This Roadmap provides a system-level vision for the state of Colorado to plan and provide support to families, early care and education (ECE) providers, PreK-12 educators, and other professionals to ensure all children experience successful transitions to kindergarten. The document highlights strategies at both state and local levels, and for both “sending” (ECE) and “receiving” …
Transitions to Kindergarten in Colorado: A Roadmap Read More »
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 »
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 »
As states and school districts navigate plans for Fall 2020, we are hosting a series of conversations with education decisionmakers in state education agencies (SEAs) and school districts. We believe better and smarter ideas emerge when colleagues have the space for open discussion and deliberation. This resource provides a summary of our conversations to date and …
What types of PreK-3rd grade alignment efforts are school districts making? What challenges are they encountering? In what ways does state policy facilitate or hinder alignment efforts? A new study by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) examined these questions. The authors interviewed representatives from 25 districts that have preschools on one or more of …
PreK-3 Alignment: Challenges and Opportunities in California 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 »
To raise achievement in predominantly disadvantaged school districts, the Program Evaluation Division (PED) of the North Carolina General Assembly recommended focusing on early childhood learning, defined as the years birth through 3rd grade. The PED summarized their work: “predominantly disadvantaged districts that perform well [average or better on standardized state tests] are already demonstrating above …
This report provides a series of recommendations to state education agencies and early childhood education partners that are aligned with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) publication, Promoting the Educational Success for Children and Youth Learning English (2017). The report aims to support coherent, research-based policy by guiding thinking, discussion, data collection, …
This series of four reports highlights the striking confluence of experience and science on one point: children learn best when we treat them as human beings, with social and emotional as well as academic needs. The report addresses the full PreK-12 continuum’s need to focus on social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD), yet succinctly embraces …
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 …
