Any given child should attend school full time when three parties agree that the time is right: the child, his or her parents, and the school officials. Arbitrary starting dates based on calendar age are outmoded and educationally unsound. (PGD)

This document consists of the two 2003 issues of the newsletter of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE). Each issue contains a feature article and one or more short articles on topics related to early childhood education, calls for papers, announcements about Internet resources, news items about and list…

G. Gredler defends his use of the cumulative retention rate to address the question of school readiness. (CL)

Examined school readiness outcomes among children and parents in Head Start and a wait list comparison group. Results indicated that the initial status was equivalent. Growth rates were significantly faster for Head Start children than comparison children on receptive vocabulary and phonemic awareness. Treatment group parents reported more healthy…

Recent research provides evidence of the strong connections between quality of play in preschool years and children's readiness for school instruction. Mature play, characterized by imaginary situations, multiple roles, clearly defined rules, flexible themes, language development, length of play, helps students' cognitive development. (Contains 12…

Kindergarten has become a skill-based, academically oriented program. Readiness test scores are often used to determine which children need extra time or special programs, although this practice can be challenged on legal and ethical grounds. Many experts agree that kindergarten experience should be intellectually stimulating rather than…

Describes and evaluates the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts--Preschool Version, a screening test which indicates school readiness and guides planning for language instruction. Concludes that the test can be useful in identifying children whose development of relational concepts may place them at risk for understanding teacher directions. (MM)

Discusses why transition to school has recently been singled out as a significant and "hot" topic: (1) dramatic demographic changes within society and local communities; (2) provision of education to all children, regardless of presence of major disabilities or serious health concerns; (3) the crisis and uncertainty of funding for many public…

Reviews major federally initiated transition demonstration efforts of past three decades: Follow Through and Head Start Planned Variation; Project Developmental Continuity; Head Start Transition Project, National Transition Study; and National Head Start/Public School Early Childhood Transition Demonstration Project. Asserts that findings are far…

The results of the research, conducted on Oklahoma's universal Pre-kindergarten (Pre-k) program, on children of Tulsa Public Schools (TPS), the largest school district in the state to increase the school readiness are presented.

The persistent achievement gaps among children of different race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status in the United States represent an issue that has commanded public, policy, and research attention on and off for about 100 years now, and it is once again in the forefront of policy-making agendas. Debates nevertheless abound on the most promising…

In a new approach to college readiness, San Diego State University now accepts all students from a large local school system as long as they complete a rigorous curriculum. Under a partnership formed eight years ago, the university has guaranteed a spot in its freshman class to all Sweetwater Union High School District students who complete…

The objective of this report is to review studies that report language and literacy outcomes associated with preschool curriculum-based interventions. Results from studies reporting on interventions targeting preschool children from low-income families were included regardless of the specific type of program. Although the majority of preschool…

Each year, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) informs policymakers and practitioners of what children know and are able to do when they start formal education in kindergarten. This report provides a profile of children's skill levels as they enter school based on the evaluation of their teachers. It includes valuable trend data about…

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Education's online newsletter "The Education Innovator" is to promote innovative practices in education; to offer features on promising programs and practices; to provide information on innovative research, schools, policies, and trends; and to keep readers informed of key Department priorities and…