An undergraduate education program was revised to keep curriculum content current and relevant in the area of preschool student evaluation. Traditional assessment and evaluation techniques were updated to include portfolio assessment instruction and practical experience at an on-site laboratory. The practicum study provided valuable experience for…

Surveyed undergraduate early childhood course students to determine motivation, career goals, and perceptions of early childhood professionals and their programs. Found that understanding student beliefs and working to broaden perspectives and exposure to real-life situations were important for preservice teacher education programs. (SD)

Suggests that a holistic approach to teaching prospective teachers should encompass a knowledge base drawn from three paradigms: (1) instrument/technical; (2) interpretive/constructivist; and (3) emancipative/social reconstruction. Argues that use of such an approach will result in professional maturation and an expansion in influence in the…

Describes shortages in qualified early childhood teachers and the trend toward use of programs providing Alternative Teaching Certification (ATC). Examines comparative research between traditionally and nontraditionally trained teachers in the areas of grade level selection, internships, and examination certification, finding successes and…

This review of 12 research studies related to safety-skills instruction for young children with and without disabilities found that young children have the capacity to learn safe behaviors related to abduction and sexual-abuse prevention. Behavioral teaching approaches involving modeling, role play, and corrective feedback were more effective. (CR)

Major presumptions that underlie the use of early intelligence tests are presented and disputed, centering on the construct of early intelligence, reliability, prediction, standardized administration, professional acceptability, utility for decision making, and congruence with Public Law 99-457. Professional solidarity is urged in opposing the…

This paper argues that judgment-based assessment of data from multiply replicated single-subject or small-N studies should replace normative-based (p=less than 0.05) assessment of large-N research in the clinical sciences, and asserts that inferential statistics should be abandoned as a method of evaluating clinical research data. (Author/JDD)

This commentary on EC 603 695 argues that significance testing is a necessary but insufficient condition for positivistic research, that judgment-based assessment and single-subject research are not substitutes for significance testing, and that sampling fluctuation should be considered as one of numerous epistemological concerns in any…

Epidemiological techniques were used to reanalyze studies that had longitudinally tracked preschool or kindergarten children, to determine results of screens for the identification of educationally at-risk children. A paradigm shift is recommended, away from longitudinal studies for predictive validity and toward risk analysis and interpretation.…

This survey of 232 parents of developmentally delayed or typical preschool children found that parent attitudes were favorable toward mainstreaming, regardless of their child's placement in a mainstreamed or segregated program. Compared to parents of segregated children, parents of mainstreamed children indicated stronger opinions about the…

This study of four preschool children (two typically developing, one physically disabled, one mildly developmentally delayed) found that use of a simultaneous prompting procedure was effective in teaching expressive word recognition to three of the students. Maintenance and generalization were also successful. (Author/JDD)

Twenty parents whose handicapped children were receiving early intervention services were encouraged to participate in formal education and training on individualized family service planning (IFSP). A significantly greater number of present level of development statements were included in IFSP documents of participating parents. Increased numbers…

Benefits of early intervention and the state of the art for services to special-needs infants and young children are described. An expanded federal role is recommended to encourage state programs including a phased-in mandate for service. Specific provisions of a federal mandate are discussed, including extension of P.L. 94-142 to birth.…

Developmental stages in causal reasoning and causative expression are outlined to provide comparison with preschool handicapped children. Three stages within the preschool range are defined in terms of changes in causal schemes, field of centration, and experimental attitude and skills. Suggestions for assessment and special education are made.…

The article describes a study to determine effectiveness of the Model Preschool Program for Children with Down Syndrome and Other Developmental Delays at 11 outreach sites. Assessment of performance gains of 164 disabled children (11 months to 14 years old) showed that gains in child performance were significantly greater than predicted in four…