This paper reports the findings of a study that looked at the perceptions of self-competence in Head Start children of Caucasian and Hispanic background. The Joseph Pre-school and Primary Self-Concept Screening Test (JPPSST) was used to collect the needed data. Analyses of data indicate that there is a significant difference in the self-concept…

More than ever before, educational institutions are called upon to prepare young children for the demands of an increasingly globalised world and the challenges of preserving our biosphere upon which all human life depends. In order to provide them with the personal and professional foundations they need to participate in a multilingual and…

Hispanics account for over one-fifth of newborns in the United States. Hispanic children, on average, achieve at lower levels from kindergarten forward than the non-Hispanic White majority and Asian Americans. Increasing the percentage of Hispanic children who enter kindergarten "ready" for school constitutes one of the nation's most…

This study examined the correlation between the DIAL-3 scores of disadvantaged students from Head Start, students from other preschools, and students that did not attend a preschool. The study consisted of 110 students who were currently attending kindergarten at an elementary school in Rockland County. The instrument used for this study was the…

The purpose of this study is to compare school readiness of children who had pre-school experiences and children without such experiences on the basis of scientific thinking skills. This comparison is held in terms of variables of age, gender, and socio economic status. The questions of the study in relation to the purpose of the study are as…

The purpose of this paper is to explore questions about the effects of Head Start. Among these questions are the following: What is Head Start? What are the short-term and long-term effects of Head Start education? Does Head Start meet the expectations of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? The methodology used to answer the research questions was a…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District's (AISD's) prekindergarten program activities and student performance results for the 2005-2006 school year.

A total of 1,718 pre-K students had valid PPVT-III/TVIP pre- and posttest scores, and an analysis showed that 77% were in the average range at post-test in their language of instruction. An analysis of 2007 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) reading and mathematics data for a cohort of students who attended pre-K in the 2002-2003…

This descriptive, quantitative study examined the effects of participation in a 1-year Early Start Preschool Program for 4-year-olds in a state that requires annual testing at the end of select grades. This study focused primarily on achievement through grade 3. As no study has evaluated the effectiveness of the program, this research examined…

In this overview of preschool education in Germany the history of the kindergarten is tracked from 1802 to the present. Different types of pre-primary institutions (creches, kindergartens) are described; statistical data from December 2002 are presented. The article also deals with curriculum development and staff training. It presents the numbers…

Austin Independent School District served more than 13,000 students in summer programs during 2009, providing opportunities for accelerated learning, maintenance of academic skills between school years, course credit recovery, state achievement tests, or school-level transition activities. This report summarizes this information.

The purpose of this guide is to provide analyses and advice that help philanthropists determine where their capital can have the greatest impact in the lives of U.S. disadvantaged students. To meet this objective, three critical questions were addressed: What is a meaningful change to target? What activities lead to that change for at-risk…

Austin Independent School District provided full-day prekindergarten to 5,196 4-year-olds in 2008-2009 at 66 schools. Seventy percent or more of students made measureable gains on a test of receptive vocabulary, and average gains showed growth about two times greater than that expected for 4-year-olds after a 7-month period.

The practicum was designed to increase positive parenting skills and parental participation in American Indian pre-school classroom activities. Data collection and observations were methods employed to determine outcomes of the practicum. Twenty resources from tribal efforts across early childhood programming were cited along with periodical…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District's prekindergarten program for the 2007-2008 school year.