A Think Twice Review of:

Seeds of Achievement: AppleTree’s Early Childhood D.C. Charter Schools

Think Twice - Sep 16, 2014

Publisher/Think Tank - Pioneer Institute

Author(s) - C. Stillings Candal

This report, funded by the Pioneer Institute and written by Cara Stillings Candal, presents a case, based on anecdotes and basic data, that the AppleTree model, a well-regarded early childhood program in the Washington D.C. area, is “unusually effective” and should be replicated across the nation.

Reviewer(s) - W. Steven Barnett and Cynthia E. Lamy, National Institute for Early Education Research

In the review, Barnett and Lamy found that the program described in this case closely resembles the research-based approaches found in other highly effective publicly funded preschool models, but there are limitations to making the kind of claims that the report does to support expansion of preschool charters.