A survey of 105 preschool special education teachers asked what assessment instruments they used, why they had chosen them, and what factors were important in their choice. The rationale cited most often was that the test was already in use. Test scope and ease of use were also important factors. (Author/VW)

The impact of the Stanford Binet Fourth Edition was compared with the Stanford Binet L-M on the identification of gifted children for a university affiliated preschool. The fourth edition test composite identified fewer preschool age children as gifted when the criterion was set at 1.5 standard deviations above the mean. (Author/JDD)

The Social Observation for Mainstreamed Environments (SOME) checklist evaluates handicapped preschool children's social skills and readiness for mainstreamed environments. Checklist items represent social behaviors important to successful preschool integration, such as initiating interactions appropriately, obeying class rules, and respecting…

High quality preschool programs that bring long-term benefits for children can be achieved by cooperation with the community to determine what is appropriate for local children. Existing programs must be evaluated for information and to avoid similar problems and children's "burn out" from tightly structured approaches. (CJH)

Examines the extent to which kindergarten pupil and teacher behaviors during administration of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills--Early Primary Battery may compromise the meaningfulness and usefulness of the test scores. Although extensive variability in behavior was observed, most teachers followed directions exactly and most pupils encountered no…

Discusses the problem of how to record the progress of young children in nursery schools and suggests several benefits of recordkeeping. Briefly reviews existing tests, scales, and assessment methods. Describes a new guide to assessment developed at the University of Keele (England) and its evaluation in an initial study. (MF)

To predict an at-risk group of kindergarten students, structured input from 34 parents was obtained, in addition to results of a standardized screening instrument. Results indicated that both parents' input and standardized tests contributed uniquely to the early identification of children at risk for not achieving in school. (Author/JDD)