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Early Childhood Transitions: Preparing Children andFamilies for Change.Appalachia Educational Lab., Charleston, W. Va.; WestVirginia Education Association, Charleston.Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),Washington, DC.RP91002002Nov 9483p.Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Inc., DistributionCenter, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348(0).Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055) -- ReferenceMaterials - Directories/Catalogs (132)MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.Agencies; Agency Cooperation; Early ChildhoodEducation; Early Intervention; EducationalCooperation; Educational Resources; *Family SchoolRelationship; *Interschool Communication; PreschoolChildren; Program Effectiveness; *School CommunityRelationship; *School Effectiveness; *SchoolReadiness; *Transitional Programs

IDENTIFIERS Program Characteristics; West Virginia

ABSTRACTThe West Virginia Education Association and the

Appalachia Educational Laboratory formed a study group to examinetransition. activities used in West Virginia by preschool, Head Start,kindergarten, and early intervention programs. The study groupmembers developed a program identification form and a programdescription form, which were disseminated to 100 transition programs.This guide provides findings from the 24 responding programs. Thesefindings concern demographics, program rationale, activity types,decisionmaking, staff development, communications, records transfer,resources, and accomplishments and obstacles in relation to earlychildhood transition activities. Developed for educators and careproviders, the guide includes: an introduction with background on thework of the Early Childhood Transition Study Group, a rationale forthe importance of transition practices developed from a review ofrelated literature, a description of the methodology and findingsfrom responses to the group's Program Description Form, andrecommendations for practitioners. The following areas of difficultyfor transition programs were acknowledged: (1) communicating acrossagencies and with families; (2) identifying and reaching out tochildren with limited program resources; (3) sharing records withoutbreaching confidentiality; (4) coordinating procedures with otheragencies while adhering to funding agency guidelines; (5) helpingchildren and families visit new settings; and (6) finding time forsending and receiving program teachers to craft individuallyappropriate transition efforts for all children and their families. AService Provider Directory of study respondents and a bibliography onearly childhood transitions are included. Appendices contain theEarly Childhood Transitions Study Group Program Identification Form,Program Description Form, a Reflections and Recommendations Form andelements and exemplary practices for home, school, and communitylinkages. A separately published brochure, "Easing the Transitionfrom Preschool to Kindergarten, A Guide for Early Childhood Teachersand Administrators," is attached. (AA)

*le

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOthce 01 Educational Remearch end Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERICI

sAThis document has been reproduced asreceived from the DerSon or organizationoriginating .1

0 Minor changes have been made 10 improvereproduction Quality

Points 01 view or opinion; svited in this document dO not neCessanly represent oil 'alOEM posmon or policy

Early Childhood Transitions:Preparing Children and

Families for Change

A Joint Study by

WVEAWest Virginia Education Association

and

Appalachia Educational Laboratory

November 1994

Funded in part by the

Office of Educational Research and improvementU. S. Department of Education

Washington, D. C.

Early Childhood Transitions: Preparing Children and Families for Change

The Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL), Inc., works with educators in ongoing R & D-

based efforts to improve education and educational opportunity. AEL serves as the RegionalEducational Laboratory for Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia and operates theEisenhower Regional Math/Science Consortium for these same four states. It also operates theERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.

AEL works to improve:professional quality,curriculum and instruction,community support, andopportunity for access to quality education by all children.

Information about AEL projects, programs, and services is available by writing or calling AEL.

Post Office Box 1348Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1348

304/347-0400800/624-9120 (toll-free)

304/347-0487 (FAX)

Help Us Improve AEL Publications

Readers are requested to complete the product evaluation formincluded within and to fold, staple, and return it to AEL.Suggestions for future AEL publications are welcome.

This document is available from AEL's Distribution Center for $5.00,postage and handling included.

This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the Office of EducationalResearch and Improvement, U. S. Department of Education, under contrinct number RP91002002.

Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of OERI, the Department, or any other agency of the

U. S. Government.

AEL is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

West Virginia Education Association & AEL November 1994

ii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary vii

Introduction 1

Planning and Conducting the Study 1

Purpose 2

Rationale 3

What Is Transition? 3

Why Are Transition Services Needed? 3

What Are Effective Transition Services? 4

What Are the Effects of Transition Services? 7

Legal Requirements for Early Childhood Transitions 11

Methodology and Findings 15

Methodology 15

Demographic Data 16

Transition Activities, Services, and Practices 17

Professional Development on Transition Issues 18

Communications and Gaining Support 19

Transition Readiness 19

Transfer of Records Upon Transition 20

Program Evaluation 20

Accomplishments 21

Obstacles 21

Resources 22

Recommendations 22

Service Provider Directory 25

Bibliography 32

Appendices 34

Appendix A: WVEA-AEL Early Childhood Transitions Study Group:Program Identification Form 36

Appendix B: WVEA-AEL Early Childhood Transitions Study Group:Program Description Form 38

Appendix C: WVEA-AEL Early Childhood Transitions Study Group:Reflections and Recommendations Form 42

Appendix D: Continuity in Early Childhood: A Framework of Home,School, and Community LinkagesElements and Exemplary Practices 46

"Easing the Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten, A Guide for Early Childhood Teachers and Administrators"

(provided with each copy of product disseminated)


iii


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The West Virginia Education Association(WVEA) and the Appalachia Educational Labora-tory (AEL) wish to thank the following educators,the WVEA-AEL Early Childhood Transitions StudyGroup who developed Early Childhood Transitions:Preparing Children and Families for Change. Their timeand efforts spent in literature review, survey devel-opment and distribution, data analysis, writing,and editing are much appreciated.

Lynn Bolen, Director, SouthwesternCommunity Action Head Start TransitionDemonstration Project, Huntington

Lou Ann Fenney, Associate Director, RiverValley Child Development Services,Huntington

Rose Mary Irwin, Kindergarten Teacher,Summers County Schools

Cynthia Lemon, Head Start Teacher,Kanawha County Schools

Kathy McCullough, Parent and ChildAdvocate, Charleston

Dee Dee Simoneau, Child Care Coordina-tor, River Valley Child DevelopmentServices, Huntington

Diana Startzel, Kindergarten Teacher,Boone County Schools

Carol Williams, Preschool Coordinator, Officeof Special Education Programs and Assurances,West Virginia Department of Education, was ac-tively involved in the study. She gave assistance inconceptualizing the study, nominating members,providing resource documents, disseminating Pro-

gram Identification Forms, and reviewing the gn)up'sproduct. Also collaborating on study group formu-lation and member nomination were Barbara Merrill,Early Childhood Specialist, Governor's Cabinet onChildren and Families and Sharon Flack, Early Child-hood Specialist, West Virginia Department of Edu-cation. Carol Perroncel, Early Childhood Specialist,AEL, provided numerous resources and responsesto questions throughout the group's work. Thefaculty and administrators of study group memberschools and programs were most accommodatingduring study group member program visits andmeetings, and were responsive to questions.

Essential to this project were those directors andstaff of preschools, Head Start programs, Early Inter-vention (E.I.) programs, child care referral services,and kindergartens who responded to the ProgramDescription Form and to followup questions. Theirtime and efforts, like those of study group members,were voluntary and their responses compose thefoundation of the document. Many provided addi-tional descriptive information beyond what wasrequested. Contact information for each is providedin the Service Provider Directory.

AEL works with educator associations to iden-tify topics of interest to educators and to involveeducators as members so that the resulting studygroup publications will be useful. As in previousWVEA-AEL study groups, the WVEA presidentKayetta Meadows, a former kindergarten teacher,was helpful in conceptualizing the study, nominat-ing members, and reviewing the final document.Additional thanks go to Dennis Giordano, WVEAexecutive director for reviewing the document, andto Jackie Goodwin, WVEA communications direc-tor, for assisting the study group's search for transi-tion programs and for announcing, copying, anddisseminating to members Early Childhood Transi-

West Virginia Education Association & AEI. November 1994


(ions: Preparing Children and Families for Change.The final publication is enriched by the accom-

panying brochure, "Easing the Transition from Pre-school to Kindergarten, A Guide for Early Child-hood Teachers and Administrators," which waspublished by the Head Start Bureau of the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. Therecommendations offer sound advice in a clear andconcise format for those facilitating early childhoodtransitions between a variety of settings. Thanks tothe Bureau for providing the guide for each dissemi-nated copy of the study group's product.

Finally, AEL staff who worked to blend the

voices of many into one document, and who re-searched, developed, edited, rewrote, and typesetthe final copy contributed greatly to the quality ofthis publication. The authors wish to thank thefollowing AEL staff who contributed:

Soleil GreggJane HangeCarolyn LuzaderCarla McClurePatricia PennMarsha PrittSara StrickerKaren Simon


vi


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Will all children start school ready to learn in theyear 2000? If the nation is to reach its first educationgoal by the year 2000 or later, collaboration amongearly childhood educators, care providers, socialand health service agencies, and families will beessential. High-quality programs of developmen-tally appropriate care and education are necessarynot only in the home, but also in external care set-tings, pre-school, Head Start, kindergarten and pri-mary grades, and early care providers. These agen-cies and families must interact to ensure that all ofsociety's children including those most vulnerablethe disadvantaged and developmentally delayedchildrenwill start school on equal footing withothers of their age. To help close the gap between the"have" and the "have-not" children will requireexamining and improving transition processes thatassist all children and families as they move frompreschool to medical service to social serviceagencywhile also providing support as these chil-dren progress from early intervention to Head Startor from preschool to kindergarten.

Federal funds are now available to educatorsand social service programs, such as Head Start andearly intervention, to establish and extend effectiveprograms. New opportunities exist to serve eligiblechildren who have not been identified or previouslyserved. "Helping children should be viewed as aninvestment, not a cost, since failure to act surely willmean far higher payments later on in remedial edu-cation, in unemployment, in crimein wasted livesand promises unfulfilled" (Boyer, 1992, p. 11).

With many public and private entities servingyoung children and continually seeking to improvetheir programs, the casual observer might concludethat the needs of most youngsters are being fully

met. Research has concluded otherwise. Studiesthat have looked at the problem of transitions (i.e.,Love, Logue, Trudeau, and Thayer, 1992) haveshown that the dissonance created during transi-tions is especially difficult for children. This feelingof destabilization affects children as they bouncefrom care provider to care provider when changestake place in the family or when finances fluctuateand care circumstances are altered. Those who arethe most significantly affected are the children in thecritical growth years of birth through eight.

Children and families in West Virginia encoun-ter the same discontinuities of care as do those inmore urban areas when they face transitions. They,too, face unfaminar surroundings and care provid-ers, uncertain continuity in conditions that nurturedevelopment, and unlikely chances for proper as-sessment and communication of progress to newcare providers. The rural nature of the state compli-cates transition since social services are often cen-tered in the few major cities, preschools are nonexist-ent in the most remote areas, and Head Start andearly intervention programs suffer from too fewchildren scattered over too wide an area to makeadequate service cost effective. Even with theseobstacles, individuals, schools, and agencies arechanging practices and policies to ensure smoothtransitions for children and families.

To investigate transition activities used in WestVirginia by preschools, Head Start and early inter-vention programs, the state's Head Start TransitionDemonstration Project, and kindergartens, a studygroup was formed. The West Virginia EducationAssociation (WVEA) and the Appalachia Educa-tional Laboratory (AEL) sponsored the group ofrepresentatives of those most involvedearly child-


VII


hood care provider directors, Head Start and kinder-garten teachers, and parent/child advocates. Work-ing with the West Virginia Department of Educationand the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Fami-lies, WVEA and AEL identified individuals andinvited their participation. Study group membersand the AEL facilitator then conceptualized thestudythe identification of early childhood transi-tion activities used in representative settings in thestate.

Study group members developed a ProgramIdentification Form and Program Description Formwhich AEL disseminated to more than 100 "transi-tion stakeholders" identified by collaborating De-partment of Education staff. Those receiving theforms included Head Start and Head Start Transi-tion Demonstration Project directors, preschool di-rectors, Early Intervention specialists (special needschild assistants), the state's child care director, spe-cial education representatives, parents, and othersconcerned with continuity between preschool andschool settings for children. Reminder forms weremailed and phone interviews conducted to clarifyresponses, when necessary, to provide a sampling oftransition activities used in early childhood settingsthroughout the state.

Early Childhood Transitions: Preparing Childrenand Families for Change presents study group find-ings from the 24 responding programs. These find-ings concern demographics, program rationale, ac-tivity types, decisionmaking, staff development, com-munications, records transfer, resources, and ac-complishments and obstacles in relation to earlychildhood transition activities. A directory of earlychildhood service providers reporting transition ac-tivities is also included in this study as is a bibliogra-phy on early childhood transitions.

Also included are recommendations from re-spondents and study group members and from re-lated research on the organization and operation of

-.activities that provide smooth transitions for chil-dren and their families.

Respondents currently employing transitionactivities and study group members acknowledgeddifficulties of (1) communicating across agenciesand with families; (2) identifying and reaching out tochildren with limited program resources; (3) sharingrecords without breaching confidentiality; (4) coor-dinating procedures with other agencies while ad-hering to funding agency guidelines; (5) helpingchildren and families visit new settings; and (6)finding time for sending and receiving programteachers to craft individually appropriate transitionefforts for all children and their families. While fewprograms had formal methods of evaluating theeffectiveness of their transition activities, most re-lied on feedback from families and receiving pro-gram staff.

Respondents to the Program Description Formand study group members most frequently recom-mended the following:

Communicate early and often with all partiesand identify why transition is helpful to each.

Develop working relationships with staff inreceiving programs. Establish staff exchangesbetween programs to observe practices.

Use a global release of information for all agencies

involved.

Hold spring and fall transition meetings orworkshops to orient parents.

Work with families to empower them to see alloptions (public or private school, child care,Head Start, etc.) and to make decisions that bestfit their needs and the child's.

Listen to the individual child and to the family.

Develop a transition plan and stick to it.


viii


EARLY CHILDHOOD TRANSITIONS:

PREPARING CHILDREN AND

FAMILIES FOR CHANGE

This document, developed for educators andcare providers, is organized into the following sec-tions: an Introduction with background on the workof the Early Childhood Transitions Study Group, aRationale for the importance of transition practicesdeveloped from a review of related literature, adescription of the Methodology and Findings fromresponses to the group's Program Description Form,Recommendations for practioners, a Service Pro-

vider Directory of respondents to the study, and aBibliography. This guide does not profess to includedescriptions of all early childhood transition ser-vices in West Virginia. It provides insights fromindividuals currently using practices that help chil-dren and families make successful transitions be-tween programs. To that end, it should be useful tothose seeking to establish or improve connectionsbetween agencies and schools that help children.

INTRODUCTION

Planning and Conductingthe Study

The path between home and school, in terms ofchild development, may today be much more con-voluted than in the past. Frequently, children ofsingle parents or two working parents are shuttledbetween relatives, two or more child care providers,clinics, and/or social service agencies during thecourse of a typical week. During the five-year pe-riod before a child typically enters full-day schoolsessions, he or she may have experienced a differentchild care setting as often as every few months.While children frequently seem to adjust to changeperhaps more quickly and flexibly than do theirparents, the number of transitions and the ease withwhich the child and family make transitions mayaffect normal development and/or the bonding be-tween the child and family members or caregivers.For this reason, the West Virginia Education Asso-ciation (WVEA) and the Appalachia Educational

Laboratory (AEL) sought to identify effective tran-sition services defined as those offering stability tochildren and families while developing connec-tions among service settings when change is neces-sary. Continuity versus discontinuity horizontally,as children move among settings at a given time,andvertically, as they move between care/ educationsettings over time, is the goal of effective transitionservices and activities (Kagan, 1992). The challengeconfronting the study group was to locate WestVirginia programs that assisted children and fami-lies in horizontal transitions (among current set-tings) and vertical transitions (across the years asthey moved to new care providers or to kindergar-ten).

WVEA president Kayetta Meadows, a formerkindergarten teacher, and AEL's Classroom Instruc-tion program staff proposed a study group of earlychildhood educators, child care providers, and par-ents to investigate transition activitie: in West Vir-ginia early childhood settings. Early childhood spe-

West Virginia Education Association & AEL November 1994 1

4k.)1.


cialists from the Governor's Cabinet on Childrenand Families, the West Virginia Department of Edu-cation, WVEA, and AEL assisted with the nomina-tion of study group members.

Study group members, including one director ofchild care services, one director of early interventionservices, one director of a Head Start transition pro-gram, one Head Start teacher, two kindergartenteachers, and one parent advocate for special needschildren, began their work in December 1993. Thegroup identified the development of a guide totransition activities as their final product and as-sisted in the development of a Program Identifica-tion Form (Appendix A) to begin locating programswi transition activities/ services. Dissemination ofthe Form began with a statewide Transition Stake-holder Meeting convened by the West Virginia De-partment of Education Office of Special EducationPrograms and Assurances. Members then followedup with two mailings of the Program DescriptionForm they developed (Appendix B) to the more than90 West Virginia transition stakeholders identifiedby Office staff. Study group members with transi-tion activities in their programs also completed theProgram Description Form. A total of 23 completedProgram Description Forms were returned. Re-sponses from these Forms are the basis of theMethology and Findings and the Service ProviderDirectory sections.

Study group members (1) reviewed data fromthe Program Description Forms, (2) completed itemanalysis across program responses for specific ques-tions, (3) compiled the Service Provider Directory ,(4) completed a review of legal requirements fortransition, and (5) reviewed and edited drafts of thisdocument. During the course of the group's work,meetings were held at members' facilities to observeearly childhood programs and discuss transitionwith educators associated with the programs. Addi-tional advisors to the group included BerthaCampbell, consultant in professional developmentto the national Head Start Transition DemonstrationProject, and Sandra Barkey, Director of the Office for

2

Exceptional Children, Kanawha County (WV)Schools. Study group members completed a Recom-mendations and Reflections Form (Appendix C) toprovide suggestions to those interested in beginningtransition activities and to evaluate the study groupprocess. Data from these responses and from Pro-gram Description Form responses comprise the Rec-ommendations sub-section.

AEL staff developed the Introduction and Ratio-nale sections and the Bibliography, and edited allsections to form the final draft. This draft wascritiqued by three external content experts; CarolMitchell, Office of Educational Research and Im-provement (OERI), Washington, DC; Carol Will-iams, Preschool Coordinator, Office of Special Edu-cation Programs and Assurances, West VirginiaDepartment of Education; study group members;the WVEA president; and the WVEA executive di-rector. Final changes were incorporated, the docu-ment was typeset, and camera-ready masters wereproduced by AEL staff. Both AEL's DistributionCenter and WVEA print and disseminate Early Child-hood Transitions: Preparing Children and Families forChange upon request.

Purpose

WVEA, AEL, and study group members expectEarly Childhood Transitions: Preparing Children andFamilies for Change to serve as a guide for earlychildhood educators in preschool or K-12 settingswho seek to establish smooth transitions for childrenand families. By offering a description of transitionactivities and observations on obstacles as well asaccomplishments, the guide should assist readers inlearning about common transition activities and inavoiding problems experienced by others. Studygroup members have summarized information re-ported by early childhood program contacts. Noendorsement or verification of activities reported isstated or implied. Readers are encouraged to writeor phor e program directors for further information.



RATIONALE

What is "transition"?We have focused on school outcomes,forgetting that if children do not have agood beginningif they are not wellnurtured and well loved during the firstyears of lifeit will be difficult, if notimpossible, to compensate fully for suchfailings later on. (Boyer, 1991, p. 4)

In Ready to Learn, A Mandate for the Nation, Boyerrecommends a seven-step approach to helping fami-lies prepare children for school. While these goalsare laudable, today transitions are often haphazardbetween the home, child care, Head Start programs,age 0-3 early intervention programs, other preschoolsettings and kindergarten.

Change between settings during the child's dayor week as well as change between settings acrossthe years are referred to as "transitions" by manyand as "continuity" by others (Kagan, 1992, Re-gional Educational Laboratories Early ChildhoodCollaboration Network, 1993). Love, Logue,Trudeau, and Thayer (1q92), in their national studyof transitions to kindergarten, define transition as"those activities initiated by schools or preschools tobridge the gap between the preschool and kinder-garten experiences" (p. 6). Kagan's emphasis dis-criminates between vertical continuitytransitionsthat bridge the gaps between major time periods ofa child's life, e.g., home to preschool and preschoolto schooland horizontal continuitytransitionsthat bridge gaps within the same time frame, e.g.,between health, social service, or education/childcare providers during the same day, week, ormonth.

As early childhood researchers have focusedmore intently on transitions between and amongsettings for children and their families, a clear cry for

a continuum of services throughout the birth to ageeight (or beyond) period has been advanced andexemplary practices introduced (see essential ele-ments identified by the Regional Educational Lalo-ratories Early Childhood Collaboration Network inAppendix D). Seamless delivery of services is nowthe stated objective of many programs, yet identify-ing effective transition activities currently in opera-tion is difficult. Also, offering transition servicesdoes not guarantee that the services will be effectivefor children and families most in need.

Why are transition services needed?There is no inherent value in continuity for its

own sake. Some discontinuity of experience is anormal part of maturation. Children learn from newexperiences, and over time learn that expectationsvary in different settings. The concern here is thattransitions for young children may be overly abruptand that children may go from a situation that isappropriate for their age and developmental levelsto one that is not. (Love et al. p. 6)

Love et al. state that only 21 percent of districtsreported a "wide range" of transition activities andfew schools within districts could identify a varietyof such services. In a national survey completed in1993 by the National Center for Education Statistics,only 27 percent of public school kindergarten teach-ers assumed that by the end of the kindergarten yearall children would be ready for first grade. Addi-tionally, while 85 percent of kindergarten teachersindicated that they regularly practice one of the mostcommon transition activitiescommunicating withfirst grade teachers about the child's progress todatecommunication between preschool and


14:


kindergarten teachers is much more infrequent. Evenproximity of the preschool and kindergarten pro-grams in the same school does not en ure communi-cation among teachers. Love et al. reported thatrystematic communication between kindergartenteachers and all previous caregivers or teachers aboutthe entering children was described by only 10 per-cent of respondents to his national survey of schooldistricts.

Kagan described several challenges faced bychildren as they move from home and preschool tothe elementary grades including:

spending more time away from home;

adjusting to an elementary school environmentthat is likely to place more emphasis on formaleducational experiences, including acquiringreading and mathematics skills and being tested,than in their prior experiences;

sharing the attention of the teacher Tith morechildren than before;

in some cases, not having the child's prioraccomplishments and strengths in preschoolrecognized and built upon; and

possibly as a result of such lack of recognition,being unnecessarily misplaced or even retainedin one or another elementary school level orprogram. (p. 1)

Similarly, Copple, Deich, Brush, and Hofferth(1993) discuss the obstacles to learning readinessthat exist within and without the child care/educa-tion realm of services for young children and fami-lies. For example, while only a healthy child can beready to learn, low birth weight, prenatal alcoholsyndrome and drug addiction, inadequate prenatalnutrition, exposure prenatally and in infancy tosmoking, lack of proper immunizations and pediat-ric care, lead poisoning, poor health practices, andlack of access to health care all jeopardize 3 child'sability to learn. Although a stable and caring envi-ronment supports learning, elements such as di-

vorce, single-parent families, teenage parents, pov-erty, abuse and neglect, homelessness, unsafe homesand neighborhoods, inadequate parenting skills, and

71111111=

stress associated with all these factors can contributeto learning difficulties. Finally, while a child canlearn to his /her full potential in an engaging, re-sponsive school environment, inappropriate teach-ing practices, crowded classrooms, unsafe schools,lack of bilingual instruction, lack of parental in-volvement, and little coordination between schooland social service agencies all create roadblocks tolearning (pp. 5-9).

Although many of these obstacles may not beviewed as unf'.er the control of schools, without thedeliberate attention of early childhood educators toovercome these challenges, children, especially thosefrom low-income families, will continue to flounderupon reaching new settings. Research into the learn-ing of young children indicates that development isbest facilitated when basic needs are met and whenchildren are firmly grounded in their present stageof developme oi context, and appropriately chal-lenged to r. :3 to the next stage or setting (RegionalEducation:a Laboratories, p. 5). Sharing informa-tion about children and programsbetween preschooland kindergarten teachers, care providers, and so-cial service agencies can reinforce the continuum ofintegrated services and smooth transitions. Butcommunication is only one of a wide array of transi-tion activities or strategies.

What are effective transition'rvices?

Transition is establishing an effective workingrelationshipbetween the sending and the receivingagencies. Therefore, successful transition necessi-tates effective interagency coordination. The keys tointeragency collaboration are perceptions, interper-sonal dynamics, participation; and communication(Byrd, Rous, Stephens, Dyk, and Perry, p. 13).

Transition services should occur not only inschools and preschool programs and between schoolsand families, but services are also needed amongeducators, care providers, and social service agen-cies. In their description of essential elements ofcontinuity, researchers from the Regional Educa-tional Laboratories Early Childhood CollaborationNetwork include eight critical elements and de-

4 West Virginia Education Association & AEL November 1994


scribe indicators characteristic of practice for eachelement. The elements are listed below. Indicators ofexemplary practice for each are provided inAppendix C.

1. Family, school, and community partners shar-ing leadership and responsibility for decisionmaking.

2. A continuum of family-focused, comprehen-sive, integrated services.

3. Policies, programs, and practices that demon-strate the education, involvement, and empow-erment of families.

4. Policies, programs, and practices that demon-strate a sensitivity to the culture and languageof children and their families.

5. Communication among all adults who are re-sponsible for the children's care and education.

6. A coordinated approach to staff developmentacross agencies to enhance implementation ofhome, school, and community linkages.

7. Developmentally appropriate and culturallysensitive curriculum, instruction, and assess-ment.

8. Documentation and reporting of outcomes whichare used to refine and /or expand linkages (p. 6).

In their review of the literature describing pro-cesses especially suited to preschool-kinder-garten-grade one transitions, Love and associatesidentified three critical elements: (1) preschool pro-grams that have the potential for producing benefitsthat are worth retaining, (2) an effective elementaryschool program, and (3) a transfer process witheffective activities and events designed to overcomediscontinuities. In their analysis of survey and sitevisit data, Love et al. reported the following at-tributes of effective transition:

coordination (including curriculum continuityand orientation visits for teachers, parents, andstudents) and communication between thekindergarten and any prekindergarten programsthe children come from;

parent involvement in transition; and

formal written policies relating to transition andcontinuity (p. 59-60).

Kagan reported the following effective transi-tion elements gleaned from a study of 15 sites of theHead Start Transition Project:

written transition agreements between HeadStart programs and the schools;

consistent and devoted attention to children'sneeds at the time of transition, including theorderly passing on of written records and homevisits;

transition efforts that function throughout theyear;

training for parents in dealing with the publiceducation system; and

visits by kindergarten teachers and children toHead Start programs, and vice versa (p. 7).

Specific models of effective early childhood tran-sition programs are available for study. Love, in hisdiscussion of structural arrangements, transitionactivities, and approaches to continuity, describesfindings from the study's eight site visits. Structuralarrangements that appear to support continuity in-clude the locating of developmental preschoolswithin the school and designating regional earlychildhood education centers that serve all childrenin preschool through grade two or higher. Both ofthese approaches provide opportunities for teacherinvolvement in effective strategies such as: (1) imple-mentation of developmentally appropriate curricu-lum from preschool through elementary school; (2)frequent visitations and communications betweenpreschool and elementary teachers; (3) sharing ofrecords on students; (4) common professional devel-opment experiences for teachers of all levels; (5)student visitations across programs and multiagegrouping; and (6) continuity in communicationswith families.

Sugarman (1991) described the advantages of anearly childh ood system, a "set of arrangements un-der which individuals, programs, and activities workwith one another" (p. 37). Suggestions appropriate


1.4

5


to the continuity of service to children include:

Arranging complementary services (e.g., for achild attending a part-day Head Start programin the morning and a family child care programin the afternoon).

Making it possible for a child to remain in thesame program even though the source of fundingchanges.

Arranging program services that a single serviceprovider cannot efficiently provide (e.g., familyinformation, advanced training, child assess-ments).

Arranging linkages that are too complex forservice programs to make on their own (e.g., useof Medicaid funds and a community health andmental health services).

Establishing training and staff developmentprograms that serve many providers and createcareer opportunities. (p. 37).

Sugarman proposes the creation of a "state coor-dinator" position in each state to (1) serve as advo-cate for young children; (2) oversee development ofthe early childhood elements of each of the federallyrequired state plans; (3) negotiate working agree-ments with Head Start grantees; (4) negotiate work-ing agreements on program responsibilities amongproviders; and (5) negotiate working agreements forcollaborations with state, local, and private agenciesthat provide specialized services for children andfamilies. Another essential aspect of the systemsapproach to collaboration for early childhood transi-tions is the opportunity for program improvementsthrough the cooperation of agency representativesin joint subsystems cn planning, family information,child assessment, nutrition and nutrition education,eligibility requirements, and other areas (pn). 37-45).

Copple et al. described five characteristics com-mon to the 24 "promising comprehensive state andlocal strategies" they ident:fied that address na-tional education goal #1:

Comprehensiveness, flexibility, and integrationof services for children and families;

A focus on the whole family and the child asfamily member;

6

Accessible, client-centered services;

Environment and strategies conducive tobuilding relationships of trust and respect withchildren and families; and

Emphasis on prevention rather than remediation.

Collaboration is key to ensuring continuity inservice to children and families across the years.Recognizing the importance of interagency relation-ships in Readiness for School, The Early ChildhoodChallenge, the Southern Regional Education Board(SREB) described programs that incorporate this.These include (1) the "LINK" project in Tulsa, Okla-homa that has nurse practitioners visit child carecenters and screen children up to age six for physicaland developmental problems and link children toappropriate agencies for assistance; (2) WestVirginia's Governor's Cabinet on Children and Fami-lies which organizes and facilitates planning andfunding for comprehensive programs of social ser-vices in rural communities; and (3) Kentucky's Fam-ily Resource Centers, which provide social and healthservices appropriate to community needs within theschool system's elementary schools (SREB, 1992).

Collaboration for education is central to theHome Instructional Program for Preschool Young-sters (HIPPY) in Arkansas and other states in whichparents attend support groups and training sessionson a weekly basis to ease the transitions betweenpreschool and kindergarten for children and fami-lies (SREB, 1992). Community collaboration is alsothe focus of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition toEducation in the Public Schools) that established aservice delivery model and parent training for insur-ing successful transition of special needs childrenfrom preschool to school settings and, with federalassistance, expanded to a system for model demon-stration and dissemination (Byrd et al.).

Finally, uniting the partners (families, child careproviders and educators, and health/ social serviceagencies) can work successfully at different levels.Once they have identified their own needs and be-gun to explore solutions that require the assistanceof others, agencies can decide to cooperate, coordi-nate, or collaborate to achieve the level of interde-pendence they want to or can achieve. Relationships



among agencies that begin with cooperation canmove as trust is developed over time to greaterinterdependence in functions characteristic of col-laboration.

. What are the effects oftransition services?

Transition across settings has been more care-fully addressed during the expansion of services toyoung children, especially those with developmen-tal delays. This has occurred during the past thirtyyears with the passage of federal legislation regard-ing individuals with disabilities and the creation ofthe Head Start program for children who are disad-vantaged. Yet careful documentation and evalua-tion of the effectiveness of transition programs hasjust begun.

The 1992 comprehensive study by Love andassociates looked at the transition requirements ofthe Head Start program and the demonstration pro-grams begun by Head Start to extend support forchild development into the primary grades. In theirdiscussion of Follow Through, Project Developmen-tal Continuity and the Administration for Children,Youth, and Family (ACYF) "National Initiative onTransition from Preschool to Elementary School,"the authors described findings from evaluation stud-ies of transition projects. For example, the ACYFreported that as teachers increased their participa-tion in transition activities, they rated higher thepreparedness of Head Start children and rated lowerthe initial stress of children entering school. Princi-pals and teachers who participated more in tra. tsi-tion activities reported greater involvement withparents.

Additional findings from the Love et , exami-nation of evaluation studies related to transitionprojects include the Abecedarian Project, a "care-fully controlled early intervention program in NorthCarolina." Children from six weeks to kindergartenage were served in a program with primary empha-sis on parent involvement, child health, and cogni-tive and social stimulation. "Preliminary studies ofprogram effectiveness showed trends similar to thoseof other early intervention projects: benefits for

participating children plateaued in early elementaryschool. When participants entered first grade, halfwere randomly assigned to a home /school resourceteacher who provided liaison services to familiesand teachers. Third grade test results found that interms of both IQ scores and achievement data, themost successful children were those who partici-pated in both the early intervention and elemental.;support and the children with the poorest outcomeswere those without benefit of either service" (p. A-7).

Other effects of transition programs were notedin the Love et al. analysis. The Brookline EarlyEducation Project was a school-based program de-signed to prevent school-related difficulties withservices for parents and to offer programs for chil-dren from infancy to age five. While a range ofsocioeconomic levels was represented, most partici-pating families were middle class. Love reported:"Participating children, upon reaching second grade,were found to have significantly fewer classroombehavior problems and less difficulty in reading."However, increased staff outreach was necessary toproduce these effects for children whose parents hadless formal education (p. A-8).

Retention in grade and extra-year programs aretwo approaches to transition that are commonlyused in schools but rarely have been supported byresearch findings. Holmes's (1989) meta-analysis of64 studies on retention showed only nine with posi-tive effects of these common practices. While thoseretained showed an immediate advantage after re-tention, this declined until after three years no differ-ence existed between those who were and those whowere not retained.

While more than 40 states report readiness ortransition classes, research has not proven the utilityof this means of transition. Smith and Shepard(1989) reported that "two years in kindergarten,even when one year is labeled 'transition program,'fail to enhance achievement or solve the problem ofinadequate school readiness" (p. A-10).

Transition is specifically addressed in federalrequirements related to young children with dis-abilities. Early Intervention programs, mandated bythe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA) and federally funded to assure assistance toall children age 0-3 with developmental impair-



ments, are required to include policies and proce-dures to "ensure smooth transition" between set-tings. Such policies and procedures must includedescriptions of how families will be involved; notifi-cation to the receiving setting; and convening (withparental consent) of a conference of all parties toreview the child's program options and to establisha transition plan. Head Start program educators arealso required to prepare plans that address transi-tion of children from early intervention programsinto Head Start and from Head Start into next place-ments. These include individual child transitionplans and individual family support plans. Prepara-tion of staff to -work with children with all types ofdisabilities (including severe) for these transitions isalso stipulated. Interagency agreements that detailthe roles and responsibilities each agency fills inproviding or paying for services are also required ofEarly Intervention programs and all programs forchildren with disabilities aged 0-21 (including HeadStart programs).

Summaries of evaluation findings have beenreleased on the Head Start demonstration projectsthat focus on "a unified and continuous program ofcomprehensive services beginning in Head Startand continuing through at least third grade." Se-lected recommendations from early analysis of thesedata in "The Head Start-Public School TransitionDemonstration, What Are We Learning?" (Admin-istration for Children, Youth, and Families, 1993)include:

Although transition may be seen as everyone'sresponsibility, in order for the process to keepmoving it must be someone's full time job, notjust an item in multiple job descriptions.

Since nondegreed staff are trained in childdevelopment and kindergarten and primaryteachers are trained in early childhood edu-cation, issues resulting from differences in "howchildren learn" and "how to teach youngchildren" have to be addressed in a variety ofways to ensure continuity of curriculum andclassroom practice, and for the overall transitionexperience for children to be successful.

Attrition rates of between 12 and 53 percentmust be reduced to establish continuity ofservices for children and families.

8

Few intact Head Start classes move together tobecome members of the same kindergartenclasses. Ways to increase this practice and / or toreduce the complexity of transition activitiesacross multiple receiving and sending agenciesneed to be identified.

"Turf" issues and battles are real and must bedealt with before progress can be made. Evenperceived rather than real "turf" issuesnegatively affect the behavior of the individualswho hold them.

Families care about their children. They willbecome as involved as the programs/schoolswill let them. Schools are opening earlier andstaying open later. Stereotypes of "poor" ordisadvantaged families are being destroyedthrough active family participation.

Everyone affected or likely to be affected mustbe involved before the important decisions aremade and before the final designsand processesare in place.

This section of Early Childhood Transitions: Pre-paring Children and Families for Change has definedearly childhood transitions and responded to the"what, why, and how" questions based on recentliterature. The remaining sections examine the"what" and "where" of early childhood transitionprograms and activities in West Virginia through asummary of responses to the Program DescriptionForm (Appendix B). Demographics; activities, ser-vices, and practices; communication; professionaldevelopment; resources; accomplishments and ob-stacles; evaluation methods; legal requirements; pro-gram descriptions; and recommendations toimplementors from both Description Form respon-dents and study group members are included, alongwith a bibliography.

The "who" question can best be answered byyou, the reader. Successful transitions for youngchildren and their families will require efforts thatmay fall beyond the scope of current job descrip-tions. As an educator, child care provider, socialworker, health care professional, parent, or guard-ian, you may need to initiate change on behalf ofchildren if the benefits of continuity are to be real-ized. Your assistance may be in the form of interven-



lions for one child and family or in the creation ofcoordinated practices and policies that benefit manychildren and families this year and in years to come.The full merit of your ideas and actions may or maynot be recognized. Perhaps a test of significance to

apply would be to ask what would become of thechildren if your new initiative for smooth earlychildhood transitions never occurred. Study groupmembers and cosponsors of this publication, WVEAand AEL, wish you much success.



LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR

EARLY CHILDHOOD TRANSITIONS

In the world of early childhood education andchild care services, many providers are taking ac-tions to offer assistance to children and families,especially for special needs students, as they transi-tion between home, early intervention, preschool,and kindergarten settings. The focus to date hasbeen on establishing transition services for thosemost in need or most likely to encounter difficulty inregular settingsspecial needs children and thosefrom disadvantaged families. These actions, in mostcases, are in response to more than 27 federal lawsv,,Ith sections relating to young children and numer-ous laws, policies, and regulations established at thestate level in response to federal legislation andfunding priorities (Sugarman, p. 22).

Of the laws, three sections of federal legislationmost directly require states to establish specific prac-tices and requirements regarding transitions in con-junction with early intervention for special needschildren or Head Start programs. Two of thesesections are Parts H and B of the Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA was origi-nally passed in 1975 as the Education for All Handi-capped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), whichwas modified and superseded in 1990 by IDEA. PartH (section 303.148) of IDEA relates to transitions forchildren from ea.ly intervention (services for chil-dren from 0-3 years) to preschool programs. Part B(section 300.54) also refers to transition of individu-als from Part H to Part B or from preschool to schoolor to other programs for children aged 3-21. Thethird section that requires action on transitions bystates and local education agencies is Head Startlegislation (reauthorized as part of the Human Ser-

vices Reauthorization [Augustus Hawkins] Act, en-acted in 1990 with later amendments). IDEA isadministered by the U.S. Department of Education,Office of Spe Education, except for Part H, whichis administered in West Virginia by the Departmentof Health and Human Resources. The Head StartProgram is regulated by the Department of Healthand Human Services, Administration for Children,Youth, and Families.

Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act, Summary ofProvisions Relevant to Early

Childhood Transitions

IDEA, Part H

To qualify for federal Part H funds, IDEA re-quires that each state's Part H application "ensure asmooth transition for individuals participating inthe early intervention program under this part whoare eligible for participation in preschool programs(Part B of Act)." This application must include (1) adescription of how families will be included in thetransitional plan and (2) a description of how thePart H agency will (a) notify the appropriate localeducational agency or intermediate educational unitin which the child resides, (b) convene, with theapproval of the family, and the local educationalagency or unit, at least 90 days before the child'sthird birthday, or if earlier, the date on which thechild is eligible for the preschool program in order toreview the child's program options for the period



from the child's third birthday to the school year'send and establish a transition plan; and (c) establishan interagency agreement to ensure coordination ontransition matters if the state education agency is notthe lead agency.

Part H regulations require that state guidelinesto ensure smooth transitions for children consider:

financial responsibilities of all appropriateagencies;

responsibilities for performing evaluations ofchildren;

development and implementation of anindividualized education program (IEP) or anindividualized family service plan (IFSP) foreach child consistent with the law;

coordination of communication betweenagencies and the child's family; and

mechanisms to ensure the uninterruptedprovision of appropriate services to the child.

Part H requires an IFSP for all children andfamilies receiving early intervention services. AnyIFSP must include steps that will be taken to supportthe transition of the child to preschool services, ifappropriate, or other services. These steps mustinclude:

discussions with, and training of, parentsregarding future placements and other mattersrelated to the child's transition;

procedures to prepare the child for changes inservice delivery, including steps to help thechild adjust to and function in a new setting;and,

with parental consent, the transmission ofinformation about the child to the local educationagency, to ensure continuity of services, in-cluding specified evaluation and assessmentinformation.

Part H further specifies that states can choose touse Part H funds to provide a free appropriate publiceducation, in accordance with Part B of the Act, forchildren with disabilities from their third birthday tothe beginning of the following school year.

12

IDEA, Part B

States must develop policies and procedures toensure smooth transition for children currently inearly intervention programs under IDEA, Part Hwho will enroll in preschool programs under IDEA,Part B. These must include methods of administra-tion such that when a child turns age three an IEP, oran IFSP, has been developed and implemented.

Part 301 of IDEA, Part B, establishes the Pre-school Grants for Children with Disabilities pro-gram that provides funding for special educationand related services to children aged 3-5 with dis-abilities. At the state's discretion, these preschoolfunds may be used to provide a free appropriatepublic education to two-year-old children with dis-abilities who will reach age three during the schoolyear. The section describe's parameters for services,funding requirements for states to obtain federalfunds, and distribution requirements for dispersalof grant money by states. While the program ben-efits transition between current services for childrenwith special needs aged 0-3 years and those in ser-vices for age 3-21, these regulations do not outlinewhat form appropriate transition services for chil-dren should take. Section 300.152 of Part B explainsfederal requirements for interagency agreementsthat must be addressed in each state's plan underIDEA, Part B. These agreements must specify finan-cial responsibilities and procedures for resolvinginteragency disputes in addition to describing agencyresponsibilities for services.

Head Start

The Head Start Bureau of the Administration onChildreit, Youth, and Families (ACYF) governs bothHead Start and the Head Start Transition Demon-stration projects. While funding levels have notpermitted Head Start programs to serve the manyadditional children who qualify to enroll, reauthori-zation in 1990 provided funds for program expan-sion and an additional $5,048,000 was made avail-able in late 1994 to those who qualify to open newprograms or to expand existing ones. These fundsshould expand and enhance the Head Start mission:to provide comprehensive development services(health, nutritional, education, social, and other ser-



vices) primarily to low-income preschool childrenand their families to help children achieve their fullpotential.

The Head Start performance standards for chil-dren with disabilities require state attention to tran-sition aspects including:

Development of a disabilities service plan whichaddresses, among other things, strategies for thetransition ofchildren into Head Start from earlyintervention services and transition of childrenfrom Head Start into next placements. Pre-paration of staff and parents for the entry ofchildren with disabilities (with particularemphasis on children with severe disabilities)into Head Start is required.

The disabilities service plan must includecommitment to interagency agreement with theschools and other agencies in the service area.

Such agreements must include participationin Child Find (identification in thecommunity of children eligible for services);joint training of parents and staff;procedures for referral, IEP meetings, andplacement decisions; transition; resourcesharing; information sharing; and otheritems agreed upon by both parties.

Informing parents of children with disabilitiesof their rights under tit? Individuals withDisabilities Education Act; offering support toparents of children with disabilities as they enterfrom infant /toddler programs.

Notifying the school by Head Start staff incooperation with parents of the planned enroll-ment of children with disabilities.

Head Start Transition DemonstrationProject

Through this initiative, funded in 1991 by HouseResolution 4151-17, federal funds are available toHead Start agencies and school districts to extendHead Start services to low-income children and fami-lies from kindergarten through third grade. Sup-portive services, including health, immunization,mental health, nutrition, parenting education, lit-

eracy, and social services are provided along withactivities to include the active involvement of par-ents in the education of their children (Sugarman, p.71). The project is designed as a three-year evalua-tion with comparable demonstration and controlgroups of Head Start and regular education studentsstudied at the 32 sites currently in operation. Nomore than one site per state may be funded. (See theService Provider Directory for the West Virginiaproject.)

Transition to Success Act of 1994

At press time for this document, legislationentitled the "Improving America's Schools Act of1993" had been proposed in the U.S. Senate thatwould establish, if enacted, Transition to SuccessChallenge Grants. The Department of Health andHuman Services would make available grants toschool districts that have formed consortia withearly childhood development programs (includingHead Start) to develop and operate programs thatassist low-income elementary school students inkindergarten through third grade and their families.Services that should be included in proposals are:

a supportive services team of family servicecoordinators to assist families, administrators,and teachers to respond to health, immunization,mental health, nutrition, social service, andeducational needs of students;

home visits and assistance to families;

a family outreach and support program includinga plan for involving parents in the managementof the program;

assistance to families, administrators, andteachers in enhancingdevelopmental continuitybetween the programs assisted under the HeadStart Act, other early childhood programs, and,elementary school classes; and

preparation of a plan for the transition of eachchild from Head Start, or other early childhooddevelopment program, to kindergarten.

Coordination between existing service programsand education and social service agencies would berequired with passage of this legislation. Specific



examples include development and implementa-tion of systematic procedure for receiving records onchildren who enter school from Head Start or otherearly childhood development programs; establish-ing channels of communication between school staffand agency counterparts; conducting meetings in-volving staff of sending and receiving agencies orprograms; and organizing and participating in jointtransition-related training of staff of all programsconcerned.

Summary

Additional legislation, other than the major re-quirements discussed above, contains references toearly childhood transitions (e.g., Even Start). Thereader should note the common elements called forin the above laws or regulations. These are focusedon:

serving underserved children or those withspecial needs and their families;

14

establishing communication and collaborationacross service providers and between agenciesand schools;

involving participants including families andservice provider staff in meaningful decision-making and management of programs; and

reaching children and families where they are inhomes and through rural and urban centers.

The role of the parent as the first teacher of thechild is acknowledged as is the importance of main-taining continuity of service to ensure smooth tran-sitions. Current and future legislation that contin-ues these emphases on communication and collabo-ration with all parties should greatly aid the progressof the nation toward the achievement of nationalgoal 1: By the year 2000, all children in America willstart school ready to learn.


2,

Early Childhoo,; Transitions: Preparing Children and Families for Change

METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS

MethodologyThe first task of the study was to identify West

Virginia child care providers, schools, and otherearly childhood settings that regularly use activitiesto ease the transitions between settings during agiven year and/or as the child progresses from onecare provider to the next or to kindergarten. TheAEL staff facilitator met with West Virginia Depart-ment of Education staff involved with transitionsthe Early Childhood Specialist and the StatewidePreschool Coordinator of the Office of Special Edu-cation Programs and Assurancesand with the EarlyChildhood Specialist of the Governor's Cabinet onChildren and Families for assistance in locating pro-grams. The Office of Special Education was simulta-neously coordinating a Transitions Task Force toidentify concerns and develop recommendations forstate policies and procedures to be implemented atthe local level for early childhood transitions. Tocoordinate the wort of the study group with theTask Force and to contact those individuals mostlikely to be involved with transition activities, per-sons throughout the state who were identified bytheDepartment of Education as "transition stakehold-ers" were selected as the target group.

The Program Identification Form (Appendix A)developed by study group members was distributedat a Transition Stakeholders Meeting held by theOffice of Special Education and mailed to all whoregistered for the event. The Identification Formexplained the study group's focus and asked respon-dents to recommend programs that address transi-tions between preschool and school by "offering

stability to children and families while developingconnections among service settings when change isnecessary." Study group members also completedforms and recommended individuals who shouldreceive a copy of the Identification Form. Thegroup-developed Program Description Form (Ap-pendix B) was mailed to program contact personsnamed on the returned Identification Forms. A

followup mailing to all Identification Form recipi-ents included a second copy of the IdentificationForm and the Program Description Form, shouldthey choose to recommend their own programs orshare it with others. A total of 105 transition stake-holders identified by the Department of Educationand study group members received the ProgramDescription Form, the Identification Form, and acover letter explaining the study and requestingtheir participation. These stakeholders includeddirectors of private preschools, Early Intervention(0-3 special needs child identification and assistance)services, Head Start programs, the Head Start Tran-sition Demonstration Program in the state, and thestate director of child care.

Twenty-four completed Program DescriptionForms were returned to AEL following the initialand followup mailings. This was a 25 percent re-sponse rate. Study group members determined that,based on transition service descriptions, twenty-threeof the programs could be included for further analy-sis. However, inclusion in this document does notimply an endorsement of the transition or otherservices of any providerby AEL, WVEA, or the WestVirginia Department of Education. Selected respon-dents were contacted by phone to provide missing


2,;


information or further program details where neces-sary.

Study group members used frequencies andemergent category analysis to identify commonali-ties in responses as they individually summarizedthe data across all programs in developing the Find-ings section of the document. Due to the low re-sponse rate, the reporting of frequencies was usedalong with conclusions drawn from the data andexample statements typical of the most frequentresponses. The study intended to identify transitionprograms and activities where they existed. Conclu-sions about all West Virginia chile are providers,kindergarten classes, Early Inter\ .3r HeadStart programs should not be drawn. hv.. _ yer,boththe low number of Forms returned as well as thepaucity of transition activities described by theserecommended transition stakeholders may indicatethat few early childhood care providers and thereceiving schools' kindergarten programs have in-stitutionalized transition services. The followingsections report the findings.

Demographic DataAll 23 respondents completed Section I of the

Program Description Form (see Appendix B), whichinquired about program type; enrollment; years ofoperation; ages of children served; affiliation of pro-gram (fiscal agent); community type served; andstaff number, type, and ratio of staff to students.Contact information is included in the Service Pro-vider Directory section of this document. The typesand frequencies of programs are shown in Figure 1.

The program respOndent was most often thedirector or a professional staff person. The respon-dents reported service to a broad spectrum of ages ofchildren, ranging from birth to teenage. The pro-grams were based in a variety of settings, includingpublic schools (6), social service agencies (6), private(6), and one church-based. While services for chil-dren may have occurred in a school, center, or homesetting, the "base" indicated the fiscal agent or spon-soring agency for the grogram.

Thirteen of the programs served primarily ruralpopulations with a sizable number serving subur-ban and urban populations as well. Only two pro-grams did not serve a rural population. More thanhalf of the programs described services to specialneeds children. A few programs did not report ser-vices to this population.

The programs also represented a variety of sizes,both in terms of total enmilment and total staff.Program enrollments ranged in size from 27 to 712children, with an average of 170. Total staff variedgreatly based upon the type of program (i.e.,home-based versus center-based), and also uponrespondents' views of staff as full-time, part-time,contract, and / or volunteers. The range was from 4to 120 staff members with the majority of programsreporting 25 or fewer. Staff to child ratios appearedcorrelated to the age of the children served, with thelower ratios found with younger populations. WestVirginia law for child care programs requires staff tochild ratios of 1:4 for infants and toddlers up to agetwo, 1:8 for two-year-olds, 1:10 for three-year-olds,1:12 for four-year-olds, and 1:15 for five tosix-year-olds. The highest ratio reported was 1:16,the state limit for child care of school age children.

Preschools and Child Care Centers (10)

16

Head Start Programs (5)

Early Intervention/Special Education Programs (4)

JKindergarten Programs (2)

Head Start Transition Demonstration Program (1)

Child Care Referral Agency (1)

Figure 1. Types and Frequencies of Programs


24


The predominant staff types in center-based pro-grams were teachers and aides, while home-basedprograms consisted largely of special educators andsocial service coordinators. Contract staff were pri-marily therapists (physical, occupational, andspeech), psychologists, and nurses, although manyprograms employed therapists in full or part-timepositions. Several of the programs indicated havingparents as volunteers or on staff at least part-time.

The programs reported are representative of atransition stakeholder group and, while diverse,they may not fully capture the types of transitionservices available to West Virginia children andfamilies. However, similar transition issues, such asthe difficulties of communications between service

providers, appeared in response to many items.These findings are reported in the following sec-tions.

Transition Activities, Services,or Practices

Section III, item #1 of the Program DescriptionForm asked respondents to check any from among14 transition activities, generated by study groupmembers, that were used by their program and todescribe others not listed. Of the 24 completedForms received, three did not include responses tothis item. Figure 2 records total frequencies ofactivities, services, or practices.

Child visitations to new settings (19);t1

Staff exchange visitations/observations (17)

liStaff reviews or mini-staffings of children (14)

(Written plans for transition, shared with staff -11, shared with parents-11 (14)

117-Tome visits (13)

Child contacts between settings (buddies) (8)

Child interviews (7)

Sharing photos of "new" and "old" settings (5)

Bringing something old into new setting (2)

Pen /picture pals sharing between settings (1)

I it, .47..44.-

Figure 2. Frequency of Transition Activities Used by Programs

West Virginia Education Asscciation & AEL November 1994 17

2


Eleven respondents suggested additional ac-tivities, services, or practices, including a "Move UpDay;" a Kindergarten Book completed by children toshare with the new setting's teacher; workshops forteachers and parents as orientation; an introductionto cafeteria meals and procedures; a picnic at thereceiving site; a parent meeting regarding transpor-tation and assistance with local board of educationmember; a visit to or from school buses; a circlediscussion with children about moving to a newsetting; monthly parent committee meetings; totalinclusion of all preschool-attending five-year-oldsinto the kindergarten class every Friday; and Transi-tion Substitutesaides who assist special needs chil-dren in kindergarten classes during the first 90 daysof the year. Written plans were less frequentlyindicated by preschool program respondents.

While this item provided data on one of the mostcritical elements of the studyassistance currentlypracticed to ease children and families through tran-sitionsthe extent and diversity of activities re-ported varied with the type of program. For ex-ample, written plans for transition are required of allHead Start, Head Start Transition Demonstration,and Early Intervention programs. All respondentsof these programs indicated they had such plans andshared them with parents and staff.

Professional Development onTransition Issues

Twenty-two program contact persons re-sponded to Section III, item #2, which requested adescription of professional development sessionsabout transitions that were provided for staff. Ofthese, several respondents discussed professionaldevelopment conducted by program directors forstaff, parents, and volunteers. Others describedworkshops or series of sessions presented for teach-ers receiving children from their programs, e.g.,Head Start or kindergarten teachers. All of theseresponses are grouped as program-provided staffdevelopment in Figure 3. All Early Intervention andHead Start program respondents reported partici-pating in local, regional, state, and / or nationalworkshops or conferences on transitions as part ofmandated training. Two respondents mentionedtheir work with the statewide Early Childhood Tran-sition Initiative. The staff and director of one pro-gram described participation in the multi-year De-partment of Labor training leading to Early Child-hood Apprenticeship certification.

Figure 3 describes the range of responses to thisitem. Multiple forms of professional developmentwere reported by some resisondents, accounting formore than 22 responses.

Program team or staff meetings at regular intervals (teacher, therapist, service coordinator, others) (8)

kParticipation in conferences (local, state, regional, and national) (6)

Program-provided staff development (quarterly, semi-annually, annually) (6)

Preschool Interagency Council training sessions (1)

IrStaff 7ng in Department of Labor Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program (1)

No staff development on transitions conducted or attended (4)

18

11111111116,

Figure 3. Frequency and Type ofProfessional Development Used by Programs


26


Perhaps not surprisingly, professional develop-ment regarding early childhood transitions was mostoften reported by programs that are required by lawto have written policies and established proceduresfor receiving and sending children to and from otherprogramsEarly Intervention and Head Start pro-grams. The size of the program also appeared corre-lated to the provision of professional developmentlarger programs reported more professional devel-opment attended by staff and presented by staff forparents or teachers, aides, and social service coordi-nators receiving their children. Finally, several re-spondents described staffings or information ex-change sessions, about specific children as profes-sional development. While these probably benefitsending and receiving programs and parents re-garding specific children, they may or may not ex-tend staff learning or experience in approaches tosuccessful transitions.

Communications and GainingSupport

The 16 respondents to Section III, item #3 pro-vided descriptions of methods they use to gain edu-cator and family support for their programs, twoimportant participant groups in the success of tran-sition activities. Interpersonal communication train-ing such as workshops, conferences, inservice ses-sions, and interviews, they concluded, benefit allinvolved in the transition process. However,one-to-one communications were mentioned mostoften. These took forms such as word-of-mouthcommunication of services for families; one-to-onecontacts and visits between preschool, Head Start, orEarly Intervention personnel and receiving programteachers; and ongoing communications between ser-vice providers and school system directors of specialeducation, principals, or board of education mem-bers. Public communication forms were also benefi-cial to, and required of, some service providers. Toassist in identification of special needs children,Early Intervention programs and others utilized let-ters to all families in the service region, televisionand radio public service announcements, and news-paper articles. Referral by physicians, schools, and

social service agencies linked many providers withchildren and families in need of assistance.

But, as one Head Start director stated, "It iseasier to locate those needing service than it is toserve them. Part of the difficulty lies in convincingthe parent that the child needs special attention."Creating an "open house" environment assistedmany programs as they encouraged families withnewsletters, parent activities, parenting classes, fam-ily volunteers on field trips, family advisory groups,and parent or guardian manuals. Finally, part ofmaintaining support lies in the added assistancesome programs reported such as linking families toother social service agencies and providing childcare for the children of teachers who would receive

the program's children.Familiarity of families and educators with pro-

gram services and staff were described as essentialto maintaining the programs and increasing theeffectiveness of transitions between programs. Onekindergarten teacher added, "The transition processis made easier when staff, parents, and children aredirectly involved. Communication opportunitiesneed to occur throughout the year to ensure continu-ity hi the transition process."

Transition Readiness

Age was the most frequently cited factor inresponse to Section III, item #4 regarding timing oftransitions from one setting to the next with nineprograms reporting this factor from the total of 23responses. Head Start programs transition childrento kindergarten in the school year beginning afterthe child's fifth birthday. Early Intervention pro-gram contacts responded that children are evalu-ated for six months prior to their third birthdays andtransition to school or to Head Start programs (orother services) at that age are based upon the recom-mendations from a multidisciplinary team meeting.

Head Start guidelines for determining readi-ness for transition are described in the CreativeCurriculum guide used by at least one respondingprogram. Observations, evaluations, anecdotalrecords, kindergarten screenings, and teacher rec-



ommendations are important to decisionmakingregarding transitions between preschools and kin-dergarten, several respondents added. Those in-volved in transition decisions include the Head Startand preschool teachers, Early Intervention special-ists, program directors, case managers, service coor-dinators, and other specialists familiar with the child.Most often the agency or school initiates the transi-tion process. Four programs mentioned that parentsdetermine when a child is ready for transition withdiscussion of options by a case manager.

Transfer of Records Upon TransitionItem #5 of Section III asked respondents, "Which

records are kept and which are transferred as thechild progresses?" Responses varied widely acrossprograms and within the three major types of serviceprovider programs respondingHead Start, EarlyInterveittion, and Preschools. Health records weremost frequently kept along with Individual Educa-tion Plans for special needs children. Results fromdevelopmental tests (Peabody, Child AssessmentSystem, Brigance, LAP, and others not specified),observation and anecdotal records, and Medicaidinformation were frequently mentioned as part of achild's permanent record.

Four Early Intervention programs transferred achild's records, two with permission of the parentsonly. Four Head Start programs transferred allrecords to schools where kindergartens would re-ceive the children, two with permission of parentsonly. Two Head Start programs transferred norecords and the Head Start Transition Demonstra-tion Program did not describe its transfer practice.The one kindergarten respondent and the preschool /kindergarten respondent indicated that the perma-nent record followed the child through school. Pre-schools varied the most across responses. Two indi-cated that no records transfer, two transferred recordswith parent approval, five reported the transfer of allrecords, and one did not describe their transfer prac-tice.

Consistency in collection of developmental pro-gress data across programs was not apparent norwas a clear understanding of issues of confidential-

20

ity of child records. While respondents within ser-vice provider categories most tightly regulated suchas Head Start and Early Intervention programs maynot have fully reported all records actually kept,some confusion seems to exist regarding the transferof such data. Further, while clear policies regardingdata collection and transfer of data may exist withinindividual preschool programs and the agenciesreceiving their children, much variance across pre-school programs was evident. The role of parentapproval in the release of data was apparent in manyresponses. Since transfer of data represents an ex-tension of con- ,unication strategies used by theprograms to benefit the child, many seem to beinitiating data transfer.

Program Evaluation"How do you know your program is effective?

Describe any evaluation conducted," asked item #6of Section III of the Program Description Form. Mostof he 19 responses to this item provided little detailon the methods of evaluation used. However, mul-tiple measures were reported by a few of the respon-dents. Feedback from parents when their childrenare in the program and following transition of theirchildren to new settings was critical to programevaluation for eleven programs, the most frequentlycited formal or informal evaluation method. Sixservice providers described annual or semiannualevaluations completed by parents and a seventhreported an annual interview with parents, whileothers described informal methods or did not specify.

Observing and measuring the progress of chil-dren was the method next most often reportedmethod (nine programs) for determining programeffectiveness. Few program respondents describedhow this information was collected, but an annualevaluation was named by one program and thefading of the need for Transition Substitutes wasmentioned by another. Feedback from the receiv-ing service provider or school following a child'stransition was named as an evaluation method byfour programs. Five programs also collected annualor more frequent evaluation data as directed by theirregulatory agencies (e.g., Head Start fiscal agents).One program surveyed staff annually regarding


2rL.


program effectiveness.A review of all forms of program evaluation

reported indicates that eight programs use someform of formal, usually written measure while oth-ers drew conclusions from student progressdata onchildren in and transitioned from program servicesand from verbal feedback from parents. One pro-gram indicated that their continued funding andreceipt of referrals measured their effectiveness. Fiveprograms indicated they were using no formal meansof evaluation and did not report informal measures.Further research may be needed to determine thetypes of information being collected and conclu-sions that might be drawn across programs aboutthe effectiveness of early childhood services as wellas transition activities.

AccomplishmentsTwenty-two responses were received to item #7

of Section III regarding the greatest accomplish-ments of the service provider's transition programor practices. Most frequently cited (seven programs)were activities that involved introducing children tonew settings. Activities described included trans-porting children to schools they would be attendingand meeting the teachers and staff. One Head Startprogram reported positive attitudes toward kinder-garten on the part of parents and children as itsgreatest accomplishment"Visits to the classroomhave lessened any anxiety on the part of parents andchildren."

Seven responses centered around accomplish-ments in early intervention programs / practices.These included helping families find needed childcare services and helping parents understand thespecial education process. Education was a criticalpractice and one from which many Early Interven-tion programs derive their greatest accomplishments.One E.I. respondent described her program's great-est accomplishment as providing "the family's em-powerment to make decisions that are best for themand their child."

One districtwide special education program'suse of the Transition Substitute, a substitute teachertrained to assist special needs children in the class-

room with the regular teacher during the first threemonths of transition to kindergarten, led to therespondent's description of the program's greatestaccomplishment as the "continuum of services" be-tween Early Intervention and Head Start or kinder-garten classes. Transition substitutes assist in meth-ods consistent with a child's Individual EducationProgram (IEP).

Four responses emphasized successful educa-tional practices. Two preschools focused on devel-oping children's social skills and cited developmentof a pre-readiness curriculum and early childhoodtraining for staff. One preschool reported worktoward greater cooperation in transitions with theschool system. One preschool's greatest accom-plishment was the successful evaluation of this pro-gram. One program recognized accomplishment inthe development of cooperative efforts between EarlyIntervention programs, local special education de-partments, boards of education, Head Start pro-grams, and kindergartens.

Finally, many respondents take great pride intheir work with children. As one preschool directordescribed it, "I feel the greatest accomplishment ofmy transition program is when my former studentsmake quick adjustments to the regular school sys-tem and continue their developmental progress."

ObstaclesWhen asked to identify their biggest obstacle

and any means they used to avoid or to solve it, item#8 of Section III, 22 respondents reported problemsassociated with three categories: interagency coop-eration, families, or time and stress.

"The biggest obstacle was getting the variousagencies and programs to see the importance ofsuccessful transitions" reported One Head Start pro-gram respondent reported. This response typifiedthe seven that noted interagency cooperation astheir most difficult obstacle. Cooperation was some-times lacking in terms of scheduling visits, sharinginformation/child files, handling funding adjust-ments, discussing development of individual chil-dren, and coordination of procedures for families.The problem of preparing children of any age for the


2,.


several kindergarten programs they may enter in thefall is at best difficult when sharing of information,frequent discussions, and visits for staff and familiesare established. It increases with the infrequentcontacts that most programs reported having withreceiving agencies. Four of the six Head Start andtwo of the three Early Intervention programs in-cluded in the study cited this lack of interagencycooperation as an obstacle.

The process of working closely with familiesthat provides the rewards of early childhood educa-tion was often cited as problematic. Five respon-dents, preschools, Early Intervention programs, anda child care referral agency, described obstacles as-sociated with families including: failure to attendparent training; parent apathy; ignorance of agencyservices and policies; and difficulties in matchingfamily needs to provider schedules. To addressthese obstacles, programs adopted the followingpractices: providing parenting classes; reviewingpolicies and instructional materials with parents;helping parents find alternative services, and sched-uling parent teacher conferences. For example, whenparents fail to attend important meetings, one E.I.service coordinator uses home visits to explain tran-sition services in an "Understanding Special Educa-tion" booklet. Parent apathy was a continuing prob-lem reported by a few programs.

Finally, the lack of time was mentioned by sev-eral respondents as a problem to the delivery ofservices. Time to meet in small groups with chil-dren, to discuss student progress among teachers indifferent programs or levels, and to arrange visits bychildren to new programs was described as ob-stacles. The five responses in this category weremade by preschools, a kindergarten, and the HeadStart Transition Demonstration project respondent.Flexibility in scheduling on the part of staff andparents were reported solutions. Individual pro-grams reported problems with transportation, ad-ministrative procedures, child placement, and childand staff stress. Field testing of procedures beforeimplementation solved one of these problems for apreschool program. Finally, one of the widest reach-ing solutions was suggested by a preschool directorwho suggested, "Make a transition plan and stick toit. We meet monthly to discuss ours."

22

AMU

ResourcesFourteen of the 24 respondents replied when

asked, on item #9 of Section III of the ProgramDescription Form, to list any resources they hadfound helpful in developing transition services.Categories of human and print resources emerged asresponses were analyzed. While respondents iden-tified few print resources as especially helpful, theydescribed in greater detail the assistance they re-ceived from networking at the local, state, regional,and national levels with staff of sending and receiv-ing programs, theircounterparts in similar programs,and transitions trainers or technical assistance pro-viders. The following resources were listed:

Human ResourcesSchool district special education staffParent Resource CentersCommunity Skill Builders, Inc.School committees, variousWest Virginia AdvocatesNetworks of school personnelMidSouth Regional Resource Center, Human De-

velopment Institute, University of Kentucky-Peggy Stephens

Early intervention program staffHead Start staffState and local transition trainingHospital staffHead Start Transition Demonstration Project

directorsSchool psychologistsTeachers in receiving schoolsTeam efforts

Print Resources

Child and family filesProject Sequenced Transition to Education in the

Public Schools (STEPS) of KentuckyNational Head Start materials (2)AEL's "Preschool to School Linkages Conference"

materials (2)

The number of nonrespondents to this item andresponses from a few who described unsuccessfulsearches for resources on early childhood transitions


36


may indicate that few print resources exist or arewidely known.

RecommendationsResponse to item #10, Section III, which asked

respondents to provide recommendations to othersplanning an early childhood transitions program,yielded 23 suggestions. One commonality amongthese was the need for communication during allstages of transition and among all programs and thefamily. Leading from the need for more communi-cation was that of collaboration among care provid-ers, agencies, schools, and families. The media wasalso named as important to collaboration in helpingthe identification process and promoting clarifica-tion of program services. Finally, an assumptionapparent in many responses was the importance ofinvolving children and families in the transitionplan. This practice was viewed as increasing com-munication and ensuring the appropriateness oftransition activities for the individual child.

The advice from many programs was best cap-tured in responses to the request for recommenda-tions for others. Respondents' words speak stronglyfrom their years of experience in service to childrenand families. Their suggestions, as the reader willnote, are not contradictory but complement the de-velopment of a comprehensive process to ease tran-sitions for children and families. In their words,program contacts offer these suggestions:

Communications and Collaboration

Communicate early and often with all parties.Identify why transition is helpful to each.

Develop worldngrelationWps with staff in receivingprograms.

Develop a cooperative interagency team that meetson a regular basis.

Arrange for staff to visit programs with which theirprogram transitions children.

Be available to serve on committees, volunteer tohelp. Ask to attend training.

Establish staff exchanges between programs toobserve practices.

Sell the program to your staff first.

Work with health and social service agencies as wellas care providers throughout the community tofind the best placement for the child.

AdministrationFollow the federal guidelines. They are thorough.

Start with small steps, but always follow up.

Use a global release of information for all agenciesinvolved.

Develop a transition plan and stick to it.

Parents and Families

Hold spring and fall transition meetings or work-shops to orient parents.

Continue to provide consistent family support whenthe child leaves the program.

Help parents to feel confident and provide theminformation they can share with the child's nextteacher.

From the intake day begin informally planning afamily transition.

Work with families to empower them to see alloptions (public or private school, child care, HeadStart, etc.) and to make decisions that best fit theirneeds and the child's.

Children

Provide Transition Substitutes for the first nine weeksthat a special-needs child spends in kindergarten.

Visit the setting(s) the children will be entering, tourthe school and bus, meet the teachers, perhapseven pair children with kindergartners to inter-act.

Provide a chance to observe; don't just move in.

Include a trial period in transition plans for indi-vidual children.

Listen to the individual child and to the family.

Personal

Keep a positive attitude.



SERVICE PROVIDER DIRECTORY

Twenty-three programs provided the followinginformation in response to Section I Demographicsand Contact Information and Section II Rationaleand Objectives for Transition Program on the EarlyChildhood Transitions Study Group's Program De-scription Form. The comprehensiveness of the pro-gram and its transition activities was a determiningfactor regarding inclusion in the above Findingssections and in this Directory. Recipients of the EarlyChildhood Transitions Program Identification Formand Program Description Form werea targeted groupof transition stakeholders identified by West Vir-ginia Department of Education to have interest andsome experience in transition activities for youngchildren and families. Study group members did notintend to survey every Head Start program, EarlyIntervention program, preschool, or kindergarten inthe state, but nominations of others by initial recipi-ents of the Program Identification Form were re-viewed for inclusion.

Program staff persons completed the ProgramDescription Forms used as the basis of the followingdescriptions. While selected program contact per-sons responded to followup telephone interviews toprovide clarification to responses, no additional in-formation beyond Form responses generally wassought. Inclusion in this document, therefore, doesnot verify the accuracy of this information nor indi-cate an endorsement of the program by WVEA, AEL,the West Virginia Department of Education, or theOffice of Educational Research and Information,U.S. Department of Education. For further informa-tion, please write or phone the program contactpersons listed. Directory information is arrangedalphabetically within program typesEarly Inter-vention programs, Head Start programs, Head StartTransition Demonstration project, kindergartens,

preschools and child care centers, and child carereferral programs.

Early Intervention Programs

Child Development ServicesRESA VIIIRegional Education Service Agency VIII615 W. King St.Martinsburg, WV 25401Contact person: JoAnn RichardsTelephone: 304 /267-3595

This is an Early Intervention program servingchildren with developmental delays from birththrough three years with developmental delays.The program has offered home-based servicesto families in eight counties for four years.Transition services for children and families arerequired of all Early Intervention programs tofacilitate a seamless continuum of assistance.RESA VIII Services emphasize cross-agency/school communications.

F.M.R.S. Early InterventionFayette, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers CountiesMental Health, Inc.101 S. Eisenhower DriveBeckley, WV 25801Contact person: Rhea EssaTelephone: 304/ 256-7100

Located in a mental health facility, this EarlyIntervention program serving 120 children withdevelopmental delays from birth through threeyears has served families for 17 years. Theprimary focus of the program's transitionactivities is provision of information toempower families to make appropriatedecisions for their children.


3rti


Summit Center Early Intervention ProgramSummit Center for Human Development6 Hospital PlazaClarksburg, WV 26301Contact person: Anne KroheTelephone: 304/623-5661, ext. 238

In operation for ten years, this Early Interventionprogram currently serves 200 children withdevelopmental delays from birth through agefour. Located in a mental health agency, theprogram has a five-county catchment area andaims to assist families in their decisionsregarding placement of their children.

Head Start Programs

Braxton County Head StartBraxton County Board of Education400 4th StreetSutton, WV 26601Contact person: Marna GreeneTelephone: 304/ 765-7101

This program is situated in an elementary schooland serves approximately 150 children, agesthree and four. It has been in operation fortwelve years and provides kindergartenreadiness.

Greenbrier Head StartGreenbrier County Board of Education202 Chestnut StreetLewisburg, WV 24901Contact person: Terri WontrobskiTelephone: 304/647-6470

Located in a public school, this program serves 122children, aged three, four, and five. In operationfor ten years, the program's transition servicesfocus on guaranteeing a continuum of servicesto children and parents and on reducing theanxiety level of children and parentstransitioning to a new program.

26

McDowell County Head StartThe Council of the Southern MountainsP.O. Box 158Wilcoe, WV 24895Contact person: Helen K. CarsonTelephone: 304/448-2131

This Head Start program is located in a communityaction agency and serves 449 children, agedthree, four, and five. It has been in operationfor 29 years. Major foci of the transition programare to familiarize children and families withschool settings, to adjust Head Start curriculumand procedures where necessary, and toeliminate or minimize barriers to thecontinuance of individual child developmentplans.

Monongalia Head StartMonongalia County Board of Education101 Wilson AvenueMorgantown, WV 26505Contact person: Marie AlsopTelephone: 304/291-9330

This Head Start program serves 133 children, agesthree and four, in an elementary school. Inoperation for 27 years, the program's main goalin the transition process is to increase programawareness by both the Head Start teachers andthe kindergarten teachers through staffvisitations.

Multi-County Head StartMulti-County Community Action AgainstPoverty, Inc.P.O.Box 3228Charleston, WV 25332Contact person: Sue DurbinTelephone: 304/342-1388

Operated by a community action agency in agencyand school settings for 712 children, aged threeand four in four counties, this Head Startprogram has been in existence for 29 years. Amajor focus of their transition activities is toeducate school district personnel about thedevelopmental and educational quality ofprogram services and to increase collaboration.


3

1


North Central West Virginia Head StartNorth Central West Virginia Community ActionAssociationRoute 1, Box 1028Kingwood, WV 26537Contact person: Tammy Bo lyardTelephone: 304/329-2625

A center-based program serving 110 families withchildren aged three, four, and five, this HeadStart program has operated for 25 years. Aparticular focus is assistance to families inpreparing their children for school, includingunderstanding the Individualized EducationPlans of special needs children.

Head Start Transition DemonstrationProject

Transition Demonstration ProjectSouthwestern Community Action Council540 5th AvenueHuntington, WV 25701Contact person: B. Lynn BolenTelephone: 304/ 525-5151

Federally funded since fall 1991 as one of 32 HeadStart Transition Demonstration Projects in thenation, this project provides services to 619 five-and six-year-olds in two counties. The majorpurpose of the project is to evaluate theeffectiveness of the provision of health andsocial services and education support servicesas Head Start children and families transitionto kindergarten and first grade.

Kindergartens

(While the study group did not widely surveykindergarten programs, one included in the transi-tion stakeholder group and one study group re-sponded to the Program Description Form. Theirtransition activities may or may not be representa-tive of all West Virginia kindergarten classes).

Boone County Kindergarten AcademyBoone County SchoolsP.O. Box 730Uneeda, WV 25205Contact person: Diana StartzelTelephone: 304/ 369-0558

A preschool and kindergarten program operatedby the school district, the Academy is housedin its own building. It serves 119 children agedfour through six (tuition preschool and publickindergarten) and has operated for four years.A major feature of the transition program isstaff exchange visitations and observations andjoint preschool-kindergarten student activities.

Kingwood Elementary School KindergartenPreston County Schools207 S. Price StreetKingwood, WV 26537Contact person: Mildred LindleyTelephone: 304 / 329-1034

A public school kindergarten, this program serves86 children aged five and six. A major featureof the transition program is involvement ofkindergarten staff with Head Start staff.

Preschools or Child Care Programs

Children's Place625 Richmond StreetHuntington, WV 25701Contact person: Marsha A. DawsonTelephone: 304 / 525-8586

Approximately 120 children aged twelve monthsthrough five years are served in this child careprogram in operation for the past 14 years.Program objectives include easing transitionsfor families as children move from home tocenter, room to room within the center, andfrom child care into kindergarten.


34


Early Learning Child Development CenterRiver Valley Child Development Services(RVCDS)1448 Tenth AvenueHuntington, WV 25701Contact person: Suzi BrodofTelephone: 304/523-3917

This program is a private, nonprofit center servingchildren aged twelve months through six yearswith child care and after-school programs forelementary school students. The Center hasserved families in a six-county area for 22 yearsand enrolls 75 children. RVCDS also operates achild care program in Hamlin, WV.

Friends-R-Fun Child Development Center, Inc.Highway 41 N., Box 2128Summersville, WV 26651Contact person: Judy OlsonTelephone: 304/872-2157

Infants aged six weeks through twelve-year-olds(approximately 99 total) are enrolled in thisprivate child care center in operation for eightyears. The program aims to offer safe childcare and kindergarten readiness for a rural areaunderserved by child care facilities.

First Presbyterian Church Preschool16 Broad StreetCharleston, WV 25301Contact person: Jackie TaylorTelephone: 304 / 343-8961

This church-based program serves 166 children agedone through five and has been in operation formore than forty years. The focus of transitionactivities is discussion with the children withemphasis on transition as a major part ofgrowing up and learning new skills.

28

Kanawha County Preschool Special EducationProgramKanawha County Schools200 Elizabeth StreetCharleston, WV 25311Contact person: Debbie BrownTelephone: 304 / 348-7740

This preschool special education program serves150 three to five-year-old children with specialneeds in a variety of settings imiuding privatepreschools, Head Start programs,. homes, andelementary schools. Some of the programs areinclusion in which disabled and nondisabledchildren are peers in learning experiences. Amajor transition activity is the provision of aTransition Substitute to assist the special needschild and regular education teacher in theclassroom during the first few months ofkindergarten.

Marion County Preschool ProgramMarion County Schools200 Gaston AvenueFairmont, WV 26554Contact person: Linda BondTelephone: 304/367-2137

This is a preschool special education program in apublic school setting that serves 33 three tofive-year-old children with developmentaldelays. The eight-year-old program's objectiveis to provide smooth transitions for childrenand families from Early Intervention servicesinto preschool and kindergarten.

The Nicholas Preschool ProgramSeneca Mental Health/Mental RetardationCouncil, Inc.106 McKees Creek RoadSummersville, WV 26651Contact person: Sharon SpencerTelephone: 304/872-2090

Located in a social service agency, this preschoolserves 33 two- through five-year-old childrenwith and without developmental delays. Theprogram began in 1993 and is in the process offormulating a transition plan.



Preston Child Development ProgramWest Virginia Department of EducationHC 82, Box 25Terra Alta, WV 26764Contact person: Joyce KisamoreTelephone: 304/789-2297

This is one of three preschool programs fundeddirectly by the West Virginia Department ofEducation, Office of Special Education, to servechildren aged two through five (primarily withspecial needs) who reside in very rural areas.This program, in operation for 20 years, serveschildren in rural sections of Preston County.Two similar programs are the Wheeling ChildDevelopment Program (Sandy Smith, 304/242-1628) and the Glenville Child DevelopmentProgram (Tony Russell, 304/354 - 6408). Thedirectors have jointly developed a ChildAssessment System and all focus ondevelopmentally appropriate assistance andreadiness for kindergarten.

West Virginia University Child DevelopmentLaboratoryWest Virginia University702 Allen HallP.O. Box 6124Morgantown, WV 26506-6124Contact person: Dr. Bobbie Gibson WarashTelephone: 304/293-2110

A preschool laboratory school based in the Divisionof Family Resources, College of Agriculture andForestry of the University, this private-payprogram serves 43 children aged three throughfive. For 45 years the Laboratory has rrovidedpracticum experience for students of childdevelopmz.-nt. A major feature of the transitionservice offered is taking children to visit theschools they will be attending.

411111111111

YWCA Child Enrichment CenterYoung Women's Christian Association ofCharleston201 Donnally StreetCharleston, WV 25301Contact person: Colleen WalshTelephone: 304/ 340-3561

A combination preschool, day-care, and after-schoolprogram, this urban center serves 146 children(aged three months through 12 years) both withand without developmental delays. The Centerhas been in operation for 18 years. A

cornerstone of the transition process is ongoingdialogue with the local Early Interventionprograms and schools to meet needs of children,families, and the community.

Child Care Referral Agency

Link Child Care Resource and ReferralRiver Valley Child Development Services916 Fifth Avenue, Suite 208Huntington, WV 25701Contact person: Cathy Jones ForsytheTelephone: 304/523-9540 or 800/894-9540

This service to families seeking child care in Cabell,Wayne, Lincoln, and Mason counties hasoperated for one year. In addition to referringparents of children aged birth through 13 or 18(special needs children) to child-care providers,staff link providers with information, funding,and training.


3C


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families.(1993, October, draft report). The head start-publicschool transition demonstration: What arewe learning?Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services.

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families.(n.d.). Easing the transition from preschool tokindergarten: A guide for early childhood teachers andadministrators (Pamphlet). Washington, DC: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services.

Boyer, E. L. (1991). Ready to learn: A mandate for thenation. Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundationfor the Advancement of Teaching.

Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). (1987). Developmentallyappropriate practice in early childhood programsserving children from birth through age 8 (expandededition). Washington, DC: National Associationfor the Education of Young Children.

Byrd, R., Rous, B., Stephens, D. Dyk, L, & Perry, E.(1990). Sequenced transition to education in thepublic schools: Project STEPS replication manual.Lexington, KY: Child Development Centers ofthe Bluegrass, Inc.

Copple, C., Deich, S., Lorelei, B., & Hofferth, S.(1993). Learning readiness: Promising strategies.Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Health andHuman Services.

Demarest, E. J., Reisner, E. R., Anderson, L. M.,Humphrey, D. C., & Farquhar, E. (1993,September, working paper). Review of research onachieving the nation's readiness goal: "By the year2000, all children will start school ready to learn".Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education,Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families. (1993,March). Family matters: Annual report to thelegislature. Charleston, WV: Author.

Heaviside, S., Farris, E., & Carpenter, J. (1993). Publicschool kindergarten teachers' views on children's readi-ness for school (Statistical Analysis Report).Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education,National Center for Education Statistics.

Holmes, C. T. & Mathews, K. M. (1989). The effectsof nonpromotion on elementary and junior highschool pupils: A meta-analysis. Review of Ed-ucational Research. 54.

Improving America's Schools Act of 1993, S. 1513,103rd Congress, 2nd Session.

Kagan, S. L. (1992). The strategic importance oflinkages and the transition between early child-hood programs and early elementary school. InSticking Together: Strengthening Linkages and theTransition Between Early Childhood Education andEarly Elementary School (Summary of a NationalPolicy Forum). Washington, DC: U.S. Departmentof Education, Office of Educational Research andImprovement.

Love, J. M., Logue, M. E., Trud eau, J. V., & Thayer, K.(1992). Transitions to kindergarten in Americanschools. Portsmouth, NH: RMC ResearchCorporation.

Perroncel, C. B. (1990). Child care and early educationin Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia(Occasional Paper No. 31). Charleston, WV:Appalachia Educational Laboratory.


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Regional Educational Laboratories Early ChildhoodCollaboration Network. (1995, work in progress).Continuity in early childhood: A Framework of home,school, and community linkages. Washington, DC:Author.

Smith, M. L. & Shepard, L. A. (1989). Flunkinggrades: A recapitulation. In L. A. Shepard & M.L. Smith (Eds.), Flunking grades: Research andpolicies on retention (pp. 214-236). New York:Falmer Press.

SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education. (1994).Leadership for collaboration: A training program (ASERVEing Young Children Project). Greensboro,NC: Author.

Southern Regional Education Board. (1994). Gettingschools ready for children: The other side of the readinessgoal. Atlanta, GA: Author.

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Southern Regional Education Board. (1992). Readinessfor school: The early childhood challenge. Atlanta,GA: Author.

Stephens, P. (1993). Early childhood transitions forchildren with disabilities and their families. Lexington,KY: University of Kentucky, Mid-South RegionalResource Center, Human Development Institute.

Sugarman, J. M. (1991). Building early childhoodsystems: A resource handbook. Washington, DC:Child Welfare League of America, Inc.

West Virginia Department of Human Services. (1982).State of West Virginia licensing requirements for daycare centers. Charleston, WV: Author.



APPENDICES


n

Appendix A

WVEA-AEL EARLY CHILDHOOD TRANSITIONSSTUDY GROUP PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION FORM

The West Virginia Education Association and the Appalachia Educational Laboratory arecosponsoring a study group of preschool, Head Start, kindergarten, and transition programteachers, administrators, and parents. Study group members are seeking programs thatprovide smooth transitions for young children and their families as they move frompreschool to school settings. The Early Childhood Transitions Study Group plans to publish aguide in early fall 1994 that will provide:

o descriptions of West Virginia early childhood transitionprograms and practices,

o recommendations for establishing and maintainingcommunications between elementary schools andpreschool providers,

o contact information for West Virginia providers oftechnical assistance to those interested in organizingeffective transition programs, and

o a bibliography of resources.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Study group members need information on programs organized by schools, Head Start programs,day care centers, or others that specifically address transitions between preschool and school.These programs would be characterized as offering stability to children and families whiledeveloping connections among service settings when change is necessary. Please take a fewmoments to note below the program titles or descriptions and contact information for anyeffective transition program with which you are familiar. Contact persons of programs listed

will be asked to complete a Program Description Form and may receive a follow-up telephoneinterview prior to selection for inclusion in the guide. Fold, staple, and mail to Jane Hange at AEL,P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325. Programs included will receive a copy of the guide and

contributors will be cited. Thank you!

Your NameYour Title and Address

Program Title/Description

(Continue on back of this sheet)

410

Program Director/Contact PersonAddress and/or Telephone

Program Strengths/Reasons for Recommendation

Your Name

Jane Flange, DirectorClassroom Instruction ProgramAppalachia Educational Laboratory

P.O. Box 1348Charleston, WV 25325

Your Title and Address

Program Title/Description

Program Director/Contact PersonAddress and/or Telephone

Program Strengths/Reasons for Recommendation

41

Appendix BWVEA -AEL EARLY CHILDHOOD TRANSITIONS

STUDYGROUP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION FORM

The West Virginia Education Association and the Appalachia Educational Laboratory are co-sponsoring a study group of educators, administrators, and parents who plan to develop a guide toprograms and practices designed to aid children and families in transitions between preschool andschool settings. Your program has been identified as providing services that maintainstability for children and families while developing connections among settings when changeis necessary (transitions between care, medical, recreations services during the preschoolyears and/or transition to kindergarten). Responding to the following questions should takeapproximately fifteen minutes. Please attach any information that will help us understandyour transition services and mail the completed form by April 18 to Jane Hange, AEL, P.O.Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325.

Programs selected for inclusion may be asked to complete a followup phone interview and willreceive a copy of the guide. Thank you for responding. If you have questions or know of otherswho should be included, please contact Jane Hange, Director, Classroom Instruction Program,AEL, 800/624-9120.

I. DEMOGRAPHICS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Name of ProgramSchool/Agency NameAddressSchool District (if applicable)Contact PersonPerson Completing this FormProgram Phone NumberHome Phone of Contact Person (optional)Best Day and Time to Call

Program Type or Service Description

Program EnrollmentYears in OperationAges ServedProgram Type Check one or add

Church-AffiliatedPrivateHome-Based

other.Public School-BasedSocial Service Agency-BasedOther, please describe.

Community Served Check one.Rural Suburban Urban

Staff NumberNumber of Children to Number of Staff RatioRoles of Adults Involved in the Programs (e.g. teacher, aide, coordinator, case manager,etc.)

4 Z

II. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES FOR TRANSITION PROGRAM .

Why did your program begin transition services? What are the objectives or goals of your services?

III. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, SERVICES, OR PRACTICES1. Which of the following transition services, if any, does your program include?

Check any used and provide further description or list others.

sharing records or portfolios

child visitations to new settings

parent activities

staff exchange visitations/observations

home visits

staff reviews or mini-staffings

parent interviews

child interviews

newsletters

sharing photos of "new" and "old" settings

child contacts between settings (pals, buddies)

bringing something old along into the new setting

pen/picture pals sharing between settings

written plan for transition, shared with staffshared with parents

other for children, families, or staff, please describe

2. Describe any professional development on transition services provided to staff(content, processes, staff participating, number of sessions, followup activities, etc.).

3. What methods are used to gain educator support for the program? How is theprogram communicated to the public and family support gained?

4. How do you determine when a child is ready for a new setting and what setting might bemost appropriate? Who makes this decision? Who initiates the transition process?

5. What records on children are kept and which are transferred as the child progresses?

I6. How do you know your program is effective? Describe any evaluation conducted.

7. What has been the greatest accomplishment of your transition program or practices?

8. What was the biggest obstacle to transition program success you had to overcome?How did you avoid or solve it?

9. Please list any resources you found helpful in developing transition services.

I10. Please list any recommendations you would make to others planning an early

childhood transitions program.

11. Other comments or suggestions.

IThank you for describing your transition activities. Please mail the form and any attachmentsby March 31 to Jane Hange, Director, Classroom Instruction Program, AEL, P.O. Box 1348,Charleston, WV 25325. Programs selected for inclusion in the guide will receive a copy and allcontributors will be acknowledged.

41

Appendix C

Early Childhood TransitionsWest Virginia Study Group 1993-94

REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

AEL staff request your assistance in improving services for future study groups by

assessing your experience in working in the "Early Childhood Transitions" study group. Please

reflect on your reading and experience with early childhood transitions as you respond to the

request for recommendations. Your responses will be added to date from the Program

Description Forms for the Recommendations section. All responses will be aggregated for

analysis and reporting and no identification will be assigned to any statement.

Take a few moments to circle the appropriate ratings on the first sheet and to respond in

writing to the questions on the second sheet. Please return this form in the envelope provided.

PART A Name:

Evaluation of development of personal knowledge

I. The topic of early childhood transitions

was worth exploring.2. My knowledge and understanding of the

topic have increased.3. The information provided was interesting

and worthwhile.4. The quantity of information provided was

adequate.5. The information learned in the project is

useful to me professionally.

Evaluation as a professional development experience

1. My group interaction skills improved

2. My research skills (survey development,

data analysis, synthesis) improved.

3. My writing skills improved.4. My peer editing skills improved.

5. The study group experience has affected

my job performance positively.

4

Agree Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3 2 1

Evaluation of study group activities

Agree

1. The goals were clearly defined. 5 4

2. The goals were met. 5 4

3. The meetings were rewarding. 5 4

4. The development of the publicationwas a worthwhile task.

5 4

5. The tasks undertaken individually betweenmeetings were useful.

5 4

Evaluation of AEL's role in study group facilitation and assistance

1. The AEL facilitator enab!ed the group to 5 4

define and pursue its direction.2. The facilitator provided adequate 5 4

communication throughout the process.3. The facilitator provided adequate technical 5 4

assistance.4. The facilitator scheduled an appropriate 5 4

number of meetings.5. The facilitator encouraged involvement 5 4

and collaboration.

Evaluation of my role in the study group

1. I felt committed to exploring the issue of 5 4

early childhood transitions.2. I thought about the issue and discussed 5 4

it with others between meetings.3. I carefully read the articles and materials 5 4

provided between meetings.4. I completed all assigned tasks to the best 5 4

of my ability.5. I approached the study group experience as 5 4

an opportunity, not an inconvenience.

Other comments:

Disagree

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 I

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 1

3 2 I

WEST VIRGINIA STUDY GROUP REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

PART B Name:

1. How, if at all, has your attitude toward transitions for young children and families

changed during your involvement with the study group?

2. What would be your recommendations tothose wishing to implement activities orprocedures that would ease transitions for young children and families?

3. What recommendations would you make to state-level po.icymalcers (legislature, state

department of education, school boards, education associations) regarding assistance for

early childhood transitions?

4. Through your reading, development and analysis of survey data, writing and editing, and

other study group experience, what have you learned about conducting research?

5. In what ways, if any, have you found participation in the study group to be professionally

rewarding? What strengths and weaknesses would you identify about the group's work?

6. How do you plan to use what you have learned from the study group experience?

7. How could AEL's and WVEA's assistance to the study group be improved?

8. Dissemination of the products of every study group is important to AEL and WVEA.

Please suggest ways in which you can share your group's product or the knowledge

gained from study group experience with others. How might AEL or WVEA assist you

in doing this?

9. What activities do you think AEL or WVEA should pursue as a followup to the

document with regard to disseminating information, maintaining an information file(s),

or providing technical assistance to those interested in early childhood transitions?

Thank you for completing and returning this form and improving AEL and WVEA

assistance to future study groups.

Appendix D

Continuity in Early Childhood:

A Framework ofHome, School, and Community Linkages

The following essential elements of effective transition services are adapted with

permission from Continuity is Early Childhood: A Framework of Home. School. and

Community Linkages (1995), originally released by the Regional Educational Laboratories Early

Childhood Collaboration Network in fall 1993 as Continuity in Early Childhood: Elements and

Indicators of Home, School, and Community Linkages. This document defines a framework for

linking services for young children and their families. The concept of a continuum of services is

central. When service providers link together to provide continuity, they establish smooth

transitions. Continuity allows children and their families to build on the positive, supportive

aspects of their experience as they make transitions. In other words, transitions become part of

the ongoing experience offamilies, as opposed to being an interruption or an abrupt change that

results in difficult adjustments.

111 The framework consists of eight essential elements described with exemplary practices

below. The framework can be ased to :

o Become better informed about the various factors to consider when designing and linking

early childhood and early learning services.

o Engage in self-study and assess community needs; in particular, to identify gaps in

services or potential linkages between care/education programs or services.

o Guide the planning or development of specific policies, programs, and practices that

promote continuity for young children and their families.

o Assess progress as communities seek to implement a service continuum for young

children and their families.

Eight Elements and Exemplary Practices

11. Family, school, and community partners sharing leadership and responsibility for

decision making.

1Exemplary practices include: continual focus on children and families, a leadership team that is

representative of all partner, collaboration and consensus characterize the leadership team,

written policies support leadership decision making, and roles are clearly defined and training

Iprovided.

2. A continuum of family-focused, comprehensive, integrated services.

Exemplary practices include: formal agreements exist regarding comprehensive and integratedapproaches to meeting family needs; all children have access to appropriate levels ofcomprehensive and integrated services; families are partners in planning and selecting services;

a system exists to inform educators of services of families and ways to assist; and a "single pointof entry" system exists to connect families to services.

3. Policies, programs, and practices that demonstrate the education, involvement,and empowerment of families.

Exemplary practices include: information sharing is two-way between schools and familiesregarding their child's progress and service opportunities; families are viewed as partners andhave opportunities for training and support services; families are involved in planning andimplementing activities and participate extensively; and policies, programs, and practices

indicate a valuing of families.

4. Policies, programs, and practices which demonstrate a sensitivity to the cultureand language of children and their families.

Exemplary practices include: written policies support the use of a child's home culture andlanguage; instruction is primarily in the home language with English introduced;communications are conducted in the family's language and occurs in comfortable contexts forthem; home culture and language are visible in the school; culturally appropriate interactionsand learning styles are integrated; and professional development for educators routinelyaddresses issues of culture and language.

5. Communication among all adults who are responsible for the children's care and

education.

Exemplary practices include: staff and families use a variety of means for ongoing communi-cation; staff within service setting meet regularly to maintain ongoing communication; all adultsresponsible for care/education of children routinely visit one .another's settings, philosophies, and

scopes of service; a system ensures ongoing documentation of child and family needs and allrelevant records are transferred with the child; children have many opportunities to meet new

staff and visit new programs/settings prior to changes; and families and staff work together toplan and implement visits and activities to support children.

1

6. A coordinated approach to staff development across agencies to enhanceimplementation of home, school, and community linkages.

Exemplary practices include: coordinated policies exist across agencies that support ongoing

staff development across age levels and among home, school, and community partners; jointplanning guides the process; joint staff development is ongoing across age levels and agencies;

sessions allow for active participation in a variety of learning experiences with followup supportconsistently provided; training activities build on one anotherand are designed to enhance the

partners' capability to aid continuity; and systemic assessment is jointly planned, implemented,

analyzed, and results shared with all partners, decision makers, and the community.

7. A developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive curriculum, instruction,

and assessment.

Exemplary practices include: children explore a learning environment rich with manipulative

materials and are actively engaged in problem solving and learning; children usually work in

individually or in groups; the learning environment is organized into activity areas with

appropriate materials that do not interfere with each other; children participate in whole and

small group activities and have approximately 1/2 the day to pursue active exploration of self-

selected materials and pursuits; adult-directed activities are thematic allowing integrated

learning and skill application; teachers use primarily authentic assessment and children and

parents assist in documenting student progress; assessment outcomes are used to plan curriculum

and instruction; policies discourage retention or special placement of primary grade children and

ensure progress in heterogeneous group with personalized attention; and developmentallyappropriate curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices are consistently addressed by staff

who have regular opportunities to study and apply research and practice findings.

8. Documentation and reporting of outcomes which are used to refine and/or expand

linkages (p. 6).

Exemplary practices include: a formal reporting procedure is used to regularly sharedocumentation of progress with home, school, and community partners who participate in

documentation; home, school, and community partners regularly conduct self-assessments and

data analyses and revise work accordingly; associated organizations have policies that support

joint evaluation activities; evaluation reports are regularly disseminated to decision makers and

the community with followup meetings conducted to gather feedback on service continuity; and

staff development is provided to all partners to ensure common understanding of evaluation

activities.

Appalachia Educational LaboratoryProduct Quality Evaluation Form

"Early Childhood Transitions: Preparing Children and Families for Change"

A. Background

1. Name:

2. School/District:

3. Position:

4. State:

B. Rating

This form asks you to evaluate this product on a series of product quality scales. Pleasemark your response to each item with an "X" at any point along the scale. If you cannotreply to any scale, please check the "Cannot Reply" option for that item.

1. How clearly presented was the information in this material? Cannot Reply

Difficult/ / / / /0 5 10 15 20

/25

2. How credible was the information in this material?

Difficult/ / / / / /0 5 10 15 20 25

3. How useful was the information in this material?

Difficult/ / / / / /0 5 10 15 20 25

4. How easy was it for you to get this material?

Difficult/ / / / / /

0 5 10 15 20 25

52

/ / / /30 35 40 45

/ / / /30 35 40 45

/ / / /30 35 40 45

/ / / /30 35 40 45

Very easy/

50

Cannot Reply

Very easy/

50

Cannot Reply

Very easy/

50

Cannot Reply

Very easy/

50

5. Which sections of the report have you found helpful? Please explain briefly howthese

sections helped you.

6. Have you shared your copy with other educators?If so, how many?

yes no

7. In what ways have you used this product? (Check any that apply.)

Personal professional developmentUsed in teachingQuoted in a reportOthers, please describe

8. How did you learn of the availability of this report?

9. Other suggestions or comments regarding this product:

Used in a meeting/presentationQuoted in a newsletter/publication(Title: )

Used to develop/revise programor curriculum

Thank you for completing this evaluation/contribution form.Please fold, staple, stamp, and mail to AEL.

AELP. 0. Box 1348Charleston, WV 25325

5 LI

AffixPostage

Here

U.S. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESOffice of Human Development ServicesAdministration for Children, Youth and FamiliesHead Start Etuo

Easing theTransition fromPreschool toKindergarten

A Guide forEarly ChildhoodTeachers and Administrators

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Easing theTransition fromPreschool toKindergarten

A Guide forEarly ChildhoodTeachers and Administrators

If you have ever made a move from onelocation to another or separated fromfriends, you know how hard a transitioncan be. Going from a known, comfortableenvironment to one that is different andunfamiliar can be very stressful. This isoften how young children feel as theymove from preschool to kindergarten.' Thepurpose of this booklet is to help educatorsease this transition.

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eas

with

the

teac

hing

sta

ff. Y

our

lead

ersh

ipca

n m

ake

a si

gnif

ican

t dif

fere

nce

in h

elpi

ng te

ache

rsfi

nd ti

me

to f

ocus

on

the

tran

sitio

n pr

oces

s. I

f yo

uar

e a

pres

choo

l or

kind

erga

rten

teac

her,

you

may

wan

t to

shar

e th

is b

ookl

et w

ith y

our

prog

ram

dire

c-to

r or

pri

ncip

al in

ord

er to

gai

n th

eir

supp

ort

for

thes

e id

eas.

Som

e pr

ogra

ms

may

hav

e al

read

y es

tabl

ishe

d pr

o-ce

dure

s fo

r tr

ansi

tion.

For

suc

h pr

ogra

ms,

thes

e su

g-ge

stio

ns c

an s

erve

to r

enew

and

exp

and

curr

ent p

rac-

tices

. In

prog

ram

s th

at h

ave

not y

et a

ddre

ssed

the

issu

es o

f tr

ansi

tion,

one

or

mor

e of

the

idea

spr

esen

ted

can

be a

dopt

ed to

mee

t par

ticul

ar n

eeds

.N

o m

atte

r w

here

you

r pr

ogra

m s

tand

s, th

ecr

itica

lgo

al is

to ta

ke a

new

ste

p fo

rwar

d in

pro

mot

ing

suc-

cess

for

chi

ldre

n an

d fa

mili

es a

sth

ey m

ove

on to

new

ear

ly c

hild

hood

exp

erie

nces

.

2

6C

Ben

efits

of

Faci

litat

ing

Tra

nsiti

on,

Whe

n ea

rly

child

hood

edu

cato

rs ta

ke th

e tim

e to

help

fac

ilita

te tr

ansi

tion,

ther

e ar

e be

nefi

ts f

orch

ildre

n, p

aren

ts, a

nd te

ache

rs.

For

Chi

ldre

nW

hen

pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n te

ache

rs h

elp

child

ren

mov

e m

ore

easi

ly in

to a

new

env

iron

men

t,th

e re

sults

for

the

child

ren

may

incl

ude:

cont

inui

ty w

ith e

arlie

r ed

ucat

iona

l exp

erie

nces

;

incr

ease

d m

otiv

atio

n an

d op

enne

ss to

new

expe

rien

ces;

enha

nced

sel

f-co

nfid

ence

;

impr

oved

rel

atio

ns w

ith o

ther

chi

ldre

n an

dad

ults

; and

,

a gr

eate

r se

nse

of tr

ust b

etw

een

teac

hers

and

child

ren.

For

Pare

nts

If p

aren

ts a

re in

volv

ed w

ith te

ache

rs in

pro

vidi

nga

smoo

th tr

ansi

tion

for

thei

r ch

ildre

n, th

e pa

rent

sga

in:

incr

ease

d co

nfid

ence

in th

eir

child

ren'

s ab

ility

toac

hiev

e in

the

new

set

ting;

impr

oved

sel

f-co

nfid

ence

in th

eir

own

abili

ty to

com

mun

icat

e w

ith e

duca

tiona

l sta

ff a

nd to

eff

ec-

tivel

y in

flue

nce

the

educ

atio

nal s

yste

m;

a se

nse

of p

ride

and

com

mitm

ent i

n th

eir

ongo

ing

invo

lvem

ent i

n th

e ed

ucat

ion

of th

eir

child

ren;

and

,

a gr

eate

r kn

owle

dge

and

appr

ecia

tion

of e

arly

child

hood

pro

gram

s an

d st

aff.

613

Tea

cher

s w

ho c

oope

rate

with

oth

ers

to e

ase

the

child

ren'

s tr

ansi

tion

betw

een

educ

atio

nal p

rogr

ams

can

expe

ct:

incr

ease

d kn

owle

dge

of th

e ch

ildre

n an

d P`

Ien

hanc

ed a

bilit

y to

mee

t ind

ivid

ual n

eed.

:

incr

ease

d pa

rent

al a

nd c

omm

unity

sup

port

;

mor

e re

sour

ces

and

a la

rger

net

wor

k of

prof

essi

onal

sup

port

;

incr

ease

d aw

aren

ess

of th

e pr

esch

ool o

r ki

nder

-ga

rten

pro

gram

s in

the

com

mun

ity; a

nd,

a re

new

ed s

ense

of

prof

essi

onal

ism

and

pri

de in

thei

r ef

fort

s to

rea

ch o

ut to

you

ng c

hild

ren

and

thei

r fa

mili

es.

Key

s to

Suc

cess

ful T

rans

ition

The

re a

re f

our

criti

cal e

lem

ents

or

keys

to th

esu

cces

sful

tran

sitio

n of

you

ng c

hild

ren

and

fam

ilies

as th

ey m

ove

from

pre

scho

ol to

kin

derg

arte

n.E

duca

tiona

l sta

ff in

bot

h se

tting

s ca

n fa

cilit

ate

tran

sitio

n by

:

prov

idin

g pr

ogra

m c

ontin

uity

thro

ugh

deve

lop-

men

tally

app

ropr

iate

cur

ricu

la f

or p

resc

hool

and

kind

erga

rten

chi

ldre

n;

mai

ntai

ning

ong

oing

com

mun

icat

ion

and

coop

erat

ion

betw

een

pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

nst

aff;

prep

arin

g ch

ildre

n fo

r th

e tr

ansi

tion;

and

,

invo

lvin

g pa

rent

s in

the

tran

sitio

n.

By

focu

sing

atte

ntio

n on

eac

h on

e of

thes

eim

port

ant a

spec

ts o

f th

e tr

ansi

tion

proc

ess,

ear

lych

ildho

od e

duca

tors

bui

ld a

mor

e co

ntin

uous

educ

atio

nal e

xper

ienc

e fo

r yo

ung

child

ren

and

thei

rfa

mili

es.

62

Prov

idin

g Pr

ogra

m C

ontin

uity

Thr

ough

Dev

elop

men

tally

App

ropr

iate

Cur

ricu

la f

orPr

esch

ool a

nd K

inde

rgar

ten

Chi

ldre

n

The

mov

e fr

om p

resc

hool

to k

inde

rgar

ten

ism

ade

easi

er if

eac

h pr

ogra

m is

foc

used

on

the

indi

vidu

al d

evel

opm

enta

l nee

ds o

f th

e ch

ildre

n.Pr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

may

be

oper

atin

g in

diff

eren

t typ

es o

f se

tting

s w

ith c

hild

ren

who

are

diff

eren

t age

s. H

owev

er, t

he c

omm

onal

ities

betw

een

the

way

fou

r- a

nd f

ive-

year

-old

chi

ldre

nle

arn

and

the

rang

e of

dev

elop

men

tal l

evel

sre

pres

ente

d in

eac

h pr

ogra

m c

all f

or s

imila

rle

arni

ng e

nvir

onm

ents

and

teac

hing

str

ateg

ies.

As

disc

usse

d be

low

, the

tran

sitio

n be

twee

n pr

ogra

ms

isfa

cilit

ated

by

the

degr

ee to

whi

ch e

ach

prog

ram

isde

velo

pmen

tally

app

ropr

iate

.

How

doe

s pr

ovid

ing

a de

velo

pmen

tally

appr

opri

ate

curr

icul

um in

bot

h pr

esch

ool

and

kind

erga

rten

fac

ilita

te th

e tr

ansi

tion

betw

een

prog

ram

s?

Dev

elop

men

tally

app

ropr

iate

pro

gram

s pr

ovid

efo

r a

wid

er r

ange

of

deve

lopm

enta

l int

eres

ts a

ndab

ilitie

s th

an th

e ch

rono

logi

cal a

ge r

ange

of

the

grou

p su

gges

ts. S

ince

eac

h ch

ild is

a u

niqu

e pe

rson

with

an

indi

vidu

al p

erso

nalit

y, le

arni

ng s

tyle

, and

fam

ily b

ackg

roun

d, b

oth

pres

choo

l and

kin

der-

gart

en te

ache

rs n

eed

to b

e re

spon

sive

to th

ese

indi

vidu

al d

iffe

renc

es.'

Mov

ing

to k

inde

rgar

ten

will

usu

ally

mea

n th

at a

child

will

ent

er a

new

set

ting.

How

ever

, if

both

prog

ram

s ar

e de

velo

pmen

tally

app

ropr

iate

, chi

ldre

nw

ill b

e m

ore

likel

y to

fin

d si

mila

r ac

tiviti

es w

hich

will

allo

w th

em to

beg

in th

eir

kind

erga

rten

expe

rien

ces

conf

iden

t tha

t the

y ha

ve th

e ab

ility

toac

com

plis

h ce

rtai

n ta

sks.

Kno

win

g w

hat i

s ex

pect

edad

ds to

the

child

ren'

s se

lf-c

onfi

denc

e, e

ncou

rage

sth

eir

atte

mpt

s to

try

new

act

iviti

es, a

nd f

acili

tate

sco

ntin

uity

in th

eir

deve

lopm

ent.

5

1

Wha

t do

pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

nch

ildre

n ha

ve in

com

mon

?

Bot

h pr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

child

ren

lear

nbe

st b

y:9

activ

ely

expl

orin

g th

eir

envi

ronm

ent;

inte

ract

ing

with

adu

lts a

nd o

ther

chi

ldre

n;

usin

g co

ncre

te m

ater

ials

and

par

ticip

atin

g in

activ

ities

that

are

rel

evan

t to

thei

r ow

nex

peri

ence

s an

d cu

lture

; and

,

build

ing

upon

thei

r na

tura

l cur

iosi

ty a

nd d

esir

e to

mak

e se

nse

of th

e w

orld

aro

und

them

.

Bot

h pr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

child

ren

are

cont

inuo

usly

lear

ning

to:'°

use

thei

r bo

dies

and

exp

ress

them

selv

esth

roug

hph

ysic

al a

ctiv

ities

;

solv

e pr

oble

ms

and

expe

rim

ent w

ith c

hang

e;

deve

lop

an u

nder

stan

ding

and

acc

epta

nce

ofth

emse

lves

as

indi

vidu

als;

gain

mor

e se

lf c

ontr

ol a

nd b

uild

coo

pera

tive

rela

tions

with

oth

ers;

and

com

mun

icat

e th

eir

thou

ghts

and

fee

lings

as

effe

ctiv

ely

and

crea

tivel

y as

pos

sibl

e.

61

Wha

t is

the

sign

ific

ance

of

thes

e co

mm

onch

arac

teri

stic

s fo

r pl

anni

ngde

velo

pmen

tally

app

ropr

iate

cur

ricu

la f

orpr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten?

Pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n ch

ildre

n ha

vesi

mila

rle

arni

ng s

tyle

s. F

urth

erm

ore,

eac

h pr

ogra

mha

sch

ildre

n w

ith a

wid

e ra

nge

of d

evel

opm

enta

llev

els.

For

thes

e re

ason

s bo

th p

resc

hool

and

kind

erga

rten

teac

hers

may

est

ablis

h si

mila

r en

viro

nmen

tsan

dap

proa

ches

to f

acili

tatin

g gr

owth

and

deve

lopm

ent.

For

exam

ple,

pre

scho

ol a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

teac

hers

can

adop

t the

fol

low

ing

deve

lopm

enta

llyap

prop

riat

e pr

actic

es:"

desi

gnin

g ex

peri

ence

s to

stim

ulat

e le

arni

ngin

all

area

sph

ysic

al, s

ocia

l, em

otio

nal,

and

inte

llect

ual;

plan

ning

cur

ricu

lum

and

adu

lt in

tera

ctio

nsw

hich

are

resp

onsi

ve to

indi

vidu

aldi

ffer

ence

s in

abi

lity,

inte

rest

s, c

ultu

ral b

ackg

roun

ds, a

nd li

ngui

stic

styl

es;

prov

idin

g an

env

iron

men

t in

whi

ch c

hild

ren

can

lear

n th

roug

h ac

tive

expl

orat

ion

and

inte

ract

ion

with

con

cret

e m

ater

ials

, adu

lts, a

nd o

ther

child

ren;

orga

nizi

ng th

at e

nvir

onm

ent s

o th

at c

hild

ren

sele

ct m

any

of th

eir

own

activ

ities

am

ong

ava

riet

y of

lear

ning

are

as in

clud

ing:

dra

mat

icpl

ay,

bloc

ks, s

cien

ce, m

ath,

gam

es a

nd p

uzzl

es,

book

s,re

cord

ings

, art

, and

mus

ic;

orga

nizi

ng th

e da

y so

that

chi

ldre

n w

ork

indi

vidu

ally

or

in s

mal

l inf

orm

al g

roup

s m

ost

ofth

e tim

e;pr

ovid

ing

man

y op

port

uniti

es f

or c

hild

ren

to s

eeho

w s

poke

n an

d w

ritte

n la

ngua

ge a

re r

elat

ed;

prov

idin

g da

ily o

ppor

tuni

ties

for

child

ren

to u

sesm

all a

nd la

rge

mus

cles

, to

liste

n to

sto

ries

, and

to e

xpre

ss th

emse

lves

cre

ativ

ely;

faci

litat

ing

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f se

lf-c

ontr

ol in

child

ren

by u

sing

pos

itive

gui

danc

e te

chni

ques

such

as

mod

elin

g an

d en

cour

agin

g ex

pect

edbe

havi

or, s

ettin

g cl

ear

limits

, and

red

irec

ting

child

ren

to a

mor

e ac

cept

able

act

ivity

; and

,

prov

idin

g m

any

oppo

rtun

ities

for

chi

ldre

n to

deve

lop

soci

al s

kills

suc

h as

coo

pera

ting,

help

ing,

shar

ing,

neg

otia

ting,

and

talk

ing

with

oth

ers

toso

lve

inte

rper

sona

l pro

blem

s.65

BE

ST C

OPY

AV

AIL

AB

LE

In w

hat w

ays

are

pres

choo

l and

kind

erga

rten

chi

ldre

n di

ffer

ent?

Alth

ough

bot

h pr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

pro-

gram

s m

ay h

ave

child

ren

atva

riou

s de

velo

pmen

tal

leve

ls, m

ost k

inde

rgar

ten

child

ren

are

one

year

olde

r. B

ecau

se th

is e

xtra

yea

r ha

s br

ough

t new

expe

rien

ces

and

natu

ral g

row

th, k

inde

rgar

ten

child

ren:

"

are

mor

e ab

le to

exp

and

beyo

ndth

eir

imm

edia

teex

peri

ence

s of

sel

f, h

ome,

and

fam

ily a

nd to

deve

lop

inte

rest

s in

the

com

mun

ity a

nd w

orld

outs

ide;

show

incr

ease

d ab

ility

to u

se m

otor

ski

lls, t

o pa

yat

tent

ion

for

long

er p

erio

ds o

f tim

e, a

nd to

play

and

plan

coo

pera

tivel

y; a

nd,

disp

lay

a gr

owin

g in

tere

st in

sym

bols

incl

udin

gw

ritte

n la

ngua

ge a

nd a

wri

tten

num

ber

syst

em.

Wha

t is

the

sign

ific

ance

of

thes

edi

ffer

ence

s in

pla

nnin

g de

velo

pmen

tally

appr

opri

ate

curr

icul

um?

Alth

ough

the

pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n ro

omm

ay lo

ok s

imila

r, th

e ki

nder

gart

ente

ache

r is

abl

eto

:'' prov

ide

mor

e el

abor

atio

n in

the

child

ren'

s in

ter-

actio

n w

ith m

ater

ials

and

act

iviti

es;

enco

urag

e m

ore

join

t pla

nnin

g an

dco

oper

atio

nam

ong

child

ren;

prov

ide

an e

nvir

onm

ent w

hich

put

s m

ore

emph

asis

on

stim

ulat

ing

wri

tten

lang

uage

and

liter

acy

skill

s w

hich

are

app

ropr

iate

to th

ein

divi

dual

chi

ld's

dev

elop

men

tal l

evel

and

abili

ty;

and,

focu

s on

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f m

ore

inde

pend

ent

wor

k ha

bits

and

enh

ance

d ab

ility

to f

ollo

wte

ache

r di

rect

ions

.

8Fi

1;

UST

r,O

PYA

VA

ILA

BL

E

Wha

t oth

er d

iffe

renc

es e

xist

bet

wee

npr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgai

:cn

prog

ram

s?

The

set

tings

of

pres

choo

ls a

ndki

nder

gart

ens

are

ofte

n di

ffer

ent.

For

exam

ple:

"

Gro

up s

ize

in p

resc

hool

may

be

rela

tivel

y sm

all

15-2

0 in

cen

ter-

base

d pr

ogra

ms,

with

2-3

teac

hing

sta

ff, o

r ev

en s

mal

ler

in h

ome-

base

dpr

ogra

ms.

In

kind

erga

rten

,th

ere

may

be

25 (

orm

ore)

chi

ldre

n, w

ith 1

-2 te

achi

ngst

aff.

Pres

choo

l sch

edul

es m

ay b

e fl

exib

le,

whe

reas

kind

erga

rten

s m

ay b

e re

quir

ed to

adh

ere

to a

time

sche

dule

bas

ed in

par

t on

coop

erat

ive

uses

of p

layg

roun

ds, c

afet

eria

s, g

yms,

or

buse

s.

Pres

choo

ls m

ay b

e sm

alle

r an

d m

ore

com

mun

ityba

sed,

whe

reas

kin

derg

arte

ns a

re u

sual

ly p

arto

fa

larg

er in

stitu

tion

with

olde

r ch

ildre

n an

d di

f-fe

rent

edu

catio

nal e

xpec

tatio

ns.

Pres

choo

ls m

ay b

e pr

ivat

ely

adm

inis

tere

d or

coop

erat

ivel

y ad

min

iste

red

by p

aren

ts, w

hile

kind

erga

rten

s ar

e us

ually

par

t of

a sc

hool

sys

tem

mos

t oft

en a

dmin

iste

red

by a

loca

l boa

rd o

fed

ucat

ion.

Alth

ough

eac

h pr

ogra

m c

an p

rovi

de a

deve

lopm

enta

lly a

ppro

pria

te c

urri

culu

m, t

hese

tting

may

eff

ect t

he w

ay e

ach

prog

ram

is c

arri

ed o

ut.

1444

44.w

.

.e.

Mai

ntai

ning

Ong

oing

Com

mun

icat

ion

Bet

wee

nPr

esch

ool a

nd K

inde

rgar

ten

Staf

f

Adm

inis

trat

ors

in b

oth

pres

choo

l and

kin

der-

gart

ens

can

set t

he s

tage

for

suc

cess

ful t

rans

ition

activ

ities

by

supp

ortin

g th

e on

goin

g co

mm

unic

atio

nan

d co

oper

atio

n am

ong

earl

y ch

ildho

od te

ache

rs.

Pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n st

aff

can

incr

ease

edu

ca-

tiona

l pro

gram

con

tinui

ty b

y ge

tting

to k

now

eac

hot

her,

sha

ring

info

rmat

ion

abou

t the

ir p

rogr

ams,

and

plan

ning

an

effe

ctiv

e tr

ansi

tion

syst

em. O

ppor

tuni

ties

for

com

mun

icat

ion

and

coop

erat

ion

shou

ld o

ccur

thro

ugho

ut th

e pr

ogra

m y

ear.

Com

mun

icat

ion

can

been

hanc

ed w

hen

thos

e in

volv

ed a

re f

amili

ar a

nd c

om-

fort

able

with

eac

h ot

her.

If

oppo

rtun

ities

are

pro

-

vide

d fo

r pa

rtic

ipan

ts to

ask

que

stio

ns a

nd p

rovi

dein

form

atio

n ab

out t

hem

selv

es a

nd th

eir

prog

ram

s in

an o

pen

atm

osph

ere,

the

foun

datio

n is

laid

for

effe

c-tiv

e co

oper

atio

n du

ring

the

tran

sitio

n.15

One

of

the

sim

ples

t yet

mos

t im

port

ant n

eeds

is f

orac

cura

te a

nd u

nbia

sed

info

rmat

ion

abou

t pro

gram

s.M

ost t

each

ers

of p

resc

hool

chi

ldre

n ar

e un

ders

tand

-ab

ly p

roud

of

thei

r pr

ogra

ms

and

they

hav

e a

prof

es-

sion

al a

nd p

erso

nal i

nter

est i

n th

e yo

ung

child

ren

enro

lled.

It m

ay b

e di

ffic

ult t

o "l

et th

em g

o" to

wha

tm

ay s

eem

like

a m

ore

impe

rson

al in

stitu

tiona

lse

tting

.O

n th

e ot

her

hand

, mos

t kin

derg

arte

n te

ache

rs,

equa

lly p

roud

and

ded

icat

ed, s

triv

e to

pla

n an

d ca

rry

out a

n ed

ucat

iona

l pro

gram

bas

ed o

n co

mm

unity

ex-

pect

atio

ns, s

choo

l goa

ls a

nd o

bjec

tives

, and

the

child

ren'

s in

divi

dual

nee

ds. A

lthou

gh p

resc

hool

and

kind

erga

rten

teac

hers

may

hav

e ha

d di

ffer

ent c

aree

rpa

ths,

hon

est a

ccep

tanc

e of

eac

h ot

her's

pro

fes-

sion

alis

m a

nd c

omm

itmen

t is

esse

ntia

l to

the

tran

si-

tion

proc

ess.

'6

I RE

T C

OPY

AV

AIL

APL

E

Mos

t pre

scho

ol a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

teac

hers

hav

elim

ited

time

outs

ide

of th

e cl

assr

oom

. How

ever

,op

port

uniti

es f

or f

orm

al a

nd in

form

al c

onta

ct s

houl

dbe

pro

vide

d th

roug

hout

the

year

. Sin

ce p

resc

hool

teac

hers

may

hav

e to

inte

ract

with

sev

eral

"re

ceiv

er"

scho

ols

and

kind

erga

rten

teac

hers

may

hav

e to

con

-ta

ct s

ever

al "

feed

er"

prog

ram

s, it

may

be

help

ful t

oes

tabl

ish

a co

mm

unity

-wid

e tr

ansi

tion

com

mitt

ee in

orde

r to

invo

lve

all t

he r

elev

ant p

rogr

ams

in p

lann

ing

tran

sitio

n ac

tiviti

es.

The

fol

low

ing

tips

incl

ude

sugg

estio

ns th

at m

ayhe

lp e

arly

chi

ldho

od e

duca

tors

beg

in th

e ex

chan

gebe

twee

n pr

ogra

ms

in a

way

that

bui

lds

mut

ual r

espe

ctan

d un

ders

tand

ing.

Tip

s fo

r O

ngoi

ng C

omm

unic

atio

nB

etw

een

Pres

choo

l and

Kin

derg

arte

nSt

aff'

Pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n ad

min

istr

ator

sca

n in

itate

opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r co

mm

uni-

catio

n an

d ex

chan

ge a

mon

g te

ache

rs in

orde

r to

beg

in p

lann

ing

for

the

tran

sitio

n.

Adm

inis

trat

ors

and

teac

hers

can

pla

n an

info

rmal

vis

it to

mee

t the

sta

ff o

f th

epr

esch

ool o

r ki

nder

gart

en p

rogr

am.

Dur

ing

this

vis

it, s

taff

can

beg

in to

get

tokn

ow e

ach

othe

r, s

hare

info

rmat

ion

abou

tth

e pr

ogra

m, a

nd d

iscu

ss th

e ne

ed f

orsp

ecif

ic tr

ansi

tion

activ

ities

and

oth

erco

llabo

rativ

e ef

fort

s.

In c

omm

uniti

es w

ith a

num

ber

ofpr

esch

ools

and

kin

derg

arte

ns, a

com

mun

ity-w

ide

tran

sitio

n co

mm

ittee

can

be o

rgan

ized

with

rep

rese

ntat

ives

fro

mpr

esch

ools

, pub

lic s

choo

ls, p

aren

ts, a

ndot

her

com

mun

ity o

rgan

izat

ions

. Bot

hpr

esch

ool a

nd p

ublic

sch

ool

adm

inis

trat

ors

can

be in

stru

men

tal i

nes

tabl

ishi

ng th

e co

mm

ittee

. Suc

hco

mm

ittee

s ca

n be

res

pons

ible

for

deve

lopi

ng a

ste

p-by

-ste

p pl

an a

ndco

rres

pond

ing

mat

eria

ls to

be

used

in th

etr

ansi

tion

proc

ess

by a

ll pr

ogra

ms.

BE

ST

CO

PY

AV

AIL

AB

LE

12

Thr

ough

info

rmal

con

tact

, or

thro

ugh

the

tran

sitio

n co

mm

ittee

, act

iviti

es c

an b

epl

anne

d in

clud

ing

join

t kin

derg

arte

nre

gist

ratio

n, w

orks

hops

and

mat

eria

ls f

orpa

rent

s, a

nd o

ther

act

iviti

es th

atw

ill

faci

litat

e th

e tr

ansi

tion

proc

ess.

An

open

hou

se c

an b

e he

ld f

or k

inde

r-ga

rten

or

pres

choo

l sta

ff to

exp

lain

the

prog

ram

and

get

acq

uain

ted.

Slid

es o

fch

ildre

n ca

n be

use

d to

illu

stra

te th

e da

ilypr

ogra

m. W

ritte

n m

ater

ial

abou

t the

prog

ram

can

be

prov

ided

.

Tea

cher

s ca

n vi

sit e

ach

othe

r's c

lass

-ro

oms

duri

ng th

e sc

hool

yea

r to

obs

erve

.So

me

prog

ram

s m

ay b

e ab

le to

exc

hang

est

aff

as s

ubst

itute

s on

occ

asio

n.

Part

icip

atio

n on

pol

icy

advi

sory

com

mitt

ees

can

be c

ombi

ned

whe

repo

ssib

le. F

or e

xam

ple,

you

mig

ht a

sk th

eki

nder

gart

en te

ache

r to

sit

on th

epr

esch

ool b

oard

or

invi

te a

pre

scho

olte

ache

r to

join

in m

eetin

gs o

f th

e sc

hool

PTA

.

Exc

hang

e da

ys c

an b

e pl

anne

d be

twee

npr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

staf

f.

4

71

1

13

1Jo

int i

nser

vice

wor

ksho

ps c

an b

ede

velo

ped

whi

ch fo

cus

on tr

ansi

tion

asw

ell a

s ot

her

issu

es fa

cing

ear

ly c

hild

hood

educ

ator

s.

Pre

scho

ol a

dmin

istr

ator

s ca

n w

rite

lette

rsto

rec

eivi

ng p

ublic

sch

ools

in th

e sp

ring

listin

g th

e na

mes

of i

ncom

ing

child

ren

and

com

mun

icat

iing

info

rmat

ion

abou

t the

irpr

esch

ool p

rogr

am.

Kin

derg

arte

n re

gist

ratio

n ca

n be

pla

nned

in c

onju

nctio

n w

ith p

resc

hool

pro

gram

s.

If ki

nder

gart

en c

hild

ren

are

scre

ened

prio

rto

ent

ranc

e, th

e sc

reen

ing

can

be p

lann

edin

con

junc

tion

with

the

pres

choo

l.P

resc

hool

sta

ff. w

ho a

re fa

mili

ar w

ith th

ech

ildre

n, c

an b

e pr

esen

t dur

ing

the

scre

enin

g. In

this

way

, the

y m

ay b

e ab

le to

reas

sure

an

anxi

ous

child

and

incr

ease

the

effe

ctiv

enes

s of

the

proc

edur

e. P

resc

hool

sca

n al

so o

ffer

to "

host

" th

e sc

reen

ing,

so

that

chi

ldre

n re

mai

n in

a fa

mili

aren

viro

nmen

t dur

ing

this

pro

cess

.

Hea

lth a

nd s

ocia

l ser

vice

sta

ff ca

n m

eet t

odi

scus

s co

ntin

uity

of s

ervi

ces

for

child

ren

and

fam

ilies

.

Arr

ange

men

ts c

an b

e m

ade

betw

een

pres

choo

l and

kin

derg

arte

n st

aff t

opr

ovid

e sp

ecia

l inf

orm

atio

n an

d as

sist

ance

for

non-

Eng

lish

spea

king

par

ents

as

thei

rch

ildre

n m

ove

on to

a n

ew p

rogr

am.

Pre

scho

ol s

taff

can

disc

uss

the

tran

sfer

of

spec

ific

reco

rds

to th

e sc

hool

. The

type

of

reco

rds

avai

labl

e w

ill v

ary.

Som

epr

ogra

ms,

suc

h as

Hea

d S

tart

or

prog

ram

sse

rvin

g sp

ecia

l nee

ds c

hild

ren,

may

alre

ady

have

spe

cific

arr

ange

men

ts fo

r th

etr

ansf

er o

r re

cord

s. T

he m

ost i

mpo

rtan

tco

ncer

n in

this

are

a is

to p

rovi

de p

aren

tsw

ith th

eir

full

right

s to

priv

acy

rega

rdin

gth

e re

cord

s of

thei

r ch

ildre

n.

Onc

e ch

ildre

n m

ove

on to

kin

derg

arte

n,fo

llow

-up

disc

ussi

ons

can

be h

eld

in th

efa

ll to

ans

wer

que

stio

ns a

nd d

iscu

ss th

epr

ogre

ss o

f chi

ldre

n.

Prep

arin

g C

hild

ren

for

Tra

nsiti

on

Nev

er b

efor

e ha

s ea

rly e

duca

tion

reac

hed

as m

any

child

ren

as it

doe

s to

day.

Chi

ldre

n en

terin

g ki

nder

-ga

rten

may

hav

e at

tend

ed fu

ll da

y or

hal

f day

chi

ldca

re fo

r on

e or

mor

e ye

ars.

Thi

s gr

oup

expe

rienc

em

ay h

ave

follo

wed

yea

rs o

f hom

e ba

sed

care

with

apa

rent

, rel

ativ

e, o

r ot

her

care

give

r. B

ecau

se o

f the

varie

ty o

f pro

gram

s av

aila

ble,

chi

ldre

n ca

n en

ter

'

kind

erga

rten

with

vas

tly d

iffer

ent e

xper

ienc

es. I

ntu

rn, k

inde

rgar

ten

prog

ram

s ar

e di

vers

e in

pur

pose

,st

ruct

ure,

and

sch

edul

e.'8

Des

pite

the

varie

ty o

f pre

viou

s ex

perie

nces

, all

child

ren

need

to b

e ac

cept

ed a

t the

ir ow

nde

velo

pmen

tal l

evel

. Pre

parin

g ch

ildre

n fo

r th

etr

ansi

tion

to k

inde

rgar

ten

does

not

mea

n "g

ettin

gth

em r

eady

" by

focu

sing

on

a na

rrow

ran

ge o

f,a

cade

mic

ski

lls, d

rillin

g on

new

rul

es, o

r re

tain

ing

them

in p

resc

hool

for

anot

her

year

. Sch

ool i

s a

plac

e w

here

chi

ldre

n an

d pa

rent

s ex

pect

to fi

ndop

port

uniti

es fo

r gr

owth

and

dev

elop

men

t fro

mw

hate

ver

star

ting

poin

t the

chi

ld b

rings

to th

e ne

wse

tting

."

1

rt

15

BE

ST

CO

PY

AV

AIL

AB

LE

Chi

ldre

n ne

ed to

kno

w w

hat i

s ex

pect

ed o

f th

emby

adu

lts in

the

new

pro

gram

and

to h

ave

seve

ral

oppo

rtun

ities

to b

ecom

e fa

mili

ar w

ith th

e ne

wen

viro

nmen

t. T

hey

shou

ld lo

ok f

orw

ard

to th

e ne

wex

peri

ence

with

a s

ense

of

exci

tem

ent a

ndan

ticip

atio

n ra

ther

than

fee

ling

thre

aten

ed a

ndfe

arfu

l of

wha

t lie

s ah

ead.

Tra

nsiti

on a

ctiv

ities

for

youn

g ch

ildre

n sh

ould

be

like

thos

e w

hich

pre

pare

them

for

any

thin

g ne

w a

nd c

an in

clud

e di

scus

sion

s,st

orie

s, g

ames

, dra

mat

ic p

lay,

and

fie

ld tr

ips.

The

fol

low

ing

tips

incl

ude

sugg

estio

ns f

orpr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

teac

hers

and

adm

inis

trat

ors

to h

elp

plan

and

impl

emen

t tra

nsiti

onac

tiviti

es f

or c

hild

ren.

Tip

s fo

r Pr

esch

ool S

taff

in P

lann

ing

Tra

nsiti

on A

ctiv

ities

for

Chi

ldre

n20

Sche

dule

a v

isit

or a

ser

ies

of v

isits

to th

ene

w s

choo

l for

the

child

ren.

The

se v

isits

can

incl

ude

a to

ur o

f th

e bu

ildin

g an

dpl

aygr

ound

, eat

ing

lunc

h in

the

cafe

teri

a,an

d/or

par

ticip

atin

g in

act

iviti

es in

the

kind

erga

rten

cla

ssro

om. T

ake

pict

ures

or

vide

os o

f th

ese

activ

ities

to s

hare

with

child

ren

and

pare

nts.

Hel

p th

e ch

ildre

n fe

el c

omfo

rtab

le a

ndco

nfid

ent a

bout

the

mov

e to

kin

derg

arte

nby

dis

cuss

ing

the

new

act

iviti

es, s

ched

ules

,an

d bu

s ro

utes

.

Rea

d bo

oks

to th

e ch

ildre

n th

at d

iscu

ssch

ange

s an

d m

oves

. Cre

ate

a pu

ppet

sho

wor

scr

apbo

ok w

ith p

ictu

res

of th

e ne

wsc

hool

. Allo

w c

hild

ren

to e

xpre

ss th

eir

feel

ings

abo

ut th

e ne

w s

choo

l thr

ough

dram

atic

pla

y ac

tiviti

es a

nd b

y di

ctat

ing

stor

ies.

Enc

oura

ge c

hild

ren

to a

skqu

estio

ns.

If th

e ki

nder

gart

en p

rogr

am h

as d

iffe

rent

rule

s (s

uch

as li

ning

up

to g

o on

the

bus)

,th

e pr

esch

ool t

each

er m

ay w

ant t

o pl

ayga

mes

with

the

child

ren

to f

amili

ariz

eth

em w

ith th

e ne

w p

roce

dure

s. H

owev

er,

avoi

d dr

illin

g th

em o

r cr

eatin

g an

xiet

yab

out t

he n

ew e

nvir

onm

ent.

Invi

te a

kin

derg

arte

n 'c

hild

or

olde

r si

blin

gto

vis

it th

e pr

esch

ool a

nd ta

lk a

bout

his/

her

scho

ol.

Mak

e a

cale

ndar

to h

ighl

ight

impo

rtan

tev

ents

suc

h as

vis

its to

the

scho

ol, g

ood-

by p

arty

, fir

st d

ay o

f sc

hool

, etc

.

Tip

s fo

r K

inde

rgar

ten

Staf

f in

Plan

ning

Tra

nsiti

on A

ctiv

ities

for

Chi

ldre

n

Invi

te p

aren

ts to

vis

it th

e sc

hool

with

thei

rch

ild d

urin

g th

e sc

hool

yea

r be

fore

the

child

beg

ins

kind

erga

rten

.

Hol

d a

back

-to-

scho

ol n

ight

in A

ugus

t so

that

par

ents

and

chi

ldre

n ca

n vi

sit t

hecl

assr

oom

, tak

e pa

rt in

sam

ple

activ

ities

,an

d m

eet o

ther

chi

ldre

n an

d pa

rent

s in

the

new

gro

up.

Send

a p

erso

nal "

lette

r fr

om y

our

teac

her"

or

post

card

to a

ll ne

w s

tude

nts

in th

e !m

e su

mm

er, w

elco

min

g th

em to

the

kind

erga

rten

cla

ss. T

he s

choo

l PT

Am

ight

be

cont

acte

d to

pro

vide

res

ourc

esfo

r m

ater

ials

and

pos

tage

.

Plan

to p

hase

in g

roup

s of

chi

ldre

n du

ring

the

firs

t wee

k of

sch

ool i

n or

der

topr

ovid

e m

ore

indi

vidu

al a

ttent

ion

to e

ach

child

. The

teac

her

may

wan

t to

have

child

ren

com

e w

ith th

eir

pare

nts

for

anho

ur th

e fi

rst d

ay, i

n th

ree

diff

eren

tgr

oups

, or

spen

d tw

o to

thre

e da

ysor

ient

ing

five

to te

n ch

ildre

n a

day.

Focu

sing

on

smal

l gro

ups

of c

hild

ren

duri

ng th

is in

itial

per

iod

can

prom

ote

asm

ooth

er tr

ansi

tion

for

each

chi

ld.

1 6

I 7

I%

I

Invo

lvin

g Pa

rent

s in

the

Tra

nsiti

on

A jo

int e

ffor

t by

scho

ol a

nd h

ome

isne

eded

toaf

fect

a s

r to

oth

tran

sitio

n. T

his

mea

ns th

at c

on-

tinui

ty is

impo

rtan

t for

the

pare

nts

as w

ell a

s th

ech

ildre

n. F

or th

e pa

rent

, the

pre

scho

ol m

ay b

e a

fam

iliar

fam

ily s

uppo

rt s

yste

m w

here

ther

e ha

sbe

en f

requ

ent c

onta

ct w

ith th

e te

achi

ng s

taff

.T

heki

nder

gart

en m

ay r

epre

sent

a le

ss f

amili

ar e

nvir

on-

men

t with

a d

iffe

rent

type

of

prog

ram

for

child

ren

and

fam

ilies

.M

any

pare

nts

are

activ

ely

invo

lved

in th

eir

child

ren'

s pr

esch

ool p

rogr

am. S

tudi

es in

dica

teth

atsu

ch in

volv

emen

t con

trib

utes

to th

e su

cces

s of

the

educ

atio

nal p

rogr

am. P

aren

ts n

eed

enco

urag

emen

t

18

PFST

CO

PY A

VA

ILA

BL

E

7C

to c

ontin

ue to

be

invo

lved

in th

e ed

ucat

iona

l pro

-gr

am a

nd to

hel

p th

eir

child

ren

feel

com

pete

nt a

sth

ey m

ove

on to

kin

derg

arte

n. P

aren

ts c

aii

prom

ote

conf

iden

ce in

thei

r ch

ildre

n by

conv

eyin

g a

posi

tive

attit

ude

abou

t the

new

sch

ool.

Pare

nts

also

nee

d su

ppor

t to

wor

k th

roug

h th

eef

fect

of

chan

ging

pro

gram

s on

thei

r da

ily li

ves.

For

exam

ple,

loca

ting

child

car

eth

at c

an b

e us

ed in

conj

unct

ion

with

the

kind

erga

rten

may

be a

cri

tical

need

for

som

e fa

mili

es.

As

pare

nts

beco

me

mor

efa

mili

ar w

ith th

e ne

wse

tting

and

mee

t oth

er p

aren

ts in

thei

r ch

ildre

n's

peer

gro

up, t

hey

gain

conf

iden

ce in

thei

r ow

n po

wer

to h

ave

an e

ffec

t on

the

educ

atio

n of

thei

r ch

ildre

n.

The

fol

low

ing

tips

incl

ude

sugg

estio

nsfo

rpr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

teac

hers

and

adm

inis

trat

ors

in p

lann

ing

and

impl

emen

ting

tran

sitio

n ac

tiviti

es w

ith p

aren

ts.

!

.01

a.

Tip

s fo

r Pr

esch

ool S

taff

to I

nvol

ve P

aren

ts in

the

Tra

nsiti

on'

Prov

ide

pare

nts

with

info

rmat

ion

abou

tth

e sc

hool

thei

r ch

ild m

ay b

e at

tend

ing

incl

udin

g: a

ddre

ss, n

ame

of p

rinc

ipal

,te

leph

one

num

ber,

and

dat

es f

orre

gist

ratio

n.

Enc

oura

ge p

aren

ts to

atte

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

"rou

nd-u

p" o

r ot

her

orie

ntat

ion

sess

ions

that

the

scho

ol m

ay p

lan

for

inco

min

gpa

rent

s.

Dis

cuss

chi

ld c

are

optio

ns w

ith w

orki

ngpa

rent

s. P

rovi

de in

form

atio

n an

d re

ferr

alto

app

ropr

iate

aft

er s

choo

l pro

gram

s.

Invi

te s

Ooo

l per

sonn

el, i

nclu

ding

teac

hers

and

prin

cipa

ls, t

o at

tend

a p

aren

t mee

ting

and

disc

uss

the

kind

erga

rten

pro

gram

, the

role

of

pare

nts

in th

e sc

hool

, and

toan

swer

any

oth

er q

uest

ions

reg

ardi

ngth

esc

hool

pro

gram

.

Dis

cuss

the

tran

sfer

of

reco

rds

with

pare

nts

and

prov

ide

rele

ase

of in

form

atio

nfo

rms

to b

e si

gned

by

the

pare

nts.

Suc

hfo

rms

shou

ld in

clud

e de

tails

on

"who

" is

rele

asin

g "w

hat"

info

rmat

ion

"to

who

m"

and

for

"wha

t pur

pose

."

Hel

p ar

rang

e a

visi

t for

the

pare

nt a

ndch

ild to

the

new

sch

ool.

Cre

ate

a st

ory

abou

t the

new

sch

ool f

orpa

rent

s to

rea

d to

thei

r ch

ildre

n.E

ncou

rage

par

ents

to b

uild

thei

r ch

ild's

conf

iden

ce a

bout

goi

ng to

sch

ool.

Intr

oduc

e pa

rent

s to

oth

er p

aren

ts o

fch

ildre

n w

ho w

ill a

ttend

the

new

pro

gram

.E

ncou

rage

mee

tings

of

new

cla

ssm

ates

prio

r to

sch

ool o

peni

ng.

Dis

cuss

cha

nges

in s

ervi

ces

for

pare

nts

that

may

not

be

avai

labl

e in

the

publ

icsc

hool

. For

exa

mpl

e, s

ome

pres

choo

ls,

espe

cial

ly H

ead

Star

t pro

gram

s, m

ay h

elp

pare

nts

with

hea

lth a

ppoi

ntm

ents

and

tran

spor

tatio

n. T

his

type

of

serv

ice

may

not b

e av

aila

ble

in th

e ne

w p

rogr

am.

20

Tip

s fo

r K

inde

rgar

ten

Staf

f to

Invo

lve

Pare

nts

in th

e T

rans

ition

22

In th

e sp

ring

, inv

ite n

ew p

aren

ts to

age

nera

l ori

enta

tion

abou

t the

new

sch

ool

and

the

oppo

rtun

ities

for

par

ent

part

icip

atio

n.

Enc

oura

ge p

aren

ts to

vol

unte

er in

the

kind

erga

rten

cla

ssro

om p

rior

toSe

ptem

ber.

Prov

ide

a pa

rent

ori

enta

tion

pack

age

incl

udin

g: th

e ch

ild's

new

sch

edul

e,tr

ansp

orta

tion

proc

edur

es, r

equi

red

scho

olfo

rms,

foo

d se

rvic

e, a

nd o

ther

pro

gram

info

rmat

ion.

Send

not

es to

par

ents

pri

or to

sch

ool

open

ing

whi

ch e

ncou

rage

par

eni i

nvol

ve-

men

t and

off

er s

ugge

stio

ns f

or h

elpi

ngch

ildre

n fe

el a

t hom

e m

ore

quic

kly

duri

ng th

e fi

rst f

ew d

ays

of s

choo

l. T

hele

tter

may

incl

ude

tips

on w

hat p

aren

tsm

ight

say

to th

eir

child

ren

to e

ase

anxi

ety

abou

t the

fir

st d

ay, a

des

crip

tion

of th

eac

tiviti

es p

lann

ed d

urin

g th

e in

itial

wee

ks, s

ugge

stio

ns f

or c

omfo

rtab

leap

pare

l, an

d bu

s sc

hedu

les.

Intr

oduc

e ne

w p

aren

ts to

par

ents

of

child

ren

alre

ady

in k

inde

rgar

ten.

The

PT

Am

ay b

e he

lpfu

l in

esta

blis

hing

such

a"b

uddy

sys

tem

" be

twee

n "o

ld"

and

"new

" pa

rent

s. te 4.*.

* 4"

.4%

.r*;

I8.

11./.

p;

1

Sum

mar

y

Plan

ning

for

the

tran

sitio

n of

chi

ldre

n as

they

mov

e fr

om p

resc

hool

to k

inde

rgar

ten

prov

ides

cont

inui

ty in

thei

rea

rly

educ

atio

nal

expe

rien

ces.

The

tran

sitio

n is

mad

e ea

sier

whe

nbo

th p

rogr

ams

are

deve

lopm

enta

llyap

prop

riat

e an

dre

spon

d to

the

indi

vidu

al n

eeds

of

each

chi

ld.

Ong

oing

com

mun

icat

ion

and

coop

erat

ion

betw

een

pres

choo

l and

kind

erga

rten

sta

ffle

ads

to a

gre

ater

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

eac

hot

her's

pro

gram

and

an

incr

ease

d ab

ility

to p

lan

toge

ther

for

the

tran

sitio

n.

1

RE

ST C

ON

AV

AIL

AB

LE

'24)

rifi

lei

Isw

hy;

Whe

n ch

ildre

n ar

e pr

epar

ed f

or m

akin

gth

etr

ansi

tion

to a

new

pro

gram

, the

y ga

inse

lfco

nfid

ence

and

are

mor

e lik

ely

tosu

ccee

d. W

hen

pare

nts

are

incl

uded

in th

e tr

ansi

tion

proc

ess,

itre

new

s th

eir

sens

e of

invo

lvem

ent i

n th

eir

child

's

educ

atio

n.A

s pr

esch

ool a

nd k

inde

rgar

ten

teac

hers

and

adm

inis

trat

ors

plan

and

impl

emen

t the

idea

spr

esen

ted

in th

is b

ookl

et, t

hey

will

be

help

ing

topr

ovid

e a

mor

e co

ordi

nate

ded

ucat

iona

l exp

erie

nce

for

youn

g ch

ildre

n an

d th

eir

fam

ilies

.

Ref

eren

ces

I. A

dapt

ed fr

om "

Rap

Rea

ch-T

rans

ition

ing,

"by

the

Res

ourc

e A

cces

s P

roje

ct, K

MU

C, A

pril,

198

6, p

. 5.

2. A

dapt

ed fr

om "

Eas

ing

the

Chi

ld's

Tra

nsiti

onB

etw

een

Hom

e, C

hild

Car

e C

ente

r an

d S

choo

l:A

Gui

de fo

r E

arly

Chi

ldho

od E

duca

tors

," b

yK

athr

yn G

licks

man

and

Tyn

ettc

W. H

ills,

publ

ishe

d by

he

Nev

. Jer

sey

Dep

artm

ent o

fE

duca

tion,

Sep

tem

ber,

198

1, p

. I.

3. A

dapt

ed fr

om "

Tra

nsiti

on fr

omP

resc

hool

toP

ublic

Sch

ool,"

a s

lide/

tape

pre

sent

atio

n de

velo

ped

by T

he C

hape

l Hill

Tra

inin

g-O

utre

ach

Pro

ject

,C

hape

l Hill

, Nor

th C

arol

ina

and

the

Nat

iona

lIn

tera

genc

y C

omm

ittee

oii

Tra

nsiti

on, 1

986.

4. ib

id.

5. A

dapt

ed fr

om G

licks

man

and

Hill

s, o

p.ci

t., p

. I.

6. ib

id.

7. ib

id.,

p. 1

3.

8. A

dapt

ed fr

om D

evel

opm

enta

llyA

ppro

pria

teP

ract

ice,

Edi

ted

by S

ue B

rede

kam

p, p

ublis

hed

byth

e N

atio

nal A

ssoc

iatio

n fo

r th

e E

duca

tion

ofY

oung

Chi

ldre

n. 1

986,

pp.

4 a

nd 2

.

9. ib

id. p

p. 5

0-52

.

10. i

bid.

II. ib

id.

12. i

bid.

, p. 6

.

13. i

bid.

14. A

dapt

ed fr

om G

licks

man

and

Hill

s, o

p.ci

t.. p

. 3.

15. i

bid.

, p. 1

1

16. i

bid.

17. i

bid.

. pp.

9-1

1.

18. i

bid.

, pp.

1 a

nd 3

.

19. A

dapt

ed fr

om "

Com

e as

You

Arc

Kin

derg

arte

nfo

r N

ebra

ska'

s C

hild

ren,

" a

book

let i

ssue

dby

the

Neb

rask

a S

tate

Dep

artm

ent o

f Edu

catio

n, M

arch

,19

84.

20. A

dapt

ed fr

om R

esou

rce

Acc

ess

Pro

ject

, op.

cit.,

pp. 2

-4.

21. i

bid.

22. A

dapt

ed fr

om G

licks

man

and

Hill

s, o

p.ci

t., p

. I1.

24

PF

ST

CO

PY

AV

AIL

AB

LE

83

4'

DOCUMENT RESUME - ERIC · DOCUMENT RESUME. PS 023 019. Early Childhood Transitions: Preparing...

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