Welcome
The Promising Practices Network (PPN) is dedicated to providing quality evidence-based information about what works to improve the lives of children, youth, and families.
The PPN site features summaries of programs and practices that are proven to improve outcomes for children. All of the information on the site has been screened for scientific rigor, relevance, and clarity.
Learn more about how we screen the programs on this site.
December 2008 What's New
Expert Perspectives: Child Policy Experts Answer Your Questions about Preventing Low Birth Weight
PPN is pleased to announce that we have posted answers from our experts in response to the questions submitted by PPN site visitors during the months of October and November. This Expert Perspectives feature allowed visitors to ask three leading child policy experts questions on the topic of preventing low birth weight infants. Many thanks to our PPN visitors who submitted questions!
Read the questions and answers
Parents As Teachers Program Shows Promise on Multiple Indicators of Child Well-Being
The Parents As Teachers program provides high-quality parent education to develop and strengthen the skills parents need to enhance the development of their children. The program provides families with intensive, targeted education and support from the third trimester of pregnancy through the child's third year, with continued limited service and support through age five. Studies have shown that Parents as Teachers has promising effects on the number of babies born weighing 5.5 pounds or more, as well as young children's cognitive and physical development.
Read more about the Parents As Teachers program
Final Report from Reading First Impact Study Finds Continued Evidence of Some Impacts
The Reading First Program, established under The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, is a major federal reading initiative designed to help children develop the basic reading skills necessary for success in school, with the specific goal of helping all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The Reading First Impact Study is a congressionally mandated evaluation of the Program to determine its impact on classroom instruction and student reading achievement. The study found that Reading First produced a positive impact on the amount of time spent on five essential components of reading instruction for first and second graders, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Despite these positive findings, Reading First did not produce a statistically significant impact on test scores for reading comprehension in grades 1-3. These findings are consistent with the results presented in the study's Interim Report released in May 2008. The Program did however have positive impacts on several related practices, including professional development for teachers in scientifically based reading instruction methods and additional support from full-time reading coaches.
Read the news release at abtassociates.com
PPN Newsletter
Read the PPN Newsletter for December
The PPN email newsletter features regular content updates to the PPN website, such as new programs and research briefs that have been added.
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Awards and Honors
The PPN website has been recognized with the following awards and honors:
Innovations in American Government Awards, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government (Award Finalist 2006)
Child & Family WebGuide, Tufts University
Children NOW Web Award
Adding Wisdom Award, Parent to Parent
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