This report summarizes statewide data and individual school district performance for Alaska's 53 school districts and addresses how well the districts are meeting the goals of the Alaska Quality Schools Initiative. The report is divided into four sections that address the four components of the initiative: high student academic standards and…

Using observation and analysis of children's interactions with their environments, this study evaluated the quality of parent-run day care centers. Observation reduces the degree of subjectivism, respects the integrity of the child-care situation, and allows one to witness the actual effects of the environment and to observe the combined effect of…

There is growing consensus among early childhood professionals about the importance of early childhood transition services (activities designed to ensure continuity for young children across different environments, including homes, child care settings, preschools, and schools). Providing such services requires collaboration and linkages among…

By December of the 1992-93 school year, 433 children were being served by the Chapter 1 Prekindergarten Program of the Saginaw, Michigan school district. A process evaluation was conducted to monitor the program and assess whether the program was being implemented as planned. The process evaluation consisted of a half-day classroom observation in…

This paper reviews research on the assessment of parental empathy and considers data relevant to the relationship of parental empathy to other parental and family attributes. Three studies that relate parental empathy to the child's adjustment and personality characteristics, including empathy in the child, are then examined. The first study…

The second year of the International Academy for Bilingual Education and Bicultural Studies program in New York City is described. The program provided instructional and support services to 40 Chinese- and English-speaking students in one pre-kindergarten and one kindergarten class at P.S. 1 in community school district 2. Half of the students…

In September 1996, the Missouri Commissioner of Education appointed a statewide task force on the Achievement of African-American Students. The findings of the state-level task force, the views of Missouri students, and the experience of successful educators all support the conclusion that the single most important nontangible element required to…

A practicum was designed to provide an intervention for preschoolers who were at risk for academic difficulties. A developmentally appropriate curriculum was used to increase the developmental levels of the children, and training was provided to parents to enhance their parenting skills and knowledge, and consequently to guarantee the stability of…

A practicum was developed to improve the involvement of minority parents and low-income families in the education of their children. Subjects were 30 parents and 17 teachers and staff. A parent resource center was organized at a Head Start site in a public housing community where parents attended workshops and were provided with school and…

As part of the school improvement process, the Springfield Public School (Massachusetts) has involved all constituencies in the community in implementing the Schools of Choice plan. This guidebook was prepared to assist parents and students in determining the best program and schools for their needs and desires. Parents of elementary school…

As follow-up to an in-depth study of the District of Columbia's early learning programs and their impact, this study provided data on the transition of previously studied children from primary education to upper elementary grades. Academic progress of the original group of pre-kindergarten and Head Start children was studied during years 5 and 6…

This report presents the findings of a study conducted for the U.S. Department of Education that analyzed 17 family education programs for disadvantaged families. In-depth studies were conducted on-site for 7 programs; an additional 10 programs were studied via telephone interviews. An "Executive Summary" of eleven pages (also separately…

By January of the 1991-92 school year, 428 children were being served by the Chapter 1 Prekindergarten Program of the Saginaw, Michigan school district. A process evaluation was conducted to monitor the program and assess whether the program was being implemented as planned. The process evaluation for this year consisted of a half-day classroom…

These activities for handicapped preschool children in the Washington, D.C. school district can be used by all parents interested in developing a structured home development program for their children. A calendar format offers daily activities ranging from brief discussions and exercises to day-long family excursions. Each month's activities cover…

The guide offers information to family day care providers who desire to expand their knowledge of early childhood development in order to work with infants and young children with special needs in their day care settings. The first of four chapters answers common questions and concerns of day care providers, describes children with special needs…