A 1987 publication of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), "Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8" (DAP), postulated that programs for young children should be based on a balance between expectations for age level and individual…

A university early childhood laboratory school was making a transition from an academic orientation to one focusing on developmentally appropriate practices. This practicum was implemented to improve parents' awareness of developmentally appropriate programs by means of workshop sessions. The goal was to increase their knowledge of what is…

Thirty-two programs across the country were selected to participate in the National Head Start/Public School Early Childhood Transition Project. The project's mission was to replicate the Head Start delivery model within the public school in order to facilitate a smooth transition for children and families. Project effectiveness was examined on…

In the Head Start Public School Transition Demonstration Project, 32 demonstration sites across the country have extended Head Start-like services to help low-income children transition smoothly into the elementary grades. Preliminary evaluation of a demonstration program in two West Virginia counties suggested that Head Start students receiving…

In 1991, the Worcester (Massachusetts) Public Schools received a grant to provide services to maintain the early benefits attained by Head Start children. One part of the program is advancement of a developmentally appropriate curriculum. A study was undertaken to examine the effects of investing substantial resources in classrooms in four schools…

This paper examines how various elements of five early- childhood-to-elementary school transition programs are being developed and carried out. Five transition programs were identified and investigated in regard to shared leadership and decisionmaking among stakeholders, comprehensive and integrated services, family involvement and empowerment,…

This paper reports on the findings of an evaluation of Project Giant Step, a program funded by New York City to provide comprehensive services to all 4-year-olds in the city, beginning with low-income children who are unserved by existing programs. Both the costs and effects of Project Giant Step are examined. Effects of the program on children…

The Head Start on Science and Communication Program (HSSC) is a model that fosters science learning for young children through a systematic approach to language development. The HSSC program emphasizes the development of language skills through an explicit teacher-directed and exploratory child-centered approach to acquiring science knowledge and…