This study is concerned with the preschool and kindergarten phases of an ongoing longitudinal investigation of effects of preschool on educationally advantaged children. Preschool data including demographics, IQ, social competency, and school readiness are reported. Although social competency was enhanced by preschool, gains occurred for both…

The purpose of this tool kit is to provide guidance, resource materials and references that will assist communities in working with families as primary partners in their child's development and school readiness. By recognizing and building the capacity of parents as their child's first educator and engaging parents as decision makers for their…

One of the most challenging issues a state must resolve in designing a statewide standards and college readiness assessment is that of how student scores should be reported. The ACT is an effective and reliable measure of student readiness for college and work, but in some cases states may wish to augment the ACT with tests of their own design. In…

This policy brief describes the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative, a policy designed to improve early childhood programs to ensure that all children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn. The SECCS is intended to help states build a bridge from birth to school and addresses how states will support children and…

This evaluation study examined changes in school readiness among 35 children who participated during the 2002-2003 fiscal year in two programs: (1) Project Family Read, an educational and parent education program operating during the school year for families of children not enrolled in regulated child care in Granville County, North Carolina; and…

Self-regulation of behavior generally refers to controlled, cognitive monitoring of the actions and steps required to obtain a goal, or to bring about a desired response from the environment. Age-related changes in self-regulation as well as individual differences at a given age or developmental stage play fundamental roles in shaping children's…

The primary goal of Smart Start is to ensure that all children enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. Smart Start has funded a variety of technical assistance (TA) activities to improve child care, including on-site technical assistance, quality improvement and facility grant, teacher education scholarships, license upgrades, teacher salary…

This study investigated the effect of welfare mothers' educational attainment on their young children's academic outcomes and school readiness. Data came from the National Evaluation of Welfare to Work Strategies Child Outcomes Study. Welfare recipients with young children residing in three cities were randomly assigned to participate in either an…

This document presents a profile of the development of Alaska kindergarten and first grade students in fall 2001. Alaska teachers completed reports for 13,688 kindergarten and first grade students at that time. Most were found to exhibit important behaviors associated with school successes on the Alaska Developmental Profile Recording Form.…

The Kindergarten Transition Project at the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) has developed a school-based approach designed to enhance connections among children, families, teachers, and peers during the transition to kindergarten. This report excerpts from a paper describing this approach to ease transition. The paper…

Self-regulation of behavior generally refers to controlled, cognitive monitoring of the actions and steps required to obtain a goal, or to bring about a desired response from the environment. Age-related changes in self-regulation as well as individual differences at a given age or developmental stage play fundamental roles in shaping children's…

The first 5 years of a child's life are a time of tremendous physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth. Noting that research shows that children are more likely to succeed in learning when their families actively support them, this booklet is intended for families and caregivers who want to help their preschool children learn and develop…

Kindergarten readiness assessment is considered important for identifying and facilitating successful school experiences for young children. However, little is known about the assessment process schools are using. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers', parents', and administrators' perceptions of the kindergarten readiness assessment…

Interest in early education and school readiness gives rise to opportunities for promoting health development as well as addressing barriers to development and learning. This brief highlights the need to approach early education and school readiness from a perspective of addressing barriers. The brief discusses the marginalization and…

This report poses four important questions for states about their students' readiness and answers these questions using data from ACT and College Board reports. Clarifying the issues of college readiness that confront member states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) should provide states with tools for current and future policy…