This paper focuses on school choice and diversity in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) in historical context. Drawing on primary and secondary documentary sources it assesses continuity, change and divergence, before addressing existing diversity and school choice, and academic outcomes. The 1944 Education Act and associated…

In an effort to improve learning for young children and respond to preschool fade out, some districts are working on "PreK-3" initiatives to create better connected learning pathways for children. In these pathways, primary grades continue to build on what children learn in preschool; they also present potential implementation challenges…

This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis through a Critical Race Theory lens to analyze grant applications of community colleges that applied for funding to build or support programs for justice-impacted students. I analyze how colleges problem-frame the need for their program, finding that 'colleges' use of race-evasive and ahistorical…

Transitions between two educational settings can bring about new experiences and expectations for children and their families. In the early care and education (ECE) context, when children transition from Head Start to kindergarten, they are confronted with different places, people, activities, and relationships. This transition also occurs between…

Students in the United States change schools often, and frequent changes are associated with poor outcomes along numerous dimensions. These moves occur for many reasons, including both promotional transitions between educational levels and nonpromotional moves. Promotional student mobility is less likely than nonpromotional mobility to suffer from…

This issue brief is focused on policies and practices that improve college and career readiness by strengthening the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The brief is largely based on a February, 2009 American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) field trip to Indiana, and details the cross-system efforts implemented to help more of the…

In this article, the author observes how policymakers have approached P-16 reform in a less-constructive fashion--one given to faddism and quick fixes. The author suggests that the problem with P-16 reforms does not lie with how policymakers and advocates have found sensible ways to make the policy work, but rather with the way reformers,…

Providing remedial (also known as developmental) education is the primary way colleges cope with students who do not have the academic preparation needed to succeed in college-level courses. Remediation is widespread, with nearly one-third of entering freshman taking remedial courses at a cost of at least $1 billion per year. Despite its…

This issue addresses the policies and practices associated with sustaining school readiness and boosting achievement for young children throughout the early elementary years. All three studies support the notion that an aligned and coordinated set of policies and practices linking early learning with the early elementary grades will maximize a…

Recent theoretical conceptions of transition have emphasised the key influence of educational transition on young children's learning. The Foundation Stage was established in England in 2000, creating a distinct phase of education for children aged three to five, which spans the transition to school. In the Foundation Stage children learn through…

Provided is a statement on Alberta, Canada's policy on educational program continuity for early childhood services and elementary grades through grade six. Specifically, discussion focuses on the definition of educational program continuity, background to the policy initiative, rationale for the policy, principles of child development…

Reviews papers in this special issue. Proposes additional papers on student teachers' lack of expertise in early childhood education; the role of early childhood education professionals in working with schools; early childhood education programs that have succeeded under difficult conditions; and articulation of links between early childhood and…

Examines the current policy context in early childhood education in England and Wales. Clarifies some of the tensions and contradictions inherent in current conceptions of progression and continuity, drawing on perspectives from theory, policy, and practice. Identifies three key areas of research that would advance development of theories of…

Intended for use in in-service instruction for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers, this publication addresses major issues related to student transition between grades. Contents reflect the practices, strategies, and ideas of discussants, who included principals, teachers and administrators who were members of a task force convened…

This study examined potential discontinuity between eligibility policies for children moving from infant/toddler early intervention programs (Part H of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to preschool special education programs (Part B). In 14 states, all children eligible under Part H would remain eligible under Part B; in 37 states,…