The Massachusetts Board of Education is required to establish standards for prekindergarten programs serving 3- and 4-year-olds in whole- or half-day programs. This document presents the standards to be used by programs receiving Chapter 188 Early Childhood funds. The program standards are intended to guide ongoing development, evaluation, and…

In commencing this Hearing, the Honorable Michael N. Castle, Chairman, Subcommittee on Education Reform, Committee on Education and the Workforce, states that Head Start is a good program that can be made stronger. He acknowledges that, despite the many success stories in the program, the Subcommittee has also heard troubling stories about program…

In light of proposed changes in federal support for early childhood programs in the United States, this report provides an overview of the ways in which Denmark, France, and Italy provide early childhood programs to large numbers of children, promote high quality, and finance such programs. It reports that among 4-year-olds, 76 percent in Denmark…