Projects

The Center for Research on Children in the United States (CROCUS) was established in 2001 with start-up funds from the Foundation for Child Development. A joint venture between the the McCourt School of Public Policy (MSPP) and the Georgetown University Department of Psychology, CROCUS is directed by William T. Gormley, University Professor, and Deborah A. Phillips, Professor of Psychology. Several faculty members and graduate students are also active participants.

Georgetown University overlooks the Potomac River and the Nation’s Capital, with its political institutions, high-tech corridor, cultural riches, museums and performance centers.

The Oklahoma Project

Beginning in 2001 researchers at Georgetown University have evaluated the effectiveness of the Tulsa Public Schools pre-K program, which serves four-year-old children, regardless of income. Oklahoma’s pre-K program is of special interest to researchers and public officials because it serves a higher percentage of four year olds than any other pre-K program in the United States. Test data from August 2001 and August 2004 have been analyzed and reported (e.g., Science 2008, Journal of Human Resources, Summer 2005, Developmental Psychology, November 2005). The latest test data, from August 2006, includes pre-reading, pre-writing, and pre-math test scores from Tulsa Public Schools pre-K entrants and alumni, as well as test scores from the CAP of Tulsa County Head Start program entrants and alumni. In addition to the test scores, trained observers assessed the classroom quality and time allocation decisions of Tulsa Public Schools pre-K programs and CAP of Tulsa County Head Start programs in the spring of 2006. These data are being linked to teacher characteristics and to test outcomes. Socio-emotional assessments of kindergarten students, pre-K entrants, and Head Start entrants were also conducted, in October 2006.