This brief examines the curricular policies and guidelines of the eighteen Preschool Development or Expansion Grantees. It explores how these states are addressing the curriculum-related requirements of the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) program. This brief clarifies the PDG requirements, discusses aspects of curriculum, and presents a snapshot…

Preschool Development Grant (PDG) grantees and Head Start programs are funded to provide high-quality preschool education and comprehensive services to families meeting federal poverty guidelines. The overlap of program standards and services across these two programs provides unique opportunities for partnerships. This document provides examples…

This document compiles information from multiple sources to offer readers a snapshot of Preschool Development and Expansion Grant (PDG) states' progress towards implementing a full comprehensive assessment system, as well as the tools they are using for each of the components.

There is growing unease about suspension and expulsion of children at the preschool level. Preschoolers are expelled at three times the rate of K-12 students (Gilliam, 2005). Boys--particularly African-American boys--comprise a disproportionate number of these cases, a fact that has caused concern among parents, policymakers, and advocates alike.…

In a bid to help more students read proficiently in 3rd grade--a skill considered critical to their future educational success--new laws and initiatives springing up around the country require educators to step up their efforts to identify and help struggling readers even before they enter kindergarten. It's not unusual for states or school…

As a structural element of education reform, early learning standards shape the content of instructional curriculum, set the goals of professional development, and establish the focus of outcomes assessment. Many early childhood teachers are concerned that the standards movement and its narrowing of educational goals are pushing aside classroom…

The document contains profile sheets on seven programs serving handicapped preschoolers under the auspices of the Arizona Department of Education. Each sheet contains information on the project title, director, address, contact person, and a brief description. Sheets are provided on programs which include the Pendergast Developmental Preschool,…

This brief is based on the 61-page report of the same name. This paper, commissioned by the Brookings Institution, studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which pre-kindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes findings of a state survey CLASP conducted to understand the policy choices,…

The Arizona Head Start Association is a federation of public and private organizations that provide Head Start programs and work to improve the conditions of children in the state. This annual report describes the operation of the Head Start program in Arizona for 2000-2001. Beginning with an introductory letter from the president of the Arizona…

This report describes an outreach program that provides service coordination and home-based early intervention for disabled infants and toddlers on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona. Developed by the Institute for Human Development (IHD), the outreach program uses paraprofessional instructional aides that are based in six northern…

Based upon the view that Arizona's future workforce cannot meet competitive demands if children are not ready to learn at school entry, the Arizona School Readiness Task Force examined ways to improve child care and early education. This report presents the task force findings and recommendations to improve learning opportunities. The report…

This report is part of a series prepared for planning and developing a comprehensive, coordinated service delivery system for Arizona infants and toddlers who are developmentally delayed or at risk of developing handicapping conditions, and their families. It identifies Arizona agencies designated to respond to the special needs of young children…

The language competency of members of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe encompasses, to varying degrees, the Yaqui language as well as community dialects of Spanish and English. This unique trilingual pattern has been functional for survival needs but has also been a barrier to educational achievement where competency in standard forms of Spanish and English…

This report is the second in a series of publications developed to assist in the planning and development of a comprehensive, coordinated service delivery system for Arizona infants and toddlers who are developmentally delayed or at risk of developing handicapping conditions, and their families. It documents the number of children in Arizona…

This report of a 1990-1995 Arizona project describes progress in providing educational services for students with severe disabilities in integrated school and community settings. Information is provided on supporting school districts through: statewide training opportunities; school-based technical assistance; an interagency project advisory…