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 report examines strategies implemented by four states to improve the kindergarten transition process: West Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. The authors describe actions each state has taken to address the difficulties that often arise in the transition to kindergarten and the opportunities and challenges with their various approaches. The report concludes with four policy
Connecting the Steps: State Strategies to Ease the Transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten Read More »
Research suggests that play, particularly up through 3rd grade, has become less prevalent in classrooms. The authors argue that with greater knowledge of child development and appropriate practices, principals would be more likely to understand that scaffolded play can and does lead to learning. In this brief, they conclude that principals who know best practices in
A False Dichotomy: Elementary Principals on Academics and Play Read More »
In order for elementary school principals to be effective early education leaders, they must establish a PreK-3rd grade culture and continuum within their schools; build relationships with families and other community early education providers; and ensure effective, developmentally-appropriate teaching and assessment within their schools. Further, to ensure that principals are knowledgeable about the unique nature of
Why Elementary School Principals Matter Read More »
This brief presents four actions for states and school districts to better support elementary school principals: [1] states should incorporate early childhood education into principal preparation programs; [2] states and school districts should provide ongoing professional learning opportunities related to early education; [3] states and school districts should invest in opportunities to bring elementary school
This policy brief argues that child care centers and Head Start programs should not be the only agencies trying to help their families navigate the new world of Kindergarten and elementary school. It asserts that elementary school principals should recognize the value in establishing relationships with center administrators and building connections between what happens before
Connecting Pre-K and the Early Grades: Principals on Transitions Read More »
The New America Foundation publicly launched the Dual Language Learners Work Group in January 2015. Work Group founder Conor Williams identified the following as priorities for their work: Conduct case studies of districts implementing innovative policies for supporting DLLs; Convene meetings of leading DLL advocates, researchers, and policy thinkers; and Provide a steady stream of
This paper identifies the unique personnel-related opportunities and challenges the early childhood education sector faces, and describes how these differ from those encountered in grades K-12. Whitebook concludes that the four cornerstones of a sturdy early childhood personnel structure–human capital development, the professional development infrastructure, the teaching context, and system finance–call for bold vision, creative
Accountability systems measure the professional practice of schools, and then help schools improve their practices as a means of achieving better student outcomes. States should build on the best ideas in both early childhood and K-12 accountability systems to create a single statewide education accountability system from birth through high school–one that sets the right
Education systems are increasingly expected to partner with parents and families to ensure the success of all students; however, the field struggles to characterize and measure parent engagement and its impacts. This report presents common indicators of parent engagement as a way to quantify parent-school collaboration. These indicators include: the percentage of parents who feel
