HighScope Educational Research Foundation

HighScope Educational Research Foundation
Name	HighScope Educational Research Foundation
Formation	1970s
Type	Nonprofit research and educational organization
Headquarters	Ypsilanti, Michigan
Region served	United States; international
Leader title	Executive Director

HighScope Educational Research Foundation HighScope Educational Research Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization established to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a child-centered curriculum model. Founded in the early 1970s, the foundation emerged from longitudinal studies and collaborations among early childhood researchers, practitioners, and policy advocates. It remains active in curriculum development, program evaluation, teacher training, and dissemination to preschools, school districts, and international partners.

History

The foundation traces roots to the Perry Preschool Project and collaborations among figures associated with the University of Michigan, Ypsilanti, and researchers connected to the Ypsilanti Public Schools, linking to datasets and personnel familiar to scholars from Harvard University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania. Early advisory relationships included scholars with ties to High/Scope Perry Preschool Study methodologies, practitioners from Head Start Program implementations, and evaluators referencing work done by teams at National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Rockefeller Foundation, and foundations such as Ford Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation. Historical exchanges involved conferences where participants represented institutions like Teachers College, Columbia University, Bank Street College of Education, Erikson Institute, and researchers affiliated with Yale University, Oxford University, and University of Toronto. Policy discussions referenced comparative studies alongside programs from Britain's Sure Start, Australia's Playgroup models, and initiatives in Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Netherlands.

Educational Philosophy and Curriculum (HighScope Approach)

The HighScope approach emphasizes active participatory learning inspired by theorists and practitioners with associations to Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and researchers at Perry Preschool Project-linked teams. Curriculum elements were debated in forums alongside representatives from National Association for the Education of Young Children, Council for Exceptional Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, and curriculum designers influenced by pedagogy from Reggio Emilia programs and innovators connected to Froebel-inspired movements. The approach operationalizes learning plans, adult scaffolding strategies, and assessment practices that were compared with models promoted at Harvard Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University. Classroom routines, learning centers, and assessment instruments drew attention in comparative reviews with materials used by Montessori Society, International Baccalaureate, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and curricular discussions featuring experts from OECD, UNICEF, and UNESCO.

Programs and Services

Programs and services include preschool curriculum implementation, home visiting models, early intervention collaborations, and technical assistance for agencies such as Head Start Program grantees, Early Head Start, state education departments including Michigan Department of Education, California Department of Education, and nonprofit partners like United Way, YMCA, and Salvation Army. Services have been provided to districts serving communities similar to those in Chicago Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, and international partners in United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, China, South Africa, and India. The foundation’s materials have appeared alongside resources used by organizations such as Child Care Aware of America, Zero to Three, Teach For America, Pew Charitable Trusts, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Research and Evaluation

Research efforts included randomized and quasi-experimental studies carried out in collaboration with university teams from University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Columbia University Teachers College, and evaluators linked to National Institutes of Health projects. Impact evaluations were discussed in venues together with scholars from Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, American Institutes for Research, and Urban Institute. Longitudinal analyses compared child outcomes measured in ways familiar to researchers from Princeton University, Duke University, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University. Measurement tools were juxtaposed with instruments used by teams at SRI International, WestEd, Mathematica Policy Research, and international assessment bodies like OECD and UNICEF monitoring programs.

Training, Certification, and Professional Development

The foundation offers workshops, trainer certification, and online courses delivered to educators employed by agencies such as Head Start Program centers, private preschools, and public school districts including Boston Public Schools and Philadelphia School District. Professional development collaborations have involved partners from Teachers College, Columbia University, Bank Street College of Education, Erikson Institute, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and corporate training providers similar to KPMG Foundation-supported initiatives. Trainer networks and credentialing processes have been referenced in policy briefs alongside work from U.S. Department of Education, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Governors Association, and state professional development consortia.

Governance and Funding

Governance is overseen by a board composed of professionals affiliated with institutions such as University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Harvard University, Yale University, and leaders drawn from nonprofit organizations like Annie E. Casey Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Ford Foundation. Funding historically combined earned revenue from curriculum sales and training contracts with grants from foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, and government contracts similar to those awarded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state education agencies. The foundation’s fiscal oversight and strategic planning have been discussed in forums involving auditors and partners linked to Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, and nonprofit management programs at Harvard Kennedy School.

Category:Early childhood education organizations