Assessing Early Care and Education in Chicago

The Chicago Program Evaluation Project (C-PEP) is a descriptive study of the largest early care and education programs operated by the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services. The project represents the largest study ever conducted of a local mixed-delivery early care and education system, which in this case includes half-day Head Start, half-day state prekindergarten, and full-day programs funded by multiple sources. The programs are located in public schools and community-based child care centers.

Mathematica's study is addressing the following research questions:

• What are the characteristics and developmental status of 4-year-olds entering Chicago's preschool programs?
• What are the characteristics of the preschool programs they enter, including classroom instructional quality, teacher education and experience, and program characteristics?
• What developmental gains do children make during the preschool year?

Analyses will provide a comprehensive picture of 4-year-old children and preschool classrooms in the three types of programs, helping to understand the population served, the quality of programs, and the characteristics of teachers and programs. Support for C-PEP is being provided by the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services, and the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

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