In a study of school readiness, 90 American born, middle class Jewish children were tested before entering the first grade and divided into two groups. The groups were well-matched with one difference: children were either Ashkenazic (of European descent) or Sephardic (of Syrian descent). Families of both of these groups, however, had been in the…

This document presents the evaluation design and findings of the second year of operation of the Experimental Bicultural Early Childhood Program, an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title III project operating in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The major objectives of the program were: (1) to facilitate the development of school readiness…

Commissioned by the Foundation for Child Development, this report examines the state of universal prekindergarten in the United States and the challenges to its widespread implementation. The report describes socioeconomic and ethnic/racial differences in school readiness and maintains that policymakers need to identify mechanisms in addition to…

This paper details the recommendations of the National Education Association for the 108th Congress and the administration to better ensure that no child is left behind and that every child is fully prepared for a lifetime of quality education. The recommendations include: (1) enacting landmark legislation providing assistance to the states for…

The Education Improvement Act of 1984 established the half-day child development program in South Carolina for 4- year-olds to help children who were most at risk for school failure get ready to learn before they entered the first grade. Students in the program met from 2 to 2.5 hours per day and used the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum. Each…

While children are ready for school by virtue of having attained the chronological age for school entry established by the state, school readiness refers to the conditions that promote their readiness to succeed in school. Wisconsin is one of 17 states participating in the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, the aim of which is to…

Since its inception in 1985, the effectiveness and quality of the Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), the state's early childhood education program for 4-year-olds at risk of school failure, have never been evaluated. This report details the first evaluation findings for 1995-97. The program is comprised of a child development program for…

This study examined home and classroom support for early mathematical development. Teachers and parents of preschool children completed questionnaires evaluating young children's readiness for school mathematics. Teachers were selected from licensed preschool programs and Head Start programs. Findings indicated that a minority of teachers and…

Examined the nature and stability of teacher ratings of early learning-related social skills in 72 preschoolers (3 to 4 years old) and again 1 year later. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that a construct labeled "learning-related social skills," tapping self-control, cooperation, assertion, and…

Examined cognitive competencies and motivation in economically advantaged and disadvantaged preschoolers and kindergartners over a two-year period. Found that disadvantaged children had poorer cognitive scores than advantaged children. Cognitive gains were equal after one or two years in school, with socioeconomic status (SES) differences…

Surveys 58 families in Japan and 67 in the United States with children aged 4 to 6 years (with followup at age 12 years). Demonstrates different preparation for schooling in the two cultures. Japanese mothers emphasize developing adaptive dispositions; U.S. mothers try to make the learning environment more attractive. (SLD)

The transition of young children with autism from preschool to kindergarten is an important event both for sustaining gains made during preschool and for establishing future social and academic development. This article provides a summary of 25 transition elements identified from the research literature as important for a successful transition.…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the FACTS/LRE (Family and Child Transitions into Least Restrictive Environments) project, a 2-year project to promote best practices in the transition process of 3-year-olds with disabilities from early intervention to preschool programs. The project delivered technical assistance to…

Smart Start is a statewide initiative to ensure that all of North Carolina's children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn. A formative evaluation assessed, from the perspective of local participants in the original twelve Smart Start sites, how well these process goals are being met in the implementation process. Focus group and individual…

Involving 619 preschool children, a longitudinal investigation evaluated a new test for identifying preschool children who produce an excessive number of form errors in printing. All children participating were fluent in English and were in the appropriate grades for their ages, either pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, when they were given the…