Moderator:

Elanna Yalow, CEO, Knowledge Universe Early Learning Programs

The most effective investments in human capital are those made at the earliest ages, as the work of Nobel laureate James Heckman has demonstrated. Maybe that's why, despite tight federal and state budgets, the Obama administration and a growing number of governors have put a high priority on investing scarce taxpayer dollars in early childhood education initiatives that feature student-readiness assessments and can demonstrate quality outcomes. At the same time, a growing number of philanthropists and foundations are renewing their focus on boosting grade-level proficiency in reading by the third grade, an effort that best begins in early childhood. This panel will examine federal, state, philanthropic and business initiatives designed to raise the bar on early childcare education.

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