood Intervention — Dec. 2002

A Decade of Welfare Reform: What We've Learned About Child Well-Being — Nov. 2002

Building a Better Teenager: A Summary of "What Works" in Adolescent Development — Nov. 2002

The Health and Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families — Nov. 2002

Impacts of a Mandatory Welfare-to-Work Program on Children at School Entry and Beyond: Findings from the NEWWS Child Outcomes Study — Oct. 2002

Behavioral Correlates of Television Viewing in Primary School Children Evaluated by the Child Behavior Checklist — Sep. 2002

Children at Risk: State Trends 1990-2000 — Aug. 2002

Welfare Policies Matter for Children and Youth: Lessons for TANF Reauthorization — Aug. 2002

Marijuana Use Among Youths — July 2002

Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say? — July 2002

Student Mobility and Academic Achievement — June 2002

CDC Report Looks at Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder — May 2002

Children Cared for by Relatives: What Do We Know About Their Well-Being? — May 2002

How Welfare and Work Policies for Parents Affect Adolescents — May 2002

The Multiple Dimensions of Child Abuse and Neglect: New Insights into an Old Problem — May 2002

Cognitive and Motor Outcomes of Cocaine-Exposed Infants — Apr. 2002

Putting Theory to the Test: Systems of "Educational Accountability" Should be Held Accountable — Apr. 2002

Children of Current and Former Welfare Recipients: Similarly at Risk — Mar. 2002

Community Interventions to Promote Healthy Social Environments: Early Childhood Development and Family Housing — Feb. 2002

Lack of Appropriate Research Leads to Gaps in Knowledge About Children in Immigrant Families — Feb. 2002

Educational Lag for Premature Infants Persists into Adulthood — Jan. 2002

Effects of Diabetes on Learning in Children — Jan. 2002

The Well-Being of Children Involved with the Child Welfare System: A National Overview — Jan. 2002

Title I Funding: Poor Children Benefit Though Funding Per Poor Child Differs — Jan. 2002

Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2002 — 2002

Evaluation of Career Academies — Dec. 2001

Symptoms of Depression Among Welfare Recipients: A Concern for Two Generations — Dec. 2001

Academic Effects of After-School Programs — Nov. 2001

Dropout Rates Remain Stable Over Last Decade — Nov. 2001

Which Welfare Reforms Are Best for Children? — Sep. 2001

Addressing the Problem of Juvenile Bullying — June 2001

Evaluating After-School Care — 2001

Evaluation of Accelerated Schools Program — 2001

School Violence: Prevalence, Fears, and Prevention — 2001

The Condition of Education 2001 — 2001

What Do We Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools? Separating the Rhetoric from the Reality — 2001

Children and Computer Technology — Fall/Winter 2000

When School is Out — Fall 1999

Domestic Violence and Children — Winter 1999

Early Childhood Interventions: Benefits, Costs, and Savings — 1998

Reforming America's Schools: Observations on Implementing "Whole School Designs" — 1998

Contracting: The Case for Privately Operated Public Schools — 1995

Student Performance and the Changing American Family — 1994