Focus on Early Childhood Education

Additional resources bibliography

Following is a list of online resources, organized by topic, on some of the important issues affecting pre-K and early elementary education.

Achievement Gaps in Early Childhood

Child Trends Data Bank
http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/pdf/7_PDF.pdf
The Child Trends Data Bank (using statistics from 1999) documents reasons that very young children living in poverty are much less likely than non-poor children to be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, count to 20 or higher, write their name, or read or pretend to read.

Richard J. Cole. An Uneven Start: Indicators of Inequality in School Readiness ( Ann Arbor, MI: Educational Testing Service, 2002).
http://www.ets.org/research/pic/Unevenstart.pdf
This study addresses kindergartners’ performance on a variety of reading and mathematics tasks and gathers contextual information on their home reading experiences. It also provides indicators of the types of children who may be educationally at-risk when they begin school.

Kristin Denton and Elvira Geronimo-Hausken; Jerry West, Project Officer America’s Kindergartners. (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], Report # 2000-0700, 2000).
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/2000070.pdf
This report demonstrates that differences exist in children’s skills and knowledge in relation to their characteristics, background, and experiences. They demonstrate differences in their cognitive skills and knowledge, social skills, health, and approaches to learning, and bring with them differences in their home educational experiences and environments.

Valerie Lee and David Burkham, Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin School (Washington, DC: (Executive summary) Economic Policy Institute, 2002).
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/books_starting_gate
This report shows that the inequalities of childrens cognitive ability are substantial right from “the starting gate.” Disadvantaged children start kindergarten with significantly lower cognitive skills than their more advantaged counterparts. These same disadvantaged children are then placed in low-resource schools, magnifying the initial inequality.

Nancy L. Marshall et al. Early Care and Education in Massachusetts Public School Preschool Classrooms. A Report on the Findings from the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study. (Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, 2002; ED 480 815).
Full Text from ERIC
Focusing on Massachusetts early childhood education, this report seeks to determine whether quality of education is affected by parental income levels and if quality depends on whether the education is school-based or independently provided. It also seeks to ascertain the overall costs of preschool education in the state.

Early Childhood Assessment 

Early Learning Standards: Creating the Conditions for Success ( Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2002).
http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/early_learning_standards.asp
This joint position statement by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) addresses educational, ethical, developmental, programmatic, assessment, and policy issues related to early learning standards.

Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation: Joint Position Statement. (NAEYC and the NAECS/SDE, November 2003).
http://naecs.crc.uiuc.edu/position/pscape.pdf
A statement that seeks to answer these questions: What should children be taught in the years from birth through age eight? How do we know if they are developing well and learning what we want them to learn? How can we determine whether programs for children from infancy through the primary grades are doing a good job?

Carol Horton and Barbara T. Bowman. Child Assessment at the Preprimary Level: Expert Opinion and State Trends ( Chicago: Erikson Institute, 2002).
http://www.erikson.edu/files/nonimages/horton-bowman.pdf
A report that focuses on findings suggesting that while knowledge of developmentally appropriate assessment practices has significantly increased, there is still a widespread failure to grasp that assessment must be understood as a comprehensive system that is linked to the curriculum and supported by appropriate strategies and resources.

Jacqueline Jones. Early Literacy Assessment Systems ( Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing Systems, 2003).
http://www.ets.org/research/pic/earlylit.pdf
Report outlining a system wide framework for monitoring the literacy development of children in preschool through second grade.

Samuel J. Meisels et al. An Analysis of Early Literacy Assessments Used for Instruction ( Ann Arbor, MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement [CIERA], Report #2-013, 2001).
Full Text from ERIC
This report provides data about how reading and writing skills are assessed by teachers. It categorizes the instructional assessments teachers use in the classroom to evaluate students’ literacy performance (for K-3 classrooms).

Samuel J. Meisels. Assessing Readiness (Ann Arbor, MI: CIERA, 1998; ED 429 272).
Full Text from ERIC
This paper addresses four interpretations of the 1991 National Educational Goals statement that “all children in America will start school ready to learn.” It looks at the methods that have been devised to assess children’s learning at the outset of formal schooling.

Samuel J. Meisels Assessing Readiness: How Should We Define Readiness? NCEDL Spotlights Series #3. (Chapel Hill, NC: National Center for Early Development and Learning, 1998; ED 437 158).
Full Text from ERIC
This report addresses defining readiness for school and assessing a child’s readiness for school. The report claims that fundamental to the attainment of readiness skills is a sense of self that can only be developed over time and in interaction with caring and trustworthy adults.

Susan B. Neumann et al. The State of State Prekindergarten Standards in 2003 (CIERA, 2003).
http://www.ciera.org/library/archive/2003-01/ (Abstract Only)
This report examines the quality of state prekindergarten standards in language, literacy, and mathematics. Recognizing that states are at various stages of development, the analysis was designed to highlight quality standards and to provide feedback to states in the process of establishing, reviewing, or strengthening preK standards.

Craig T. Ramey and Sharon L. Ramey. Early Learning and School Readiness: Can Early Intervention Make a Difference? (Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50, no. 4).
Results of studies, as noted in this paper, indicate that the cumulative developmental toll that is measured reliably in high-risk samples of children beginning in the second year of life can be substantially reduced through a high-quality preschool program.

Craig T. Ramey and Sharon L. Ramey. Going to School (Goddard Press, 1999).
A landmark book for parents telling why, when, and how to prepare children for going to school and offering ways to support them in the critical early school years.

R. Rothstein. “Too Young to Test: Why We Need a Better Means of Evaluating Our Nation’s Youngest Children” (American Prospect 15, no. 11 (2004): A12-A13).
www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&
ArticleId=8774
Rothstein suggests that a standardized test, like one now administered by Head Start, is a poor way to address the challenges that face young students. It can make things worse by focusing teachers’ efforts on area that have no lasting educational benefits.

Literacy Development

M. Susan Burns, Peg Griffin, and Catherine E. Snow. Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1999).
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309064104/html/
This book presents a number of techniques and ideas that can be used to develop literacy skills that best inculcate a desire to read in young children.

Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998).
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309064104/html/
This book focuses on practical, everyday activities by which parents can engage their children and make literacy and education an integral part of the home.

Catherine E. Snow, M. Susan Burns, and Peg Griffin, eds. Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1998).
http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/ReadDiff/read-sum.html
This report focuses on the large numbers of children in America whose educational careers are imperiled because they do not read well enough to ensure understanding or to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive economy. Current difficulties in reading largely originate from rising demands for literacy, not from a decline in absolute levels of literacy. In a technological society, the demands for higher literacy are ever increasing, creating more grievous consequences for those who fall short.

Carol Copple, Susan Neuman, and Susan Bredekamp Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children ( Washington, DC: NAEYC, 2000).
http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdf/PSREAD98.PDF
The primary purpose of this position statement is to provide guidance to teachers of young children in schools and early childhood programs (including child care centers, preschools, and family child-care homes) serving children from birth through age eight.

David K. Dickinson and Patton O. Tabors. Beginning Literacy with Language: Young Children Learning at Home and School (Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes, 1995).
This book explores the home and school environments of over 70 children ages three to five. It examines the fact that all facets of a child’s early life affect change in literacy development.

Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley. Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children (Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes, 1995).
Focusing on ways that early childhood interactions at home affect later educational performance, this book shows how socioeconomic factors play a part in how much parents interact with children in meaningful ways that will benefit them later in school. It also looks at the resources that we as a nation allocate to our children.

Theresa Hawley, Starting Smart: How Early Experience Affects Brain Development (Washington, DC: Ounce of Prevention Fund and ZERO TO THREE, 2000).
http://www.zerotothree.org/startingsmart.pdf
This report deals with the numerous variable factors that affect children’s early brain development. It deals with nutrition, neglect, abuse, and the effects of early experiences and interaction.

Leonard N. Masse and W. Steven Barnett. A Benefit Cost Analysis of the Abecedarian Early Childhood Intervention ( New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research, 2002).
http://nieer.org/resources/research/AbecedarianStudy.pdf
This report presents evidence that the benefits of enrolling young children in abecedarian programs greatly outweigh the costs of such programs. By starting children off early in such programs, disadvantages in a number of categories can be greatly reduced or eliminated because the programs have an effect before achievement gaps arise.

National Research Council. Barbara T. Bowman, M. Suzanne Donovan, and M. Susan Burns, eds. Eager to Learn: Educating our Preschoolers ( Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2001).
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309068363/html/
The pace of learning depends on whether and to what extent a child’s inclination to learn encounters and engages supporting environments. This work deals with preschool programs in the U. S. and looks at how the public allocates resources, assesses the benefits of education, and recommends ways that we can change preschool programs for the better.

NRC and Institute of Medicine, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips, eds. ( Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2000).
http://www.nap.edu/openbook/0309069882/html/
Based on neuro-scientific research, this book describes the science behind cognitive development and the ways that early childhood interactions and relationships affect brain development.

Craig Ramey and Sharon Landesman Preparing America’s Children for Success in School (Talk delivered at the White House Summit on Ready to Read, Ready to Learn, 2003).
http://www.fund4colorado.org/pdf/Craig%20Ramey.pdf
This presentation focuses on the effects of the Abecedarian or ABC Project, a randomized controlled trial that tests the efficacy of early childhood education for high-risk children and their families.

Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read (Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000).
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/smallbook.htm
The work of the National Reading Panel builds on existing knowledge about what types of skills children need to acquire to become independent readers. Specifically, the panel addresses the evidence about what those skills are and adds further knowledge about how those skills are best taught to beginning readers who vary in initial reading-related abilities.

The Transition to Kindergarten: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project, 2004).
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/projects/fine/resources/
research/bohan.pdf
Cognizant of the disconnect between what we know about the crucial role that transition plays in ensuring continuity and what is currently available in our schools, the Harvard Family Research Project conducted a review of current research on the transition to kindergarten, focusing on promising practices and the role that schools might play in their implementation.

Organizations

www.acnj.org
The Association for Children of New Jersey is a child advocacy organization with a focus on providing aid to abandoned and abused children. High on its policy agenda is an initiative aimed at securing quality preschool programs for all eligible children.

http://www.iir.berkeley.edu/cscce/
The Center for the Study of Childcare Employment focuses on issues relating to teachers and providers in home- and center-based early care and education in the United States.

http://www.ecs.org/
Focusing on relevant and topical research and statistics, the Educational Commission of the States site caters to local and state policymakers who need reliable information on which to base policy.

www.fcd-us.org
The Foundation for Child Development seeks to understand children, particularly the disadvantaged, and to promote their well-being. It believes that families, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government at all levels share complementary responsibilities in the critical task of raising new generations.

http://www.nhsa.org/
Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.

http://www.naeyc.org
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with more than 100,000 members, a national network of nearly 450 local, state, and regional affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.

http://nieer.org/
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) supports early childhood education initiatives by providing objective, nonpartisan information based on research. The goal of NIEER is to produce and communicate the knowledge base required to ensure that every American child can receive a good education at ages three and four.

http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml?src=pb
The main goals of the No Child Left Behind Act include increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools; greater choice for parents and students, particularly those attending low-performing schools; more flexibility for states and local educational agencies in the use of federal education dollars; and a stronger emphasis on reading, especially for very young children.

http://www.startingat3.org/
Starting at 3 promotes and supports legal advocacy to include prekindergarten in school finance litigation and state legislation. The project collects and disseminates research, information and strategies and provides direct technical assistance to attorneys and advocates involved in litigation and policy initiatives to create and expand state prekindergarten programs.

http://www.trustforearlyed.org/
The Trust for Early Education advocates for high-quality preschool education for all three- and four-year-olds. It works at the state and federal levels to educate policy makers and the public through research and partnership with state public education campaigns and national outreach.

www.zerotothree.org
ZERO TO THREE’s mission is to promote the healthy development of our nation’s infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. The program is dedicated to advancing current knowledge; promoting beneficial policies and practices; communicating research and best practices to a wide variety of audiences; and providing training, technical assistance, and leadership development.

PreK-3 Mathematics

K. Merseth. “How Old is the Shepherd? An Essay about Mathematics Education.” Phi Delta Kappan March 1993.
This article explores three crucial factors linked to America’s lower levels of mathematical achievement; society’s views on mathematics, the outdated and insufficient school curricula, and the lack of prepared teachers.

D. Ball, J. Ferrini-Mundy, J. Kilpatrick, R. Milgram, W. Schmid, and R. Schaar. “Reaching for Common Ground in K-12 Mathematics Education.” Available online at:
www.maa.org/common-ground/cg-report2005.html
Resulting from two meetings between mathematicians and mathematics educators, the document develops a list of key points for successfully educating K-12 students in the field of mathematics.

P. Daro. “Math Warriors, Lay Down Your Weapons.”
Available online at: www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/02/15/23daro.h25.html?print=1
After identifying a solid elementary school foundation in mathematics as the key to success for students, this document explores the changes needed to make that preparation possible.

R. Charlesworth. “Prekindergarten Mathematics: Connecting with National Standards.” Early Childhood Education Journal. Vol. 32. No. 4. February 2005.
This article examines the fundamental concepts necessary for Prekindergarten students to excel in mathematics, while also including descriptions of how parents and educators can instill those crucial concepts.

R. Gersten, N. Jordan and J. Flojo. “Early Identification and Interventions for Students with Mathematics Difficulties.” Journal of Learning Disabilities; Jul/Aug 2005.
Mathematical difficulties are the focus of this document; from existing capabilities for early identification, to the prospects of early intervention and the strategies educators can use.

L. Jacobson. “EWA Pre-K Education Survey: Pre-K and preschool coverage continues to grow.”
The EWA survey found that although Early-childhood education has recently become a considerable topic of interest for journalist, Prekindergarten issues are still not given significant coverage in the media.

“Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics” National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 2006
This document provides a set of focal points for educating students in mathematics, both in terms of short and long-term actions that can be taken by educators. The ideas presented serve as a development of Principles and Standards for School Mathematics which was published by the National Council of National Center for Children in PovertyTeachers of Mathematics in 2000.

L. Klein. J. Knitzer. “Effective Preschool Curricula and Teaching Strategies.” September 2006.
This article is a result of a meeting held by the (NCCP) with researchers, educators and policymakers which delved into ways that coherent curricula and professional development can impact the achievement gap between low-income and affluent Pre-K students.

“Helping Children Learn Mathematics.” American Educator. Fall 2005.
In this edition of American Educator, the importance of a foundation in mathematics is explored from every angle. A sample of subjects delved into include the transition in mathematics curriculum during the elementary school years and the level of preparation and experience that should be required to teach mathematics to children.

S. Griffin. “Number Worlds: A Research-Based Mathematics Program for Young Children.” In D. Clements, J. Saroma, and A.M. DiBiase (Eds.) Engaging Young Children in Mathematics. 2003.
This document explores the goals and features of the Number Worlds program, which starts by integrating children into the worlds of counting numbers, quantity, and formal symbols. Further aims of the program include helping children become aware of representations of numbers in our culture and creating visual-spatial learning environments.

S. Griffin. “Laying the Foundation for Computational Fluency in Early Childhood.” Teaching Children Mathematics. February 2003.
Dispelling the myth that computational fluency and number sense must be taught separately, this article examines the strong relationship between the two types of knowledge in early childhood development.

S. Griffin “Fostering the Development of Whole-Number Sense: Teaching Mathematics in the Primary Grades.” In M.S. Donovan & J.D. Bransford (Eds.), How students learn: History, mathematics, and science in the classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academics Press. 2005.
The foundation of this article is three important questions: Where are you now?, Where do you want to go?, and What is the best way to get there? The author has based her own classroom instruction on these three questions, and now uses them to guide other teachers on how to teach mathematics effectively in the Pre-K-2 years.

American Educator. Fall 2005.
In the Fall 2005 issue of American Educator titled “Helping Children Learn Mathematics,” a wide range of topics is explored; from developing a coherent curriculum to determining the level of mathematics knowledge a teacher must possess.

Clements, Doug. Sarama, Julie. “Creative Pathways to Math.”
Available online at: http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3422
This article suggests a variety of interesting ways to help students develop early skills in mathematics through their everyday activities.

Organizations:

The Program on Mathematics and Science Cognition and Learning, Development and Disorders: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Incorporating students from the Pre-K to undergraduate years, this Program involves research in every level of mathematical thinking and problem solving, while also focusing on scientific reasoning, learning, and discovery. The Program is just one facet of the NICHD, which encourages research on a variety of issues related to the health of adults, children, families, and communities.

Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum at the University of Missouri-Columbia
In order to bring about a significant improvement in mathematics education, the center advocates the development of coherent K-12 mathematics learning goals and standards.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
As a public voice of mathematics education, the Council disseminates research on mathematics education, works for policy improvements and assists teachers through professional development.

PreK-3 Teacher Preparation

Debra J. Ackerman, “Getting Teachers from Here to There: Examining Issues Related to an Early Care and Education Teacher Policy.” Early Childhood Research & Practice, Spring 2005.
This article discusses several research projects that have found that teachers who hold a BA, especially one relating to early childhood education, are more effective in the classroom and provide better-quality care. It considers the Abbott district project in New Jersey and uses findings from the project to propose how best to implement a BA-required policy on a wider basis.

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, “The Early Childhood Challenge: Preparing High Quality Teachers for a Changing Society.”
Available online at http://www.aacte.org/News_Awards/Press_Room/ECEpaper.pdf
This paper examines schools, colleges, departments of education, and other institutions involved in the process of preparing teachers in early childhood education. It calls for every preschool teacher to have both a bachelor’s degree and certification in the early childhood field.

Association for Children of New Jersey, “Does ‘Qualified’ Mean ‘Quality?’ Filling the Gaps of New Jersey’s Early Childhood Teacher Training System.”
Available at
http://cesp.rutgers.edu/events/PEI18.pdf
This brief discusses the results of a recent Foundation for Child Development report which examined resources for teacher preparation and professional development in New Jersey.

C. Lobman, S. Ryan, and J. McLaughlin. “Reconstructing Teacher Education to Prepare Qualified Preschool Teachers: Lessons from New Jersey.” Early Childhood Research and Practice, publication forthcoming.

Carrie Lobman, Sharon Ryan, Jill McLaughlin, and Debra J. Ackerman, “Educating Preschool Teachers: Mapping the Teacher Preparation and Professional Development System in New Jersey.”
Available online at
www.acnj.org
This report discusses New Jersey’s system of preschool teacher preparation and professional development. It examines the system’s ability to meet the demand for preschool teachers, documents the pedagogy behind training and development programs and workshops, and highlights the gaps between standards of what preschool teachers should know and the programs available to teach them.

Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, “Training the Next Generation of Teachers: A Preliminary Survey of California’s Higher Education Programs In Early Childhood Education and Child Development” (2004). Contributors: Marcy Whitebook, Ban Bellm, Erika Cruz, Michelle Munn, Joon Yong Jo, Mirella Almaraz, and Yuna Lee.
Available online at
http://repositories.cdlib.org/iir/iirwps/iirwps-101-04/.
This paper examines the college and university degree programs in early childhood education and child development offered by the state of California.

David L. Kirp, “Before School.” The Nation, November 21, 2005.
This article discusses California’s leading role in the movement toward publicly supported early education. The state has docketed a $2.3 billion initiative to ensure access to preschool for every child and will go to a vote in June 2006.

Debra Williams, “Testing Tykes,” Catalyst Chicago, Vol. XVII Number 2: October 25, 2005.
Available online at http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/issue/index.php?issueNo=115
The October 2005 edition of the magazine is dedicated to early childhood education, and the cover story deals with the complications and advantages of testing preschool-aged children.

E. Frede, “Assessment in a Continuous Improvement Cycle; New Jersey’s Abbott Preschool Program.” New York: National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force of the Pew Charitable trusts.
For information, contact: efrede@tcnj.edu.

New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood Education. “Abbot Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines.”
Available online at http://www.nj.gov/njded/ece/abbott/guidelines/guidelines.pdf
This paper contains a collection of Department of Education guidelines aimed at helping the state of New Jersey implement the orders given by the New Jersey Supreme Court to create the Abbott school districts.

New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood Education. “Giant Steps for the Littlest Children: Progress in the Sixth Year of the Abbott Preschool Program. Year Three Initial Update, 2004-2005. Early Learning Improvement Consortium.”
Available online at
http://www.state.nj.us/njded/ece/abbott/giantsteps/
This report provides the initial findings of the third year of the ELIC study. It reports that the Abbott preschool program has increased its reach and quality and that in its most recent year, it served over 39,000 children.

New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood Education. “Early Childhood – P-3 Programs in NJ.”
Available online at
http://www.nj.gov/njded/njpep/pd/p3/about.html
This report is an explanation of New Jersey’s newest teaching certificate, which certifies that a teacher is qualified to teach students from preschool to third grade. It explains the two possible processes by which individuals may receive the certificates, which are required of every teacher at the head of a classroom in an Abbott school district in New Jersey.

S. Herzenberg, M. Price, and D. Bradley. Losing Ground in Early Childhood Education: Declining Workforce Qualifications in an Expanding Industry. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2005.
Available online at
www.epi.org/content.cfm/ece
This report discusses the results of a study that finds that the Early Childhood Education sector can no longer consistently attract and hold onto well-educated teachers. The report calls for state and national policymakers to reverse the fall in the qualifications of ECE staff.

Sharon Ryan and Debra J. Ackerman, “Getting Qualified: A Report on the Efforts of Preschool Teachers in New Jersey’s Abbot Districts to Improve their Qualifications.”
Available online at
www.acnj.org
This report focuses on the demographics, salaries, and work experience of teachers who teach in the New Jersey Abbott school districts. It also describes their efforts to earn the bachelors degrees and P-3 certification mandated by the Court. The report is based on a 2002-2003 survey that polled 689 teachers.

William T. Gormley Jr., Ted Gayer, Deborah Phillips, and Brittany Dawson, “The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development.”
Available online at
http://www.apa.org/releases/dev416-gormley.pdf
This report relates the results of study comparing test scores of children just beginning pre-kindergarten with those of children just finishing it. The study found that test scores were higher for those who had completed pre-kindergarten across a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

W.S. Gilliam and C.M. Marchesseault. From Capitols to Classrooms, Policies to Practice: State-Funded Prekindergarten at the Classroom Level. “Part 1: Who’s Teaching Our Youngest Students? Teachers Education and Training, Experience, Compensation and Benefits, and Assistant Teachers.” New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center, 2005.
Available online at
nieer.org/resources/files/NPSteachers.pdf.
Discusses the state’s involvement in early childhood education and provides an overview of the descriptive data collected during the National Prekindergarten Study, concentrating particularly on the characteristics of teachers currently teaching in the prekindergarten space.

Research on Benefits of Preschool

http://www.highscope.org/Research/PerryProject/perrymain.htm
The Perry Preschool Project is a long-term research study that found that adults at age 40 who had the preschool program had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not have preschool.

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/index.cfm
The Carolina Abecedarian Project was a carefully controlled scientific study of the benefits of early childhood education for poor children. Those who participated in the study showed higher cognitive test scores from toddler through age 21.

http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cls/index.htmlx
The Chicago Longitudinal Study is a federally funded investigation of the effects of an early and extensive childhood intervention in central-city Chicago called the Child-Parent Center Program. Besides investigating the short- and long-term effects of early childhood intervention, the study traces the scholastic and social development of participating children and the contributions of family and school practices to children's behavior.

Steven W. Barnett and Jason T. Hustedt. Preschool: The Most Important Grade. (Educational Leadership, 60 no. 7 [2003]: 54.)
http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200304_barnett.html
The authors present evidence showing that preschool investment yields academic and economic returns that outweigh the costs of intensive high-quality programs. Preschool is presented as a fundamental foundation upon which all future academic success is built.

Developmental Education: The Value of High Quality Preschool Investments as Economic Tools (Washington, DC: Committee for Economic Development, 2004).
http://www.ced.org/docs/report/report_preschool_2004_developmental.pdf
This paper outlines the ways governments could further educational growth and success by supporting local schools in the same way that they support local economic and infrastructure development.

Robert G. Lynch. Exceptional Returns ( Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2004).
http://www.epinet.org/books/exceptional/exceptional_returns_(full).pdf
This paper centers on the idea that a publicly financed, comprehensive Early Childhood Development program for all children from low-income families may cost billions of dollars annually, but would create much larger budget savings over time by creating a better educated, more highly skilled workforce over time that would contribute to the U.S. economy.

Preschool for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society ( Washington, DC: Committee for Economic Development, 2002).
http://www.ced.org/docs/report/report_preschool.pdf
This report deems universal preschool access a worthy goal of both the states and the federal government. The way for this to happen is through a close partnership between states and the national government consisting of incentives and assistance, and by establishing acceptable standards.

Response to Intervention

M.R. Coleman, V. Buysse, and J. Neitzel. “Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities.” Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Institute, 2006.
Available online at
http://www.fpg.unc.edu
This document examines the background and current capabilities of the Recognition and Response strategy, while also emphasizing a need for continued research and development. The authors address the new focus on the detection of learning disabilities among Pre-K children, as opposed to traditionally waiting for discrepancies between I.Q. and academic performance to appear.

D. Fuchs, D. Mock, P.L. Morgan, and C.L. Young. “Responsiveness-to-Intervention: Definitions, Evidence, and Implications for the Learning Disabilities Construct.” Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 18, no. 3 (2003): 157-171.
In this report, the authors delve into the debate over the way in which educators should identify children with learning disabilities. Their main focus is an examination of all aspects of the two versions of Responsiveness-to-Intervention; the "problem-solving" model and the "standard-protocol" approach.

G.R. Lyon et al. “Rethinking Learning Disabilities,” in Rethinking Special Education for a New Century. Washington DC: Progressive Policy Institute and Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2001.
Focusing on bringing the approaches of learning disabilities into the new millennium, this paper highlights the discrepancy between theory and practice in the field of Special Education. The document attempts to move educators forward in the hopes that they will take advantage of the scientific research of the last three decades to develop informed policy.

L.C. Moats. “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to DO.” Washington DC: American Federation of Teachers, 1999.
Available online at
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/rocketsci.pdf
This report emphasizes the crucial link between the development of strong reading skills and success in the classroom and beyond. The author addresses the significant obstacles facing teachers trying to develop these necessary reading skills, while also calling for the changes in teacher preparation and professional development necessary to overcome them.

S.E. Shaywitz et al. “Persistence of Dyslexia: The Connecticut Longitudinal Study at Adolescence,” Pediatrics 104, no. 6 (1999): 1351-1359.
Available online at
http://www.pediatrics.aappublications.org
For this study, adolescents were chosen from among the Connecticut Longitudinal Study of 1983, in which students had been diagnosed with Dyslexia during their early school years. Through an examination of their condition as young adults, this report attempts to draw conclusions about the amount of progress one can expect from early detection and treatment of Dyslexia.

Florida Center for Reading Research
http://www.fcrr.org/
Founded in January 2002 by Governor Jeb Bush, the Florida Center for Reading Research seeks to combine initiatives in research, policy, and technical assistance in order to advance literacy in Florida’s schools.

International Reading Association
http://www.reading.org/resources/issues/focus_rti.html
Since 1956, the International Reading Association has consisted of professionals striving to instruct readers of all ages. The organization makes it their goal to promote literacy on three levels; improving the methods of reading instruction, promoting new research and instilling the concept of reading as a life-long endeavor.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.
http://www.nasdse.org/projects.cfm
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc. works with state education agencies to maximize educational opportunities for children with disabilities. One facet of the organization, The Response to Intervention Project, attempts to facilitate the successful implementation of RtI by providing information for educators and policy-makers.

National Center for Learning Disabilities
http://www.ncld.org/
At the core of the National Center of Learning Disabilities is an emphasis on the dignity of every person. The organization aims to provide opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities of all ages, whether in the classroom, the workplace or beyond.

RtI website
http://www.ncld.org/content/view/1002/389/
The Response to Intervention website offers a variety of resources to help parents and educators understand this new strategy, which stresses early detection of learning disabilities in PreK children.

Recognition & Response website
http://www.recognitionandresponse.org/
The Recognition & Response website provides information and strategies for educators of children between three and five in an effort to facilitate the early detection of learning disabilities.

National Research Center on Learning Disabilities
http://nrcld.org/
The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities participates at all levels of the struggle for effective educational opportunities for students with learning disabilities. The organization conducts educational research, formulates recommendations, disseminates findings and provides technical assistance at local, state and national levels.

U.S. Department of Education IDEA website:
http://idea.ed.gov/
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that guarantees services to children with disabilities, including access to special education and early intervention programs.

Wrightslaw
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/rti.index.htm
The Wrightslaw website offers articles, free publications and recommended websites to provide a greater understanding of all that the successful implementation of Response to Intervention entails.

State of Early Childhood Education

Margaret Blood. Our Youngest Children: Massachusetts Voters and Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Their Care and Education. A Report on the Findings from Strategies for Children (Boston: Stride Rite Foundation, 2000; ED 451 887).
Full Text from ERIC
This Massachusetts statewide study examined the opinions of voters, child-care experts, and opinion leaders regarding early child care and education in order to inform a statewide effort to meet the early childhood education needs of Massachusetts children.

Barbara T. Bowman et al. Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers ( Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2000).
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309068363/html/
Eager to Learn is about the education of children ages two to five. It focuses on programs provided outside the home, such as preschool, Head Start, and child-care centers, noting that learning success depends on whether and to what extent children’s natural inclination to learn is engaged by supportive environments in their early lives.

Building the Foundation for Bright Futures (National Governors Association Task Force on School Readiness, 2005).
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0501TaskForceReadiness.pdf
The National Governors Association’s Task Force on School Readiness sought to identify actions that governors and states can take to support families, schools, and communities in their efforts to ensure that all children start school ready to reach their full potential.

http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org
Child Trends Databank is a resource documenting the latest national trends and research on over 90 key indicators of child and youth well-being

Education Week on the Web. The State of the States (January, 2002).
http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/qc02/templates/article.cfm?
slug=17sos.h21
This informational website presents a comprehensive picture of what is happening in education policy in the 50 states and in Washington DC. It reports on student achievement across the states and grades them on standards and accountability.

Linda M. Espinosa. High Quality Preschool: What It Looks Like and Why We Need It (Washington, DC: National Institute for Early Education Research, 2002).
http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/1.pdf
This brief uses the latest research findings and best practices recommended by the NAEYC to describe the features of a high-quality preschool program in terms of what’s critical for the child, family, teacher, curriculum, and classroom.

William T. Gormley Jr. and Deborah Phillips. The Effects of Universal Pre-K in Oklahoma: Research Highlights and Policy Implications (CROCUS Working Paper) ( New York: Foundation for Child Development; ED 482 858).
Full Text from ERIC
Oklahoma is one of three states to offer a free, voluntary prekindergarten. Evaluations of this program showed strong positive effects on childrens’ cognitive and language test scores, but not on social-emotional or motor skills. This report analyzes which ethnic and social groups benefit most from this service

William T. Gormley Jr. and Jessica K. Lucas. Money, Accreditation, and Child Care Center Quality (Working Paper Series) ( New York: Foundation for Child Development, 2000; ED 446 851).
Full Text from ERIC
This report examines whether it is a good policy to offer higher reimbursement rates to accredited child care facilities and to assesses the relative merits of public policies other than those that seek to improve U.S. child care.

Wade F. Horn. “Improving Head Start: A Common Cause.” Head Start Bulletin 76 (2003).
http://www.headstartinfo.org/publications/hsbulletin76/hsb76_02.htm
Statement outlining the efforts to focus not merely on procedure but also on outcomes and results of the Head Start program.

The Nation’s Report Card: Reading Highlights (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Studies, 2003).
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2003/2004452.pdf
A report consisting of general performance statistics based on nationwide standardized testing.

The State of Preschool (Washington, DC: National Institute for Early Education Research, 2004).
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf
Nationwide report on prekindergarten programs presenting state-by-state statistics and results.

Status of Early Care and Education in the States ( Washington, DC: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2004).
http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R264.pdf
This report provides a snapshot of the need for and availability of quality early care and education in the United States.