Instructional technology use in United States preschool classrooms remains a limited and widely debated practice. In urban communities, preparing preschool students for academic, social, and economic success is further threatened by the well-documented digital divide. This qualitative phenomenological study included ten subjects and examined the…

Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) partnered with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to conduct a multi-year study of Michigan's implementation of competency-based education in K-12 schools. This mixed-methods study seeks to investigate the implementation and effectiveness of CBE using data from surveys administered to 21j…

Evidence-based reform is transforming education at all levels, both in providing effective models for use in schools and in linking policy to effective practice on a broad scale. As early education moves from a concern with effects of preschool versus no preschool to focus on creating and evaluating effective preschool models capable of improving…

A hallmark of the US education system is the opportunity afforded to students to pursue education and career paths of their own choosing. This flexibility and autonomy, however, has drawbacks. Students must navigate a series of complex and often disconnected environments, as well as numerous decision points, before they attain a fulfilling career.…

This report explores the extent to which states (and several large cities) are positioned to provide high quality preschool education on a large scale. States and cities that are already doing so or that could do so with modest improvements offer opportunities for advocacy to advance access to high quality early education as well as for rigorous…

A 5-year longitudinal study, still in progress, was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs in Texas. The components of the study include a statewide survey of school districts, a case study of 10 schools' prekindergarten programs, and a longitudinal study of 2,000 students enrolled in prekindergarten during the 1989-90…

This paper deals with Nurture Groups, which are a specialist form of provision for pupils with social, emotional and learning difficulties. The paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings of the NG approach and describes the practical arrangements and operations features of this form of provision. Evidence from research studies exploring the…

The title question is discussed in six sections. Structural variables and issues are discussed in subsections concerning: the sex of child, the kindergarten program's day length, type, entrance age, group size, classroom aides and arrangements, and policies on promotion, failure, and retention. Interpersonal variables are explored in terms of…

This paper focuses on: (1) prevalent assumptions and weaknesses underlying research on preschool programs for 3- to 5-year-olds; (2) issues concerning transition to kindergarten and early elementary grades; (3) the preparation of early childhood personnel; and (4) critical research needs. The review of research findings prompts questions about the…

This paper examines how various elements of five early- childhood-to-elementary school transition programs are being developed and carried out. Five transition programs were identified and investigated in regard to shared leadership and decisionmaking among stakeholders, comprehensive and integrated services, family involvement and empowerment,…

An evaluation of the 1988 implementation of New York City's 29-day-long Summer Kindergarten program for children entering first grade with little or no kindergarten experience is presented. A total of 9,444 children were enrolled in 436 classes in 171 schools located in 32 community school districts. The program ran from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Monday…

Speakers at the Lipman Research Institute's inaugural symposium examined research and issues related to appropriate programs for 4-year-olds. David Weikart described the Perry Preschool Project, an ongoing study begun in 1962 of 123 black youths at risk of failing, and the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Study. Jane Stallings covered short-term…