Your search found 2582 results.

Descriptors:
Stakeholders; Elementary Education; Foreign Countries; Principals; Case Studies; Early Childhood Education; Young Children; Economically Disadvantaged; Grade 1; Educational Policy; Interviews; Teacher Attitudes; Administrator Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; School Readiness; Educational Quality; Access to Education; Equal Education; Family Environment

Abstract:
In South Africa, the development of the 2001 White Paper No. 5 on Early Childhood Development (ECD) has been an instrumental policy in the development of changes to assist in preparing children for formal schooling, along with a strong focus on early childhood education. However the extent to which these are being enacted is relatively unknown. This study investigated understandings and practices of stakeholders involved in the transition of children moving from preschool or home into primary school in South Africa. A case study approach was adopted focusing on two schools situated in economically disadvantaged provinces of South Africa. School principals and teachers were interviewed to determine their knowledge of, and relationships with preschools, and practices around school transition. Grade 1 teachers were also asked about the factors influencing children's transition to school. Parents were asked about their views of transition and how their children were supported as they started school. Taking note of the children's own voices was imperative in determining how they experienced transition to school. While case study findings cannot be generalised, the results suggest that much needs to be done to increase awareness of early childhood education and for the government to move beyond universal accessibility to ensuring the quality of provision at the local level. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Kindergarten; Foreign Countries; Educational Change; Social Values; Moral Values; Power Structure; Discourse Analysis; Educational History; Global Approach; School Readiness; Social Change

Abstract:
This article examines the relevance of postcolonialism in early childhood education, with special reference to the kindergarten education system of South Korea. Most of the research on Korean kindergarten education has conceptualized it as preparing children for their later schooling and helping them learn the moral and social values most desired by society. In order to problematize such a monolithic conceptualization of kindergarten education, this article intends to reconceptualize it by analysing Korean kindergarten education in the context of its postcolonial condition. Using a postcolonial framework and Foucault's concepts of power and discourse, this article provides significant insights into reclaiming kindergarten education as a historical, cultural, and discursive product. With a specific focus on different conceptions of "readiness" as an example, how kindergarten education in Korea has become hybrid through postcolonial experiences is further elaborated. (Contains 11 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Emergent Literacy; Preschool Education; Curriculum Enrichment; Preschool Children; School Readiness; Oral Language; Phonology; Mathematics; Instructional Effectiveness; Educational Research

Abstract:
"Ladders to Literacy" is a supplemental early literacy curriculum composed of 60 activities designed to develop children's print/book awareness, metalinguistic awareness, and oral language skills. The "Ladders to Literacy" activities can be implemented in a variety of early childhood settings and adapted for children with special needs. Although a "Ladders to Literacy" curriculum is also available for kindergarten students, this intervention report focuses on the preschool "Ladders to Literacy" supplemental early literacy curriculum. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified two studies of "Ladders to Literacy" that both fall within the scope of the Early Childhood Education topic area and meet WWC evidence standards. One study meets WWC evidence standards without reservations and one study meets WWC evidence standards with reservations, and together, they included 139 children in 26 preschool classrooms in southern New Hampshire. The WWC considers the extent of evidence for "Ladders to Literacy" on the school readiness of preschool children to be small for four outcome domains--oral language, print knowledge, phonological processing, and math. There were no studies that meet standards in early reading and writing, and cognition, so WWC does not report on the effectiveness of "Ladders to Literacy" for those domains in this intervention report. Appended are: (1) Research details for Russell, 2005; (2) Research details for PCER Consortium, 2008; (3) Outcome measures for each domain; (4) Findings included in the rating for the oral language domain; (5) Findings included in the rating for the print knowledge domain; (6) Findings included in the rating for the phonological processing domain; and (7) Findings included in the rating for the math domain. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 8 tables and 8 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (181K)

Descriptors:
Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Preschool Education; Preschool Children; Disadvantaged Youth; Federal Government; Followup Studies; Grade 3; Elementary School Students; Outcomes of Education; School Readiness; Kindergarten

Abstract:
In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) completed data collection for its third-grade follow-up study of Head Start, a federal preschool program designed to improve the kindergarten readiness of low-income children. Four years later, just before Christmas, the agency finally published the results of the congressionally mandated evaluation. Since 1965, taxpayers have spent more than $180 billion on Head Start. Yet, over the decades, this Great Society relic has failed to improve academic outcomes for the children it was designed to help. The third-grade follow-up evaluation is the latest in a growing body of evidence that should urge policymakers to seriously consider Head Start's future. HHS has released definitive evidence that the federal government's 48-year experiment with Head Start has failed children and left taxpayers a tab of more than $180 billion. In the interest of children and taxpayers, it's time for this nearly half-century experiment to come to an end. "If" the federal government continues to fund Head Start, policymakers should allow states to make their Head Start dollars portable, following children to a private preschool provider of choice. (Contains 17 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (1827K)

Descriptors:
Young Children; Child Development; Brain; School Readiness; State Programs; Educational Finance; Counties; Smoking; Tax Allocation; Health Programs; Health Promotion; Parent Education; Trusts (Financial); Accountability; Social Networks; Integrated Services; Geographic Location; Advisory Committees

Abstract:
Scientific discoveries repeatedly confirmed the importance of brain growth during the first 5 years of child life. To support early childhood development, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998 to collect a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. Kern County Children and Families Commission (First 5 Kern) was established by Proposition 10 to administer the Children and Families First Trust Fund in Kern County. Serving a county across a region as large as the state of New Jersey, First 5 Kern distributed the state annual funding of over $10 million to support 40 programs in early childcare and education. Following the results-based accountability model, this report summarizes innovative outcomes in four focus areas: Health and Wellness, Parent Education and Support Services, Early Childcare and Education, and Integration of Services. GIS [geographic information systems] mapping has been incorporated to describe the service delivery across the mountain, valley, and desert communities across a land of more than 8,000 square miles. Value-added assessments have been conducted to evaluate improvement of child development and parent education in the first three focus areas. The fourth focus area was examined through social network analyses to enhance the capacity of sustainable system care. The entire report not only provides clear, convincing, and sufficient evidences to justify the return on government funding, but demonstrates innovative approaches in articulating comprehensive evaluation efforts under a well-established CIPP [Context, Input, Process, and Product] model. Three appendices are included: (1) Program Classification Across State and Local Focus Areas; (2) Technical Advisory Committee; and (3) Program Index. (Contains 56 tables, 39 figures, 2 exhibits, and 8 footnotes.) [For "First 5 Kern Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2010-2011," see ED538687.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (2024K)

Descriptors:
Cost Effectiveness; Program Effectiveness; Intervention; Emotional Intelligence; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Children; Classroom Techniques; Grade 1; Kindergarten; Workshops; Student Behavior; Student Characteristics; Academic Achievement; Interpersonal Competence; Consultation Programs; Comparative Analysis; Faculty Development; Preschool Teachers; School Readiness; Stress Management; Stress Variables; At Risk Students; Behavior Problems; Costs; Mental Health; Racial Differences

Abstract:
Investments in early childhood programs are widely viewed as a promising strategy to improve the future educational achievement of disadvantaged young children. However, it can be difficult for teachers to maintain program quality if children in the classroom display challenging behaviors. For example, when some children act out aggressively or become sad and withdrawn, teachers may be diverted from instructional time to manage these behaviors. Not surprisingly, these diversions have a ripple effect on the entire classroom of children. This report presents the final implementation, impact, and cost findings from the Foundations of Learning (FOL) demonstration. The FOL demonstration was designed to increase productive classroom time by using intensive professional development, including in-classroom consultation with trained practitioners, to improve teachers' classroom management skills and the social and emotional competence of children who exhibit challenging behavior. The demonstration was conducted in two cities--Newark, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois--with very different preschool systems. The Newark preschool system was particularly well resourced, while the level of resources in the Chicago preschool system was much lower and more typical of urban districts around the country. The report concludes that the FOL intervention was delivered with relatively high levels of dosage (amount of services) and quality (as rated by teachers) in both cities, with some differences in the focus of in-classroom consultation between Newark and Chicago. The program had a positive impact on teachers' classroom management, increased instructional time, and improved children's social and emotional competence during the year of the intervention's implementation. However, there was no clear evidence of improvements in children's short-term academic achievement, despite the expectation that the benefits to the classrooms and to children's social and emotional outcomes would translate into better academic skills. Moreover, the limited data that were collected showed no evidence of sustained benefits when the children made the transition to kindergarten and first grade. Appended are: (1) Baseline Characteristics of Students; (2) Supplemental Material for Chapters 2 and 3; (3) Supplemental Material for Chapter 4; and (4) Supplemental Table for Cost Analysis. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 30 tables, 10 figures and 8 boxes.) [This report was written with Lynn Karoly.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (1437K)

Descriptors:
Predictor Variables; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; Statistical Analysis; Regression (Statistics); Goodness of Fit; Comparative Analysis; School Readiness; Kindergarten; Young Children; Grade 1; Academic Achievement; Reading Achievement; Longitudinal Studies

Abstract:
Dominance analysis (DA) is a method used to evaluate the relative importance of predictors that was originally proposed for linear regression models. This article proposes an extension of DA that allows researchers to determine the relative importance of predictors in hierarchical linear models (HLM). Commonly used measures of model adequacy in HLM (i.e., deviance, pseudo-"R"[squared], and proportional reduction in prediction error) were evaluated in terms of their appropriateness as measures of model adequacy for DA. Empirical examples were used to illustrate the procedures for comparing the relative importance of Level-1 predictors and Level-2 predictors in a person-in-group design. Finally, a simulation study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed procedures and develop recommendations. (Contains 8 tables and 4 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Pregnancy; School Readiness; Intervention; Disadvantaged; Crime; Preschool Education; Reading Readiness; Low Income; Social Work; Public Support; Low Achievement; Risk; Outcomes of Education

Abstract:
The majority of children from lower income families enter elementary school well behind their peers in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor academic achievement in the early grades is associated with a range of social problems such as failure to complete high school, increased risk of unintended pregnancy, increased criminal activity, and insufficient wages. There has been a steady increase in the number of publicly funded preschool programs designed to help children from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds develop school readiness skills. Social work has been minimally involved in preschool programs, even as policymaker interest and public support for these programs have grown. This article reviews the outcomes research on preschool intervention programs and discusses the implications of this research for social work policy advocates and practitioners. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Teaching Methods; Response to Intervention; Emergent Literacy; Early Experience; Preschool Children; Disadvantaged Youth; Educational Needs; Outcomes of Education; Outcomes of Treatment; Instructional Effectiveness; Achievement Gains; Educational Quality; Language Skills; Program Descriptions; School Readiness; Language Acquisition; Norm Referenced Tests; Achievement Gap; Formative Evaluation; Preschool Evaluation; Preschool Tests; Outcome Measures

Abstract:
Preschool experience plays a role in children's development. However, for programs with language and early literacy goals, the question remains whether preschool instructional experiences are sufficiently effective to achieve these goals for all children. In a multisite study, the authors conducted a process-product description of preschool instruction, and children's growth and outcomes in typical programs (i.e., Pre-K, Title 1, Head Start, Tuition-Based) using a response to intervention (RTI) perspective. Results indicated that (a) students in their preschool year prior to kindergarten made small gains, but students starting the year in lower Tier 2 and 3 performance levels did not close initial skills gaps, (b) variations were noted by program types with varying sociodemographics and instructional processes, and (c) the quality of instruction (Tier 1) received by all was low with room for improvement. Implications for future research on the application of the RTI approach and potential benefits are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Early Childhood Education; Longitudinal Studies; Kindergarten; Children; Competence; Mastery Tests; Mathematics Skills; Reading Skills; Self Control; Behavior Problems; Physical Health; Low Income Groups; School Readiness; Achievement Gap; Outcomes of Education; Education Work Relationship; Intervention; Emotional Development; Social Development; Probability; Middle Class; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) to analyze competencies that children need to master by the end of elementary school, the extent to which they are doing so, what might be done to improve their performance, and how this might affect their ultimate ability to earn a living and their chances of being middle class by middle age. Both academic skills and socio-emotional skills contribute to core competency. We measure core competence at age eleven using five outcomes: math skills, reading skills, self-regulation, behavior problems, and physical health: (1) 62% of children have core competence by the spring of fifth grade, while 38% do not meet the benchmark on one or more of the five measures; (2) Though there are substantial gaps in achievement by gender, race, and socioeconomic status, differences by subgroup decrease in magnitude when we control for demographics and school readiness at age 5; (3) Achievement gaps by race and socioeconomic status widen over the course of elementary school; the gap between black and white children nearly doubles between kindergarten and fifth grade. The paper concludes with a discussion of how middle childhood interventions such as a social emotional learning program or a whole school reform program like Success For All might improve short- and long-term outcomes for low-income children. Preliminary results from the Social Genome Model indicate that such programs might raise annual family income at age forty by four percent--approximately $2,400 for a family of four. Appended are: (1) Measurement of Core Competence; (2) Overall Success in Middle Childhood by Selected Subgroups; (3) Correlations between Components of Success; (4) Results from Regressions of Core Competence; (5) Change in Gaps in Core Competence, Kindergarten to Fifth Grade; and (6) Results from Regressions of Core Competence with School Readiness at Kindergarten as a Control. (Contains 8 figures, 3 tables, and 16 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  Publisher's website