This article describes the successful stories of the Early Mathematics Education Project at Erikson Institute in Chicago. It intends to address three questions related to the project's work: What is the purpose and scope of the program? How does the program work to enhance the mathematical competence of early childhood teachers? What are the…

Two purposes for early childhood assessment systems are informing program development and providing accountability. Based on findings from a case study of a local Head Start program implementing the National Reporting System (NRS) in 2004-2005, we provide 5 lessons learned from experiences with the NRS that may have implications for other…

Preschool teachers face increasing pressure to ensure that "all" children acquire the competencies they need to start on the path to becoming successful readers in the early grades, including children who may enter preschool with exceptionally weak skills. This article describes efforts to provide individually tailored supports to relatively…

Early childhood educators are concerned with the growing number of children who enter programs lacking social competence and exhibiting challenging behaviors. This article describes how early childhood programs in New Hampshire are addressing this challenge by adapting evidence-based School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports to meet the needs of…

This article describes the initiation of a statewide public-private partnership to expand and enhance services for infants, toddlers, and their families. It presents information regarding the initiation and implementation of the project; the program requirements, including those for professional development; and the design of a three-phase program…

Although experts in early childhood mental health services make clear the need to infuse mental health services into all program components, many have suggested that the mental health services in the majority of Head Start programs are narrowly focused and that mental health consultants are often used in limited ways (see D. J. Cohen, Solnit, &…

This article describes a project that used interactive technology to conduct arena assessments at a distance. Team building, technology requirements, technology employed, observational and quantitative results of assessment comparisons, and future directions are discussed. Real-time distance assessments were performed through the use of network…

Ensuring that children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, start school ready to learn is an important goal. This paper presents lessons learned from the state of Ohio's multi-year program to develop a standards-based assessment system for programs delivering state-funded early childhood education (ECE) through programs receiving…

Few researchers think in terms of their role in translating their findings into action in the field or in programs. The author recalls, when she was Director of Research and Evaluation for the Administration for Children Youth and Families, HHS, how much of the research was not being applied to what goes on or what was needed at the Head Start…