This document is the annual report on the South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) established by legislation in 1978. In 1988, the tests and the monitoring of the instructional components were completed on time. The tests include: (1) first grade readiness; (2) tests for grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8; and (3) the Exit Examination required…

The first National Education Goal agreed to be President Bush and the nation's governors is that all children will start school ready to learn. The first objective under that goal is that of providing high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs for all disadvantaged and disabled children. This paper seeks to assist efforts to…

Discussion focuses on models of and approaches to meaningful parent involvement in the education of their children and themselves; the need for innovation in family-school relationships; and five barriers that prevent or impede parent involvement. Models include those derived from early childhood education and school partnerships with parents as…

Educational change depends on the development of total school system readiness. An analysis of the school evaluation process is the purpose of this report. Essential steps to determine school readiness for restructuring include the assessment, profiling, and integration of interrelated system components, which include focus and support factors.…

Designed to explore the effectiveness of predictors of academic readiness among low SES ethnically diverse children, this study tested low income 4- and 5-year-old Anglo-American, Mexican, and Vietnamese children eligible for kindergarten in the school year 1982-83. The recently arrived Mexican and Vietnamese children did not speak English. Sixty…

To determine the personality characteristics that may be related to school readiness, particularly with reference to migrant preschool children, the following characteristics were examined: (1) delay of gratification, (2) relationship with achievement model, (3) dependency, (4) motor inhibition, (5) self control, (6) self concept, and (7) risk…

Both high- and low-readiness low-income Black first graders may play an active role in their own learning. The greatest amount of didactic interactions occurred in the homes of the low-readiness children; however, their mothers appeared not to possess the skills they were trying to teach their children. (BJV)

Recently, there has been increasing interest among state governments in establishing statewide testing of high school students. This interest has been driven by various goals, such as reforming high schools, improving the alignment between P-12 requirements and postsecondary expectations, and fulfilling the mandates of the federal No Child Left…

For almost 50 years, ACT has played a pivotal role in promoting student access into and success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Through academic and career assessments, career development tools, and extensive research, they have helped inform students, parents, teachers, career counselors, employers, and…

Parental reports of 585 children's childcare experiences during the year preceding kindergarten were used to index the extent of children's involvement in three types of childcare: center-based (e.g., daycare center, Head Start, preschool), informal (e.g., relative-based or sitter-based) and parental. Childcare choices covaried with household SES,…

School readiness is important for children, for their families, and for society at large. The authors' exploration of school readiness focuses on how the home literacy environment, parenting behavior, and social characteristics affect two aspects of school readiness: basic skills, such as reading and math; and behavior problems, including…

This paper presents the results of a study on the transition between preschool and school programs, focusing on early intervention programs for special needs children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and presents recommendations for policy makers in regard to transition programs in NSW. The study was based on a survey of 45 early childhood…

This manual details the principles and practices of the Refugee Families Program (RFP) in Chicago and the issues that have arisen in connecting these families to the educational, medical, welfare, and other institutions that can provide the family-strengthening support they need. The approach of RFP is to work with families through their…

Noting that many communities in the United States have set the ambitious goal of enhancing school readiness, this report is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. Part 1 of the report summarizes recommendations from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) for defining and assessing school readiness. The core…

This study identified the types of transition activities practiced by kindergarten teachers/schools around the country, the relation of various school characteristics to transition activities, and the relation between transition activities and parent involvement during kindergarten. The study sample was comprised of 2,826 public school and 417…