This report, developed by researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago, the National P-3 Center, Child Trends, and Dr. Kyle DeMeo Cook, summarizes the current state of research on the transition from Head Start to kindergarten and offers a theory of change to show how systems can work together to improve the experiences children and …
Head Start to Kindergarten Transitions: Research Summary Read More »
Do district policy changes that increase access to full-day school-based pre-kindergarten relate to improved 2nd grade academic outcomes? How? A study from Start Early, NORC at the University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research examined these questions based on a set of Chicago Public School (CPS) policy changes that began …
A Path to Equity: From Expanded Pre-Kindergarten Access to Success in Elementary School Read More »
This brief provides a review of recent research (2016-2021) on transitions to kindergarten. It focuses on [a] transition practices that children and families may experience directly; and [b] the policy levers that state and local policymakers can enact to support effective transitions to kindergarten. This brief was prepared for Education Commission of the States as …
Transition to Kindergarten: Findings from Recent Research Read More »
This Framework anchors much of the work conducted by the National P-3 Center. It is designed to address key questions facing those who are developing and implementing comprehensive P-3 approaches in their school, district, or community. The Framework is divided into eight major “buckets” or categories of effort that require alignment within and between 0-5 …
Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating P-3 Approaches Read More »
This report discusses why transitions from PreK to K matter, highlighting effective transition and alignment practices, explaining funding streams that can support transition planning and activities, and sharing state and local examples. The authors conclude with action steps for states, school districts, and elementary schools to consider to ensure smooth transitions into kindergarten using federal, …
Using Local, State, and Federal Dollars to Improve Pre-K to K Transitions Read More »
This report describes innovative efforts by schools and districts to ease the transition into kindergarten for families and students, including students without access to an ECE program prior to kindergarten. The paper highlights a range of approaches at different stages of development in schools and districts, highlighting Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub (Northeast Oregon), Multnomah …
This paper provides compelling evidence that Tennessee PreK students who subsequently experienced “sustaining environments” – meaning they attended high performing K-3 schools and were taught by highly effective teachers – significantly outpaced their peers who also attended high performing schools and had highly effective teachers but who had not attended Tennessee’s Voluntary PreK program.
This report takes an in-depth look at two school districts’ efforts to increase alignment and continuity between PreK and elementary schools, paying particular attention to mathematics. The comparative case study approach lays bare the complexity of this work – and also highlights how it can look quite different from one district to another. The authors …
This blog research about the quality of teaching in K-3. The punchline of the study is that dosage matters (year after year of consecutive good teaching) in closing achievement gaps. And, of great consequence, very few children receive consecutive years of good teaching during the early grades of elementary school (K-3). This is important as …
How the Opportunity Gap in K-3 Teaching Is Failing Our Students Read More »
This study, conducted in Dallas Independent School District (TX), shows that students in consecutive years of high-quality classrooms (PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade) outperform their peers in lower-quality classrooms. The district has adopted a data-driven instructional coaching approach that provides targeted support to early elementary teachers.
