Discusses four issues raised by the movement toward publicly funded prekindergartens and offers five recommendations suggesting specific actions reading teachers can take to influence the design of prekindergarten programs. (JC)

Investigates the effects on students' literacy learning of implementing recommended practices for primary programs, mandated in Kentucky's sweeping education-reform effort. Finds that students taught by four "high implementing" teachers outperformed students of "low implementing" teachers on every measure of literacy…

Describes trends in the minimal competency movement in Florida and several other states and speculates about future trends in minimum-competency testing. (DD)

Discusses the differing responses of two groups of administrators and teachers to a new statewide reading assessment--one group saw the ideal and one group experienced the reality. (SR)

Describes a collaboration among policy makers, test developers, curriculum specialists, researchers, and classroom teachers in Michigan that has produced a new interactive definition of reading, new statewide reading objectives, and efforts to develop statewide tests that are more consistent with current theory and research. (FL)