The following research-to-practice summary addresses the findings from the original intervention study and provides specific guidance for early childhood practitioners. These recommendations respond to a current and growing concern on how to implement developmental, cultural, and linguistically appropriate curricula, namely, recommendations focus…

Children who begin kindergarten with stronger skills learn faster than do those who enter with lower skills. Minority children tend to enter kindergarten already at a disadvantage, and the gap widens across time. However, little is known about cognitive development among American Indian young children. In this study, 110 American Indian infants…

This study used data drawn from a large, national sample to describe transition practices provided to 1989 children with disabilities as they entered their kindergarten year, obtained through a survey administered to kindergarten teachers. Using path modeling, we examined the child and family, school, and district factors that predict which…

Background: The remarkable academic advancement of Asian students in cross-national studies has been attributed to numerous factors, including the value placed on education by Chinese parents. However, there is a dearth of research on how exactly Chinese parents are involved in children's early learning. Purpose: This study has two major research…

Investments in early childhood programs are widely viewed as a promising strategy to improve the future educational achievement of disadvantaged young children. However, it can be difficult for teachers to maintain program quality if children in the classroom display challenging behaviors. For example, when some children act out aggressively or…

The Texas Literacy Initiative (TLI) was first implemented in Austin Independent School District during the 2012-2013 school. This report summarizes responses from teachers at TLI campuses.

When it comes to college readiness, a clear academic disparity exists between Latino students and their White and Asian peers. Not only are Latinos less likely to go to college, but also, once in college, their completion rate is much lower than any other group. Most research thus far has focused primarily on how the college environment can…

The "First Condition Report" provided policymakers and the general public a snapshot of where Ohio stands in providing the higher education services needed to be competitive in today's world. The "Second Report" focused on facilities and technology. The "Third Report" underscores the need to deliver high quality…

The evidence is clear that high quality early care and education works to improve child outcomes. New Jersey preschoolers participating in state-funded programs are already demonstrating gains over time on state and national standardized tests; a testament to their participation in programs designed to increase school readiness. But not all of New…

Child care arrangements change as children age; in general, hours in home-based child care decrease as hours in center-based settings increase. This sequence of child care type may correspond with children's developmental needs; the small peer groups and low child-adult ratios typical of home-based care may allow for more individual child-adult…

This article reports three studies that evaluated the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the "Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale" (PreBERS) (Epstein & Synhorst, 2009). First, teachers rated 63 children receiving school services for disability on the PreBERS, with two ratings one month apart. Second,…

MyTeachingPartner (MTP) is a teacher professional development program designed to improve the quality of teacher-child interactions in pre-kindergarten classrooms and children's language and literacy development. The program includes language/literacy activities and two Web-based resources--video exemplars of effective interactions and…

Kindergarten transition is considered an important developmental milestone for children and families. Children with disabilities may be especially vulnerable during transition and may lack academic and behavioral readiness skills essential for kindergarten. Family concerns surrounding children's transition were explored in 132 students (n = 29…

Few studies have examined the link between children's early school achievement and parents' at-home practices exclusively among Latino groups. This study examined the relation between Latina mothers' reported at-home practices regarding school preparation and their children's literacy skills. Participants included 56 kindergarten children and…

A substantial body of research establishes that high quality preschool education can enhance cognitive and social development with long-term benefits for later success in school, the economy, and society more broadly. Such programs have been found to have particularly large benefits for children who are economically disadvantaged. Such children…