Participation in high-quality early childhood education has persistent effects on academic performance and might save a lot of money for school districts, according to a new study out Thursday.

The study, from the American Educational Research Association, found long-lasting payoffs in three areas: increased high school graduation rates, reduced special education placement and reduced instances of grade retention. 

"Those are important outcomes," said Greg Duncan, professor of education at University of California, Irvine and part of a team of researchers from five universities who conducted the study.

[For more on this story by Priska Neely, go to https://www.scpr.org/news/2017...od-education-persis/]