Several large-scale research efforts imply that improving instructional quality rather than assessing student readiness is a better way to promote student performance in the early grades. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/MLF)

Described patterns of kindergarten teachers' perceptions of their relationships with students in cluster analysis of responses for 436 children on teacher-report measure: Dependent, Positively Involved, Dysfunctional, Functional/Average, Angry/Dependent, and Uninvolved. Children in clusters differed significantly in adjustment in first-grade…

Examined changes in classroom membership for 1995-1996 as indicated by kindergarten teachers. Found that 26 percent of kindergarten classroom membership changed over the school year, with frequency increasing as schools were more urban, in higher poverty districts, or with higher student minority representation. Teachers in high-turnover…

Examined the practices teachers employ to help children and families make the transition to school, and the links between school, teacher, and classroom characteristics and transition practices. Discusses findings on factors influencing transition practice, including teacher experience and training, teacher race or ethnicity, class size, and the…

In recent years, providsion of early learning experiences to children has found a place on political agendas nationwide. Increasingly, early childhood education is viewed as a point of leverage for addressing low levels of, and gaps in, K-12 achievement. This article discusses what people know about the quality of existing early-childhood…

Surveyed practices of 3,595 kindergarten teachers related to transition into kindergarten and implementation barriers. Found that in-person contacts with children/families were among those used least often. Most frequent were practices taking place after start of school and/or involving low-intensity, generic contact. School location and…

To date, few studies of state-funded pre-kindergarten have fully addressed questions about the association between teachers' education, major, and credentials with classroom quality or children's academic gains. The current paper uses data from the National Center for Early Development and Learning's (NCEDL) Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten,…

This study examines 240 preschool teachers' self-reported literacy beliefs and practices. Participants taught three- and four-year-olds in publicly funded preschools that are part of the Virginia Preschool Initiative program. Teachers completed a Preschool Literacy Practices Checklist that asked about their beliefs and practices regarding…

A national sample of kindergarten teachers (N=3595) were surveyed regarding their use of transition practices for children with special needs. The most frequently reported transition practices were sending letters to parents and arranging visits to first grade classrooms. Least frequently used practices were home visits and meetings to discuss the…

The present article examined 2 questions about the relation between kindergarten classroom processes (setting and quality) and children's engagement in activities, compliance with teachers' requests, and interactions with peers. First, how do children's engagement, compliance, and cooperation vary as a function of teachers' use of classroom…

This study assessed the extent to which teachers' perceptions of their relationships with young students varied as a function of child and teacher characteristics in a large, demographically diverse sample of 197 preschool and kindergarten teachers and 840 children. Children were approximately evenly divided between boys and girls. Regression…

For 436 kindergartners, teachers completed a measure of teacher-student relationships and mothers completed a behavior checklist. Patterns of teacher-student relationships were similar to patterns of parent-child attachment, and teacher-student relationships were related to child behavior at home and school. (BC)

A collaborative research project was undertaken to design, implement, and conduct research on interventions to improve transition to kindergarten. Preliminary results indicate three themes characterizing collaboration: participants have different views of transition practices; parents and teachers in preschool share mutually positive views of one…

Examined extent to which kindergarten teachers' perceptions of their relationships with students predicted school outcomes in first through eighth grade. Found that relational negativity in kindergarten related to academic and behavioral outcomes through eighth grade, particularly for children with behavior problems in kindergarten and for boys.…

Teachers' ratings of children's competencies may in part reflect characteristics and perspectives of teachers who assigned the ratings, which compromises their validity as a measure of child attributes. The purposes of this study were to use multilevel modeling to (a) estimate between-rater variance in teachers' ratings of children's social…