Researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a rigorous randomized control trial (RCT) with a diverse range of 1,200 students in preschools spread across the East San Francisco Bay area of California. The evaluation assessed the impact of the SEEDS model on early educators’ knowledge and practice over time, and their 4- and 5-year-old students’ oral language and early reading outcomes.
A single year of SEEDS educator training results in up to 8 additional months of learning for children
In randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies, all children participating in SEEDS acquired gains between 2 and 8 additional months of learning. ALL children, including multilingual learners and those experiencing educational and social inequity. When the SEEDS schools were compared to similar, randomly assigned control schools, the SEEDS schools had significantly higher early literacy student scores.
When SEEDS was introduced to the comparison schools in the second year of the study, they saw significantly increased early literacy student scores (about three-quarters standard deviation impact).
