Birthdates and educational histories of special education students (N=291) were analyzed to determine how school entrance age affected placement in special education programs. Analyses were significant for learning disabled and emotionally disturbed, but not mildly mentally retarded students, suggesting that parents and educators must insist on…

Longitudinally examines the stability of the association between maternal behavior and preschool children's cognitive abilities. Outcome measures included both school readiness (assessed at ages five and six) and achievement on mathematics and vocabulary subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills at grade six. (Author/RH)

Focuses on the identification of the developmentally young child and the exploration of appropriate placement procedures and programs. Identification of the developmentally young child is essential and can be made through (kindergarten) teacher observations in addition to developmental placement and readiness tests. These children can be helped…

This study uses a widely respected method to calculate graduation rates, both nationally and for each state, for each public school graduating class from 1991 to 2002. It also combines graduation rate calculations with data provided by the U.S. Department of Education to calculate the percentage of all students who left high school eligible for…

This executive summary describes a study that analyzes the content of early learning standards, operationally defined as documents that articulate expectations for children's development and learning during the preschool period (ages three to five years). Standards from 36 states were collected and analyzed to address the following research…

A large and growing body of research supports the critical relationship between early childhood experiences and successful life-long outcomes. Assessing the readiness of children as they enter school is a high priority. This report describes findings from Year Two of the assessment of school readiness with a larger random sample of children…

This report summarizes Year One and Year Two study findings and describes findings from Year Three of the assessment of school readiness with a strategic sample of children entering kindergarten in fall 2004. It is the intent of the Minnesota School Readiness Studies to use results to inform school administrators and teachers; parents; early…

In order to help Illinois policymakers and education administrators assess whether the State's public high school graduates are ready to enter and succeed in college, the IERC is undertaking a six-year longitudinal study of the Illinois Class of 2002. This first report shows that only about one third of the Class of 2002 is college-ready, and that…

The strong association established between attention skills and school performance has led to increased research in understanding the development of children's attentional processes. How attention develops during early childhood is crucial to understanding partly why children enter school with varying readiness skills. This Snapshot highlights the…

To accomplish desired results and to support more effective funding decisions, program planning, and policies, First 5 Ventura County adopted a results-based accountability (RBA) framework in its April 2000 strategic plan. This RBA framework uses regular, periodic and strategic data collection and analysis to inform a process of continuous…

This follow-up study examined the outcomes of children who had participated in the Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), a preschool program for 4-year-olds identified as being at risk for school failure, up to 5 years following their participation in the program. For the evaluation, 338 children who had participated in the state-funded…

This report, required by the Oregon legislature, describes the state's Head Start prekindergarten program and the program's achievements during the 2001-2003 period. The report delineates the federal and state funding for the program during this period, and the number of programs, classrooms, and children served, noting that 61 percent of all…

Here, author William A. Sampson examines the role of the family in the school preparation process among poor Blacks and Latinos. It is based upon the data collected during intense long-term observations of 21 disadvantaged minority students and families in their homes within the same community. The data suggests that the differences in…

This pamphlet describes the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) program, a system of telephone surveys of the noninstitutionalized civilian population of the United States. This data collection system provides information on a wide range of education-related issues. The surveys provide descriptive data on the educational activities of the…

Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), a peer-reviewed, Internet-only journal sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE), covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8. The journal emphasizes articles reporting on…