With the 2012-2013 school year, California established a new grade level—Transitional Kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year kindergarten experience for students who turn five between September 2 and December 2. When TK began, there were many questions from parents and other stakeholders. This is the third in a ...
Young children experience various types of early care and education environments the year before they enter kindergarten. This report examines data to explore relationships between children’s primary care and education arrangements the year before kindergarten and their academic skills and learning behaviors at kindergarten entry. ...
This spotlight takes a look at the history of Title I, how the program has changed over time, and how it affects children, schools, families and education policy. Experts weigh in on the program's past and future in interviews, briefs, and blogs.
The Reauthorizing ESEA Pocket Guides are written by AIR experts to assist policymakers and educators as they consider changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
The New Mexico Public Education Department developed the Kindergarten Observation Tool (KOT) as a multidimensional observational measure of students’ knowledge and skills at kindergarten entry. This study examined the construct validity of the KOT to determine whether data from a field test supported using the KOT to measure six school ...
Providing English language instruction has important implications for millions of children nationwide. This Statistics in Brief report uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, focused on the Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, to examine students who participated in English language programs. ...
Addressing persistent challenges in education, health care, and workforce requires evidence-backed approaches. For nearly 75 years, AIR has researched key issues and offered insight into the effectiveness of many strategies. Read our policy primer to explore our body of evidence covering issues such as COVID-19, early childhood, school climate, the ...
Research has firmly established that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for future success in school and in life, yet a September 2018 report shows that young children’s educational experiences are inconsistent across the U.S. and around the world. The Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators ...
Through home visiting, child development specialists, speech therapists, and other professionals work with families and their children in their homes to assess children’s development and health, as well as bolster parenting skills. Consistent, correct use of evidence-based practices by practitioners such as home visitors can help improve children’s outcomes. AIR ...
A December 2015 AIR study finds that Transitional Kindergarten, the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for young five-year-olds in California, appears to improve children’s school readiness in critical areas of academic learning and development. Researchers Karen Manship and Heather Quick explain how and suggest next steps. ...