Description: The recently stalled Build Back Better legislation contains $110 billion for universal pre-school for three and four-year-olds. Is a large investment in early childhood education universal pre-k necessary or beneficial for the academic and social development of American children? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by https://www.brookings.edu/author/katharine-stevens/#:~:text=Stevens-,Katharine%20B.,directing%20AEI's%20early%2Dchildhood%20program. (Katharine B. Stevens), founder and acting CEO of the Center on Child and Family Policy and former director of AEI’s early childhood program. Katharine breaks down new data from a randomized controlled trial studying 3,000 children from pre-k to sixth grade in Tennessee. The study revealed that students who did not attend pre-k displayed higher academic performance and were less likely to have disciplinary infractions than their peers who went to pre-k. Research on child development tells us that young kids need consistent, loving, one on one or small group relationships—factors that are often absent from public school pre-k programs. Katharine explains the need to support other ways of nurturing the development of these children, including family stability. Resources: • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35007113/#:~:text=Data%20through%20sixth%20grade%20from,negative%20effects%20in%20sixth%20grade. (Effects of a statewide pre-kindergarten program on children’s achievement and behavior through sixth grade) | Kevin Durkin et al | American Psychological Association • https://ifstudies.org/blog/universal-child-care-a-bad-deal-for-kids (Universal Child Care: A Bad Deal For Kids?) | Jenet Erickson and Katharine B. Stevens | Institute for Family Studies • https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-notes-federal/credits/improving-early-childhood-development-allowing-advanced-child-tax-credits/2021/02/01/2l77q (Improving early childhood development by allowing advanced child tax credits) | Katharine B. Stevens and Matt Weidinger | Tax Notes Federal

Show Notes: • 01:00 | What is the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K research project? • 08:55 | How should policymakers respond to the results from the study? • 13:30 | Thinking of school as an antipoverty program doesn’t benefit everyone • 17:20 | Human development really comes from strong and stable families • 30:00 | How do we encourage more people to follow the success sequence?