Do state standards and assessments provide accurate, meaningful information about the college readiness levels of the state's high school students? To suggest an answer to this question, this study examined data from one state in which students in grades 8 and 10 take both a statewide assessment and the corresponding component of ACT's Educational…

Currently, age is the primary indicator of kindergarten readiness. A concise list of readiness skills to guide parents and teachers when deciding if a child is ready for kindergarten is lacking. The literature reveals that older age kindergarten entrance is not a predictor of academic success, nor is age an accurate indicator of readiness. In this…

This report provides a compilation of indicators of school readiness used in national, state, and local surveys in the United States, delineating the advantages and disadvantages for each indicator. The report begins with a legend to assist in interpreting the tables and includes contact information for national and state surveys. The remainder of…

This paper examines three inter-related issues: whether past levels of resources, context and opportunity structures carry long-term consequences for subsequent child attainments and behaviours; whether shocks, or transition events, alter the path of these outcomes in a positive or negative fashion; and what role can be played by policy…

Effective teaching leads to positive student outcomes, and professional development for early childhood teachers is key to improving both. But what exactly is meant by "professional development"? What effect does it have on school readiness? Which models and approaches really work? This is the book the early childhood field needs to take the…

In 1990, the National Education Goals were established by the President and the 50 state governors. Goal 1 states that by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. This booklet is a condensed version of an earlier document intended to further amplify the dimensions of early learning and development used by the…

This report compares estimates of selected data from the two components of the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES:93), the School Readiness (SR) survey and the School Safety and Discipline (SS&D) survey, with data from other surveys and published sources. The two different components cover a variety of topics related to education,…

This booklet lists ways that parents; employers; teachers, administrators, and principals; and grandparents, neighbors, and concerned citizens can help America reach the National Educational Goals. First, the booklet summarizes the National Educational Goals in the areas of school readiness; school completion; student achievement and citizenship;…

This Spanish-language publication condenses the information in the Alliance for Learning series. The publication is intended principally for families with preschool or primary grade children, although the material can be used with older children. The sections of the publication address various themes and present activities that parents can do with…

The current emphasis on children's academic preparedness continues to overshadow the importance of children's social and emotional development for school readiness. This Digest presents a brief overview of longitudinal research linking children's emotional development to school readiness and early childhood success, and then discusses…

This study examines the impact of welfare mothers' education on their children's academic and behavioral outcomes. Because conventional regression approaches to estimating the effect of maternal schooling on child outcomes may be biased by omitted variables, this study uses experimentally induced differences in mothers' education to estimate…

Recognizing that what, how, and how much children learn in school depends in large part on the social and emotional competence they developed as preschoolers, this monograph examines the current state of research regarding the social and emotional risk and protective factors that predict early school problems or success. The first part of the…

This videotape, with accompanying discussion guide, addresses issues of young children's learning readiness and the readiness of the school to teach young children. The 50-minute videotape, for use as a stand-alone instruction video in one sitting or as an accompaniment to group discussions or to a self-study program, is geared toward informal…

This issue of the NCEDL Spotlight Series newsletter presents findings of a nationwide survey of state policies and definitions related to school readiness. Findings indicated that efforts to minimize the misuse of readiness assessment tools may have had some impact at the state level, with respondents showing an increased awareness of recommended…

The Even Start Family Literacy Program is a national program that addresses the literacy and educational needs of adults in eligible families, teaches effective parenting skills, and addresses the preschool readiness needs of young children in the family. The Monongalia County (West Virginia) Even Start Program was unusual in that it took place in…