ERIC Number: ED446875
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2000
Pages: 55
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Readiness for School: A Survey of State Policies and Definitions.
Saluja, Gitanjali; Scott-Little, Catherine; Clifford, Richard M.
Understanding the condition of children as they enter school can provide clues to help parents and teachers understand children's performance later in their school career. This information can also provide teachers with essential guidance for individualizing the curriculum to help children learn more effectively. Finally, assessment of the condition of children could be an important part of accountability measurement. This study examined what states are doing with regard to defining and assessing the condition of children as they enter school, often referred to as readiness for school. Early childhood state representatives in each of the 50 states were contacted and interviewed regarding their state's policies on children's readiness for kindergarten. Findings indicated that as of January 2000: (1) age was the criterion most often used to determine eligibility for kindergarten; (2) no state had an official statewide definition of school readiness; (3) several states were studying the issue of school readiness; and (4) local school districts were often making decisions about how children should be assessed and how data on children should be used. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/EV)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: National Center for Early Development & Learning, Chapel Hill, NC.; SERVE: SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
IES Cited: ED476810
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: In: Early Childhood Research & Practice: An Internet Journal on the Development, Care and Education of Young Children, Fall 2000; see PS 029 032.