Every opportunity should be taken to communicate research findings both inside and outside government programs and make them accessible to policy makers, teachers, lecturers, parents, and employers. The "Interchange" series aims to further improve the Educational Research Unit's (ERU) dissemination of the findings of research funded by the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID). This double issue of "Interchange" summarizes the findings from two projects: an international review of literature on baseline assessment, and a national survey commissioned to identify current assessment and recordkeeping practices in a representative sample of all preschool centers. The first part of the report details the baseline assessment literature review and examines current assessment practice, purposes of assessment, making the case for baseline assessment, baseline assessment in England and Wales, and how assessments are conducted and used. The second section details preschool record keeping in Scotland and includes discussion of the importance, effects, parental response, training and support, and recommendations. Findings noted include variability in assessment practices between different types of centers, and little passage of information between preschool and primary school teachers about individual children. (Contains 32 references.) (SD)