The kindergarten year symbolizes entrance into formal schooling and is a critical juncture for young children. Easing the transition into kindergarten to ensure the maximum success in that pivotal year merits much attention and careful planning. Since the National Education Goals Panel made public its readiness goals (1997), many states across the…

The paper estimates the effect of delayed school enrollment on student outcomes, using administrative data on Chilean students that include exact birth dates. Regression-discontinuity estimates, based on enrollment cutoffs, show that a one-year delay decreases the probability of repeating first grade by two percentage points, and increases fourth…

This paper provides information on a measure that was developed to assess children's level of development at preschool and entry to school level, as well as their readiness for formal schooling. This measure--"Who Am I?"--is based on early copying and writing skills and is designed to identify the broad stages of development that underlie…

Policymakers from Congress to the state and local levels are sharpening their focus on the educational needs of children in foster care, a population that can exceed 700,000 nationally in the course of a year and which has doubled in the past two decades. In many cases, their strategies coincide with recommendations outlined in a recent report on…

This article presents the fifth part in the 12 installment Medical Home series that presents the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of having a premature baby with special needs. It describes how Amita and Samir begin preparation for their daughter Anjali's enrollment in kindergarten. "EP"…

Examination of the predictive validity of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test with 84 kindergarten-age children found the procedure effective in predicting child success or failure in kindergarten and that within four-six years the chronological age of children entering kindergarten is unrelated to eventual success of failure in…

The efficiency of school readiness test, mental age, and specific sensory and perceptual skills was tested as predictor of word recognition at the end of the first school year. When variables were examined by stepwise regression analysis and partial correlations, school readiness test appeared as the most efficient predictor. (Author)

Measured first grade readiness in 4,539 children who started school at three (K3), four (K4), and five years of age (K5), some of whom were at risk. K3 and K4 children scored higher on a readiness test than did K5 children. There was no difference between at-risk K3 children's and other K3 children's readiness scores. (BC)

Summertime winding down and summer vacations coming to an end signal that back-to-school time is near. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate--catching up with old friends, making new ones and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan the newspapers and Web sites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of…

Increasing rates of remediation in college and the alignment gap between secondary and postsecondary education call for further study of policies and practices to improve college and career readiness. This issue of Update on Research and Leadership features nine articles that highlight current research and practice related to college readiness and…

The middle grades are in crisis. By state and national measures, student achievement gains realized in the elementary grades all too often diminish by grade 8. In most states, the considerable policy focus on high schools in recent years has not trickled down to a focus on the middle grades--yet preparation for "college- and work-ready standards"…

Vision 2015 is an initiative to improve the area and quality of life for people living within the Northern Kentucky region. A key aspect to Northern Kentucky's future is in reaching by 2015 the Educational Excellence goal of having all children enter kindergarten with the skills necessary to succeed. This paper focuses on the first phase of the…

This publication highlights opportunities to improve the educational outcomes of Hispanic children at an early age, a time that is critical to setting up the academic success of children. Specifically, this paper examines barriers to quality and access that limit the participation of Latino children and families in preschool and offers…

This article discusses the kinds of instructional activities that young children need to develop basic language and literacy skills based on recent research and program evaluations. This includes approaches to develop alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language. Activities and materials from the Pre-kindergarten…

This qualitative research case study examined the supports required for 31 academically average 10th grade students to succeed on three dual enrollment college courses. Conceptually, support was a team effort, with contributions considered from administrators, faculty, parents and students. The paper documents support contributions from all four…