Sometimes a video is worth a thousand research studies.

In less than nine minutes, the film “A New Beginning for American Education” makes a powerful and inspiring case for integrating pre-kindergarten and early elementary grades by featuring Seattle’s South Shore school. For the last seven years, the school’s teachers and administrators have created a more comprehensive education that stretches from pre-k through third grade.

Instead of relying on dry studies, this slick movie relies on parents, teachers, indie rock, a principal, Department of Early Learning’s Bette Hyde, and, of course, experts.

“When pre-k through third grade alignment is happening well in a school what you will see is a sense of predictability. They know what is going to be happening in their environment. They know what is expected of them because all of the teachers have the same expectations,” Dr. Debra Sullivan, president of the Praxis Institute for Early Childhood Education, says in the movie.

“You will see grownups actually talking about the alignment, not just talking about their classroom, their children, their curriculum. It will be our classrooms, our children, our curriculum.

But, a mom said it far better.

“Whatever Azure decides to do down the road I already know he is going to be a success because he believes it.  There is no ‘I can’t do.’ He is always saying ‘I can do that. I can do that mom.’ “ said Cynthia Holloway, whose son Azure attends South Shore.

 We need more studies on early learning, but we shouldn’t forget that sometimes artistic vision is just as powerful, and maybe even more inspiring.

The Foundation for Child Development and Seattle-based The New School Foundation released the movie.