High/Scope Foundation Coming to New Zealand

High/Scope Foundation Coming to New Zealand

The Early Childhood Council is delighted to announce that Clay Shouse, Vice President of High/Scope Foundation (USA) will be visiting New Zealand in 2005.

Mr Shouse will be presenting a keynote address at the annual Early Childhood Council Conference in Wellington 13 - 15 May 2005.

The High/Scope Foundation is best known for the landmark, long-term study, The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study of the effects of high-quality early care and education on low-income three- and four-year-olds.

Released in November 2004, the latest report on the study shows that adults at age 40 who participated in a preschool programme in their early years have higher earnings, are more likely to hold a job, have committed fewer crimes, and are more likely to have graduated from high school.

"Given the growing debate about the number of non-achievers at the school level in New Zealand it is particularly pleasing and timely to have the opportunity to hear first hand from Clay Shouse about the success of the High/Scope programme," said Mrs Thorne, Chief Executive of the Early Childhood Council.

Overall, the study documented a return to society of more than a $17 for every tax dollar invested in the early care and education programme.

Among the study's major findings in the educational area are:

* More of the group who received high-quality early education graduated from high school than the non-programme group (65% vs. 45%), particularly females (84% vs. 32%);

* Fewer females who received high-quality early education than non-programme females required treatment for mental impairment (8% vs. 36%) or had to repeat a grade (21% vs. 41%); and

* The group who received high-quality early education on average outperformed the non-programme group on various intellectual and language tests during their early childhood years, on school achievement tests between ages 9 and 14, and on literacy tests at ages 19 and 27.

Among the study's major findings in the economic area are:

* More of the group who received high-quality early education than the non-programme group were employed at age 40 (76% vs. 62%);

* The group who received high-quality early education had median annual earnings more than $5,000 higher than the non-programme group ($20,800 vs. $15,300);

* More of the group who received high-quality early education owned their own homes; and

* More of the group who received high-quality early education had a savings account than the non-programme group (76% vs. 50%).

Among the study's major findings in the crime prevention area are:

* The group who received high-quality early education had significantly fewer arrests than the non-programme group (36% vs. 55% arrested five times or more); and

* Significantly fewer members of the group who received high-quality early care than the non-programme group were ever arrested for violent crimes (32% vs. 48%), property crimes (36% vs. 58%), or drug crimes (14% vs. 34%).

Copies of November 2004 report "The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40: Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions" are available from www.highscope.org/Research/PerryProject/perrymain.htm.

Information about Clay Shouse's visit to NZ and the Early Childhood Council Conference can be found at www.ecc.org.nz

The Early Childhood Council represents the managers and owners of over 800 community owned and privately owned services throughout New Zealand.

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