This report uses statistics to examine current conditions and changes over time in education activities and outcomes for different racial/ethnic groups in the United States. This report shows that over time, students in the racial/ethnic groups of White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska…

There are five goal domains in early childhood education that are worthy of evaluation. Three criteria should be used in judging goal statements: intrusiveness (does the goal intrude upon a basic need?); worthiness (what makes the goal worth pursuing?); and source (where do the goals come from?). (Author/LC)

Actual and potential contributions from the fields of anthropology, sociology, ecological and environmental psychology, and ethology to measurement and evaluation, particularly in early childhood education, are discussed. The diversity and potency of these approaches suggest that a multidisciplinary, eclectic approach to finding measures for…

Evaluates model infant intervention programs, including those that focus on infant tutoring, infant group care, and parent involvement. Presents an overview of theoretical and research bases of infant programs, offers recommendations for evaluation of projects, and discusses the motivations and emotional needs of staff members. (KH)

Three basic questions about early childhood evaluation are raised: (1) what is to be evaluated, including a discussion of product versus process evaluations; (2) who is to do the evaluating, including comments on external versus staff evaluations; and (3) for what purpose is the evaluation to be conducted, including a discussion of summative…

Discusses teacher burnout and stress management. Describes characteristics of individuals susceptible to burnout, such as charisma, idealism, perfectionism, and goal-orientation. Presents common negative coping strategies for stress. Discusses effective stress management strategies such as changing the situation, taking a proactive role to gain…

Concerns about the use of evaluation in early childhood education are clustered around some basic issues: the use of standardized tests with young children, the diversity of dimensions of early childhood education that should be evaluated, the relationship of early childhood evaluation to social policy, and the very nature of early childhood…

Uses the case of a boy named Franklin, making the transition between free play and a group activity, to illustrate conflict between teachers' respect for individual play and scheduled group activities. Discusses various issues, including differing perceptions of time, closure, and independence; using learning-environment organization for…

Presents an overview of social skill interventions with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and emphasizes parent training approaches, dyadic (parent-child) therapy, and treatment which directly change the child's behavior. Discusses the range of services which could be provided within the community to foster social competence in young children.…

Children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers are more susceptible to health problems than children in the general population. This paper discusses the common health problems seen in these children, highlighting special health needs of preschoolers pertinent to this multicultural population. Implications for professional preparation in health education…

Supplemented with 20 tables of data, this discussion focuses on the changing environment of Australian families and society. Specifically offered are descriptions of child care arrangements, a rationale for children's services, and policy suggestions. With respect to child care arrangements, it is noted that the family environment has been altered…

In 1997, the Finance Project convened a roundtable meeting of representatives from organizations who have been working to improve the financing of services and supports to young children and their families; the meeting was convened with the purpose of mapping an agenda for future research, development, and demonstration to support improvements in…

An overview is provided of a 5-year project conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) which focused on the effects and costs of early intervention for young handicapped children. The bulk of the document consists of research reports of 14 investigations: (1) meta-analysis of the early intervention efficacy literature; (2)…