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I wonder how much of the effect is a selection effect on which parents prefer to (or are able to) keep their toddlers at home, vs. which parents prefer to (or must) put their toddlers into daycare, or such education programs (which I would call mostly equivalent to daycare.)

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Since everyone in the control group and the test group applied to the VPK program and was randomly placed into either the test or control group, we have good reason to think they have a similar background and needs... But maybe the kids who didn't get into the program then had a parent at home, engaging with them more meaningfully than at a state toddler farm?

My suspicion is that it comes down to the quality of the individual programs, and likely the educators too, and what the kids are (or aren't) doing.

Keep in mind that Bing School in Palo Alto has a giant wait list, and it's not because parents are just looking for a daycare. Maybe Bing could be a decent model to try and replicate elsewhere, university research and all.

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