This study reports on the developmental functioning levels of children from birth through age 2 in early intervention services and children ages 3-5 in early childhood special education services at the time of entry into services, using data from the Oregon Early Childhood Assessment System. The assessment system contains data on the assessed…

The first of Goals 2000, "all children in America will start school ready to learn," has been problematic to measure because of the ambiguity of "all,""start,""ready," and "learn." A more measurable and appropriate statement would be "all primary schools will be able to provide developmentally…

Early care and education has been designated as the 2000-2001 focus of the Education Commission of the States (ECS), a nonprofit, nationwide interstate organization that helps governors, legislators, state education officials, and others identify, develop, and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. Noting that there…

On the surface, it appears that it should be quite simple to identify the characteristics of a child who is ready for school and then to assess whether or not any given child has these characteristics. But readiness is a difficult construct and one that has been the topic of great debate. Assessment of readiness is even more challenging. Policies…

In 1990, the National Education Goals were established by the President and the 50 state governors. Goal 1 states that by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. This booklet is a condensed version of an earlier document intended to further amplify the dimensions of early learning and development used by the…

Parents can awaken their children to the joy of learning by encouraging their imagination and curiosity. This booklet is one in a series of topical books written to help parents encourage children to study, learn, and stay in school. All of the books in this series tie in with the National Education Goals for the year 2000. This booklet addresses…

These hearing transcripts present testimony before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the 105th Congress on early childhood education and related services. Participants provided different perspectives on early education, focusing on the academic achievement of American students, especially in comparison to students in other countries;…

Discusses what schools, caregivers/teachers, parents, and communities can do to ensure/enhance children's learning and school readiness in accordance with the theoretical framework and eventual implementation of the 1990 National Education Goal 1. (BB)

Noting that many communities in the United States have set the ambitious goal of enhancing school readiness, this report is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. Part 1 of the report summarizes recommendations from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) for defining and assessing school readiness. The core…

Drastic social problems challenge teachers looking to increase parental involvement in schools. Traditional strategies to involve parents, such as inviting parents to meetings and school events, do not promote genuine interaction between home and school. Instead, they separate parents and teachers. Two-way communication between home and school is…