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Podcasts episode·Oct 7, 2025

The Economics of Early Childhood: Why the First Five Years Matter Most

Tess Vigeland and James Heckman
Nobel laureate James Heckman explains why ages zero to five are critical for brain development and lifelong outcomes. He discusses the Perry Preschool Program’s surprising health benefits 35 years later, why low-cost home-visiting programs that engage parents outperform expensive institutional...
Topics: Early Childhood Education
Podcasts episode·Jul 22, 2025

Decoding Educational Content: A Computational Comparison Between Public and Religious School Textbooks

Tess Vigeland and Anjali Adukia
Textbooks don’t just teach facts, they shape how children understand the world and their place in it. In this episode, UChicago economist Anjali Adukia discusses her study of textbooks across public schools, religious private schools, and homeschools. Using advanced AI...
Topics: Early Childhood Education
Research Briefs·Apr 23, 2024

Early Predictors of Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice Involvement

Andrew Jordan, Ezra Karger, and Derek Neal
Detailed measures of early academic achievement and socioeconomic status are powerful predictors of future criminal justice involvement; however, while reforms that improve school quality and neighborhood environments are likely to reduce future racial disparities in criminal justice involvement, such improvements...
Topics: Early Childhood Education, Economic Mobility & Poverty, Higher Education & Workforce Training