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Whenever President Obama proposes a major federal investment in early education, as he did in his two most recent State of the Union addresses, critics have a two-word riposte: Head Start. Researchers have long cast doubt on that program’s effectiveness. The most damning evidence comes from a 2012 federal evaluation that used gold-standard methodology and concluded that children who participated in Head Start were not more successful in elementary school than others. That finding was catnip to the detractors. …

New York City was abuzz with anticipation for Fashion Week. Everyone was excited -- except for me. In August 2008, I had heard then-Senator Barack Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention and realized that I wanted to be a part of a new generation of leaders who can deliver creative public policy. That is an excerpt from the statement of purpose I wrote in my Goldman School application. I often get asked what made me want to leave the glamour…

It was a medical and public policy mystery. In the last decade, the rate of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has gone up by more than 40% nationwide. What could account for such a sharp increase? In their new book, The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance (Oxford University Press, March 2014), Professor Richard M. Scheffler, a health economist and Professor Stephen P. Hinshaw, a clinical psychologist combine their expertise to sleth out the…

The buzz in Sacramento is that early childhood education might get a healthy infusion of state funds this year. It's a top priority in the Legislature, and Gov.Jerry Brown, while not leading the charge, appreciates the potential impact of giving kids a running start. There's overwhelming evidence of the life-changing potential of good prekindergarten. Analyses of model preschools, which tracked youngsters from their preschool days to their 40s, have shown its lifelong benefits. Nobel Prize-winning economist …