West Virginia's third grade literacy efforts serve as a catalyst for the development and subsequent growth of a comprehensive approach to early learning in West Virginia for children ages birth through third grade. The West Virginia Leaders of Literacy: Campaign for Grade Level Reading has been developed to assist all 55 West Virginia counties in…

To provide guidance to governors looking to advance juvenile justice reforms, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices convened leading national experts--state juvenile justice directors, governors' criminal justice policy advisors, governors' cabinet secretaries, juvenile justice experts and academics--to discuss the latest…

This research investigated the effects of two contrasting pre-k curricula, relative to practice as usual, on subsequent academic achievement. One curriculum had a strong literacy focus, the other was a less didactic "developmentally appropriate" curriculum that allowed children to have more influence on classroom activities. The purpose…

The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Act) is a federal program that assists states in operating a system of early intervention supports and services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. In Colorado, the Part C initiative is called Early Childhood…

This report presents preliminary findings of a 5-year study evaluating the effectiveness of state-funded prekindergarten programs in Texas. The two components of the study included in this report are (1) a statewide survey of 507 school districts, focusing on prekindergarten program characteristics, implementation, and parents' perceptions of the…

This program advisory provides direction to school districts and providers of preschool and early primary programs in California who are implementing the recommendations of the School Readiness Task Force Report, "Here They Come: Ready or Not!" The Task Force Report addressed the issue of what kind of education would be necessary during…

This report describes the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) Preschool Programs, which envision an early childhood educational delivery system that provides for developmentally appropriate practices in children's programming, integrated services to families, and interagency collaborations among organizations. For the 1990-91 school year,…

Information about Georgia's Special Instructional Assistance Program (SIA) is presented. The program is designed to serve children in kindergarten through grade five who are functioning below the normal expectations for their age range, usually as a result of deficient language and cognitive development. The vast majority of SIA teaching and…

Providing a comprehensive overview, this guide to kindergarten screening was produced to aid Maine's school districts as they work to increase the effectiveness of their screening programs. Part 1, providing materials related to meeting the requirements of Maine's Education Reform Act of 1984, includes regulations pertaining to screening, a…

A Texas study on prekindergarten and early childhood care that was developed for the Texas legislature in response to an amendment of the Texas Education Code is presented. Also presented are findings on: (1) the developmental appropriateness of prekindergarten programs, defined here as programs for eligible 4-year-olds; (2) the potential for…

This paper sets forth a definition and operational description of a developmental program that should be of use as a guide, especially to Virginia's teachers and administrators. Also included in the paper are kindergarten curriculum objectives in the areas of language arts, mathematics, science, art, social studies, family life, health, mental…

The Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education (University of Northern Iowa) focuses efforts on improving early childhood education (birth through 8 years) in Iowa by supporting educational efforts that emphasize children's interests, experimentation, and cooperation. In recent years, educational reform initiatives have targeted programs…

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…

This publication discusses the nongraded primary education block mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to take effect during the 1992-93 school year. In particular, the publication considers the framework for the implementation of the nongraded program in a central Kentucky cluster of school districts. An overview of the history of public…

The first National Education Goal agreed to be President Bush and the nation's governors is that all children will start school ready to learn. The first objective under that goal is that of providing high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs for all disadvantaged and disabled children. This paper seeks to assist efforts to…