Evaluating Early Childhood Education and Care Programs

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has a lasting impact on lifelong human development. Evaluations of existing programs are intended to measure their performance as well as inform future practice. In the first part of this article, types, goals, and uses of evaluation of ECEC are summarized, combining pragmatic and research perspectives, with an emphasis on methodological issues. In the second part, an overview of policy and contextual background is provided among challenges and controversies related to evaluation of ECEC programs. International perspectives are presented to highlight the necessity of learning from similarities and differences across countries.