Transitional kindergarten (TK)--California's universal prekindergarten options that represent the first year of a two-year kindergarten program--began expansion during the 2022-2023 school year and is gradually increasing age eligibility. By the fall of 2025, all four-year-olds across the state will have access to TK in public schools. While the…

Test-only placement systems are associated with inaccurate placement determinations that can perpetuate college achievement gaps by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). In response to the pitfalls of traditional, test-only placement systems, colleges across the country are increasingly experimenting with and adopting alternative…

While the transition from middle school to high school symbolized the coming of age, it is a time in a young person's life that can create feelings of isolation, disconnect, and an immeasurable sense of loneliness (DeJong & Locker, 2006). The organizational structure found in most public high schools presented problems for many ninth graders…

Over the past two and half years of evaluating "We Are A Village," a highly competitive federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant focused on family engagement in early childhood in Central Falls, Rhode Island, the research team at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University (AISR) has gained much insight into the…

Early care and education (ECE) programs for children prior to kindergarten in California are provided through a mixed delivery system that includes licensed home- and center-based programs as well as school settings. The requirements, experience, and supports for educators vary widely across settings, depending more on funding sources and…

The field of special education's focus on moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) has undergone a number of changes in the past five decades. Some have been philosophical, some based on research, some based on mandated practices through U.S. law, and some based on the development of better technologies. While pioneers in the field first established…

The Japanese government passed an anti-discrimination law, the Act on the Elimination of Disability Discrimination, in June 2013 (to be enforced April 2016) and ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in January 2014. Prior to ratification of the CRPD, the Japanese government had begun to construct an inclusive…

Empirical evidence that horizontal alignment of policies and practices from preschool through the early elementary grades sustains the effects of quality preschool and contributes to children's learning is scarce, as discussed above, but there are nevertheless good reasons to expect benefits to such alignment. Moreover, many districts and schools…

Midway through the second decade of this century, the importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to the nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government, and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. This understanding represents a dramatic shift from earlier…

Today, the importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to the nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government, and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. This understanding represents a dramatic shift from earlier decades, and carries with it heightened…

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. And too often, these highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results. In…

Midway through the second decade of this century, the importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to our nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government, and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. This understanding represents a dramatic shift from earlier…

Today, the importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to our nation's economic well being is recognized up to the highest levels of government, and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. This understanding represents a dramatic shift from earlier decades, and carries with it heightened…

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered to produce equivalent results. In contrast, programs to prepare teachers and administrators to work with older children…

The New York State Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) serves the Governor and is charged with ensuring that all of New York's young children are healthy, learning, and thriving in families that are supported by a full complement of services and resources essential for successful development. The council's Workforce Work Group is dedicated to…