Much has been written lately that asks the question--are young people across this country ready for college? The Forum for Youth Investment, Connect for Kids, Voices for America's Children and many state Kids Count organizations have developed this series for state advocates to share the vision, messages and state policies being proposed to…

This publication of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) 1994 report on the National Education Goals marks the fourth year of DoDDS' participation in the national-goals effort. In spring 1990, the DoDDS adopted the national goals and developed 20 specific implementation targets to measure progress toward achievement of the goals.…

School-based early childhood centers are high-quality programs using approaches to instruction based on recognized principles of child development and learning for children 3 to 8 years old. The centers are characterized by the active involvement of parents and the community and by a commitment to smooth transitions from home to school and through…

This volume groups papers discussing indicators of children's well-being into three areas: child health, education, and economic security. Papers concerning child health include: (1) "Prenatal and Infant Health Indicators" (Paula Lantz and Melissa Partin); (2) "Health Indicators for Preschool Children (Ages 1-4)" (Barbara L.…

Many public and private kindergartens in New York use standardized tests for admission into their programs. How parents and teachers feel about these tests was studied. Parents were asked whether their child had taken any standardized kindergarten admission test, whether they discussed the results with a professional, whether the results really…

This book for parents and child care providers describes a program for home-based, early childhood education that does not use formal, disciplined instruction. The program uses the technique of "incidental teaching," which emphasizes learning activities that occur while children participate in typical daily activities, such as eating,…

The increasingly diverse ethnic composition of the nation's children poses new opportunities, but also serious challenges, to the nation's education institutions, including the early childhood programs that lay the foundation for children's school experience and achievement. In light of the controversy on this subject, its significance for…

Whether the transition to primary school is smooth or abrupt for children depends on whether early childhood and elementary school programs work together to build bridges between their services. This report presents several examples of collaborative efforts to smooth the transition to school. Specifically, it describes how various elements of five…

The Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure was a grant program for public school districts to enhance growth and development of children ages 3 to 5 who are at risk of academic failure. The program has experienced significant growth since its initial implementation, and the number of participating projects…

The model presented by the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is one of cooperation and collaborations among teachers, parents, and children; curriculum based on the "project approach," and constructivist learning philosophy, which states that children construct their knowledge and values as a result of interactions with and action on…

In recent years, government has recognized that programs like Head Start are cost-effective investments that improve the school readiness of disadvantaged children. Over the last decade, states have been leaders in supporting services to infants and toddlers and their families. Examples of such initiatives include Hawaii's Healthy Start program,…

This document reports on a symposium on pre-school to school transition that was co-sponsored by the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) and 13 other organizations and that brought together over 100 educators, human service providers, policymakers and business people to share their experiences in working to strengthen the…

This manual, part of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools) is intended to provide teachers, particularly those at the preschool level, with ideas for increasing independence in young children as they make the transition from preschool to school-age programs. Section 1 is an overview of instructional issues which…

Kansas has schools that compare well with the rest of the states. Kansas has met the 90% high school completion goal, with one of the highest graduation rates in the country and a low dropout rate. Kansas is also making significant progress in school readiness, with increasing numbers of Kansas women receiving early prenatal care, and fewer…

The 1991 National Household Education Survey collected information on children's experiences in the home; in home-based child care; in center-based programs, including day care centers and nursery school; and in school. Data were collected by telephone from the parents and guardians of 13,892 children of 3 to 8 years between February and April of…