Our Initiatives

PK-3: A New Beginning for American Education

The PK-3 Initiative is designed to create a new first level of American education that begins in Prekindergarten and extends through Third Grade.  The PK-3 Research and Evaluation Forum was established to develop the research and evaluation base for PK-3 education.  The PK-3 Network  brings together educators from school districts and schools that have adopted a PK-3 approach.

Child Well-Being Index (CWI)

The FCD Child Well-Being Index  (CWI) paints a composite picture of child well-being over time.  Under the direction of Duke University Professor, Kenneth Land, the CWI combines national data from 28 indicators across seven domains into a single number measuring child well-being every year since 1975. By identifying the contributions to child well-being, the CWI stimulates national conversations, policy debate, and serves as a guide to action.

New American Children

FCD's New American Children Initiative focuses on the special challenges facing children in immigrant families.  Grantees such as the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics, Para Nuestros Ninos, shine a bright light on the important role schools play in integrating immigrant children into American Society. The Young Scholars Program  supports untenured and recently tenured researchers to conduct basic and policy-relevant research about the early education, health, and well-being of children in immigrant families from birth to age nine.