Notes that Zaslow study marks an important advance in understanding of child-care-utilization patterns and how center-based programs in low-income communities may influence children's development and school readiness. Asserts that researchers should not become complacent after finding that simply being in a child-care program makes a difference in…

Discusses what three researchers discovered about schools, home environments, and inequitable education, examining the achievement gap between middle-class and poor, minority students and noting that summer school does little to close the gap. Suggests a strategy to boost the summer achievement of poor children that would give them the extra…

The purpose of this article is to develop, validate, and field test two readiness assessment instruments, "Schools Ready for Children" and "Children Ready for School." The authors first describe the development of the assessment instrument dealing with policies and practices of "ready" schools. The items on this…

This article allows readers to look at racial and ethnic disparities in school readiness from a neuroscience perspective. Although researchers have traditionally measured gaps in school readiness using broad achievement tests, they can now assess readiness in terms of more specific brain-based cognitive functions. Three neurocognitive…

The transition of young children with autism from preschool to kindergarten is an important event both for sustaining gains made during preschool and for establishing future social and academic development. This article provides a summary of 25 transition elements identified from the research literature as important for a successful transition.…

Congress has begun to rewrite the Higher Education Act, the federal law that authorizes student aid programs like Pell Grants, student loans, Federal Work-Study, TRIO and GEAR UP. This will mark the eighth time that the law has been formally revisited since it was enacted in 1965. It is still early in the process and it is uncertain what the…

Data from 122 Head Start children were analyzed to examine the impact of computer use on school readiness and psychomotor skills. Children in the experimental group were given the opportunity to work on a computer for 15-20 minutes per day with their choice of developmentally appropriate educational software, while the control group received a…

Research Findings: Integrated services for young children and families are part of the new policy landscape in early childhood, but there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of these programs and how they develop on the ground. This study examined the use of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) as both a summative program evaluation tool…

The Family Life Early Education Project (FLEEP) operated from September 1993 through August 1994 in Chicago public schools. The project sought to assist parents in acquiring skills that foster their young children's cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development, thus increasing children's readiness for school. To accomplish these goals,…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the FACTS/LRE (Family and Child Transitions into Least Restrictive Environments) project, a 2-year project to promote best practices in the transition process of 3-year-olds with disabilities from early intervention to preschool programs. The project delivered technical assistance to…

Intended to foster communication among parents, teachers and school administrators, this brochure presents lists of questions parents may ask concerning school programs and policies, particularly at the beginning of the school year. Questions are organized by different levels of schooling from pre-kindergarten to high school. Pre-kindergarten…

Compulsory schooling commences for children in New Zealand when they are 6 years old, but all primary schools accept children from the day of their fifth birthday. On any school day, a new pupil may enter the class for new entrants and become part of the school system. This article explores the creation of an appropriate environment for these new…

This report summarizes a meeting of local school officials and Head Start directors from across the country to discuss ways to improve children's experience of transition from Head Start to public school. In a keynote address, Sharon Kagan discussed the importance of transitions, the lessons history has taught educators about transitions, and…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC), in Florida, to measure the preparedness of Dade County Public School (DCPS) graduates for the state's community colleges and universities. Data was compiled from Basic Skills Tests taken by all first-time-in-college students attending Florida community colleges and universities during…

This report provides the 1994 follow-up evaluation of the Early Childhood Parent/Education Family Literacy Project in South Carolina, first evaluated in 1993. The objective of the evaluation was a comprehensive review and analysis of program components and elements as designed and implemented by 12 pilot projects. Highlights from the 1993…