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This study used a person-centered approach to identify school readiness profiles in a sample of kindergartners (n=1,826) from a large and diverse school district in the United States. Using latent profile analyses and multilevel modeling, we examined three aims: 1) whether patterns of readiness skills at kindergarten entry could be detected, 2) the extent to which detected patterns predicted gains in academic and social-emotional skills, and 3) whether the quality of teacher-child interactions moderated the associations between profile membership and end of kindergarten outcomes. Based on a comparison of fit indices, a 4-profile solution best represented the data. Eighteen percent of children were in the "High Risk" profile, 34% were in the "Ready" profile, 20% percent of children were in the "Social-Emotional Risk" profile, and 28% of children were in the "High Readiness" profile. For all outcomes, we found that profile membership predicted spring scores, after controlling for fall scores of each skill, suggesting that the constellation of kindergarten readiness skills matters more than any one skill. We also found that the quality of teacher-child interactions moderated associations between profile membership and changes in achievement and problem behavior for children within some groups. Results suggest that children enter kindergarten with unique profiles of skills and that supports for children may need to be individualized based on profiles to maximize social, emotional, and academic development. Results also suggest that high quality teacher-child interactions may serve as an important protective and promotive factor for children with certain clusters of readiness skills at kindergarten entry.

A sample of 496 early childhood teachers was assigned randomly in two phases to a series of professional development (PD) interventions. Phase I intervention was a 14-week course on effective teacher-child interactions. Participants were then re-randomized into Phase II intervention, which consisted of individual, interactions-focused coaching. Impacts of the course, coaching, and their combination were evaluated relative to business-as-usual controls on knowledge of effective interactions, skill in detecting effective interactions, observed teacher-child interactions, beliefs about intentional teaching, and children's classroom engagement. "Research Findings:" Teachers exposed to the course demonstrated greater knowledge of and skills in detecting effective teacher child-interactions, and displayed higher quality instructional support in their interactions with children during the year following the course. Teachers who received coaching were also observed to display higher levels of instructional support and children in their classrooms displayed more positive engagement with adults. However, neither teachers nor children appeared to gain additional benefit from the combination of the course and coaching. "Practice or Policy:" The results have important implications for efforts to systematically and efficiently improve the quality of early childhood programs through the delivery of PD that is directly aligned with teachers' classroom interactions.

Research Findings: The present study examines the unique and joint effects of individual teacher-child relationships and overall quality of teacher-child interactions on the motivation of 2,745 kindergarten children (51% girls; ages 5--6) from an ethnically and linguistically diverse county. Teachers reported the closeness and conflict in their individual relationships with each child. The quality of teacher-child interactions was measured via classroom observations using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Motivation was measured using children's self-reports of their school enjoyment, feelings toward the teacher, self-concept, and growth mindset. Multilevel models showed that teacher-child relationships characterized by high closeness were positively associated with children's motivation, whereas highly conflictual teacher-child relationships were associated with negative motivation outcomes, especially for boys. No significant associations were found between teacher-child interactions and children's motivation. Practice or Policy: The findings highlight the role of supportive relationships between teachers and children in the early development of motivation, and potential gender differences that may emerge. Professional development and training that help teachers form positive relationships with different children from diverse backgrounds may support teachers in fostering young children's motivation.

Research Findings: The present study examines the unique and joint effects of individual teacher-child relationships and overall quality of teacher-childinteractions on the motivation of 2,745 kindergarten children (51% girls; ages 5--6) from an ethnically and linguistically diverse county. Teachers reported the closeness and conflict in their individual relationships with each child. The quality of teacher-child interactions was measured via classroom observations using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).Motivation was measured using children's self-reports of their school enjoyment, feelings toward the teacher, self-concept, and growth mindset. Multilevel models showed that teacher-child relationships characterized by high closeness were positively associated with children's motivation, whereas highly conflictual teacher-child relationships were associated with negative motivation outcomes, especially for boys. No significant associations were found between teacher-child interactions and children's motivation. Practice or Policy: The findings highlight the role of supportive relationships between teachers and children in the early development of motivation, and potential gender differences that may emerge. Professional development and training that help teachers form positive relationships with different children from diverse backgrounds may support teachers in fostering young children's motivation. [This article was published in "Early Education and Development" (EJ1381541).]

This study examined whether pre-K benefits persist through the end of first grade and the extent to which persistence differs based on outcome domains, subsequent classroom environments, and key subgroups of children. Data from 2,351 children living in a large and diverse county in Virginia revealed that the initial benefits of pre-K for academic and executive function persisted through the end of first grade but were 75% to 80% smaller than at kindergarten entry. Kindergarten and first-grade classroom environments did not sustain pre-K benefits. Although the initial benefits of pre-K were larger for dual language learners and children in poverty relative to English speakers and low-income children, there were no differential benefits by the end of first grade.

Areas of misalignment between children's experiences in preschool and kindergarten are increasingly viewed as contributing to the fade-out of preschool effects. The current study examined alignment and misalignment of classroom experiences across the transition from public pre-k into kindergarten. As part of a longitudinal cohort study, we examined structural features, process features, and teacher beliefs and practices in 295 public kindergarten classrooms and 117 public pre-K classrooms that feed into them. Analyses revealed a number of differences indicative of potential misalignment, including fewer ethnically and linguistically diverse teachers, more time in teacher-structured activities, and less effective teacher-child interactions in kindergarten. Potential alignment was indicated in some areas, such as more time in kindergarten spent on academics; progression toward more advanced literacy and math content from pre-k to kindergarten; and teachers across both grades reported similarly child-centered ideas about children. Exploratory results by pre-K auspice comparing school-based and center-based pre-K raised further questions about what the meaningful components of alignment are. The field lacks a robust empirical base for defining "good" alignment, thus these descriptive results are discussed in terms of implications for future, predictive research.

The present study reports associations between features of directly observed classroom processes and school readiness skills across the academic year for 1498 children enrolled in publicly funded pre-K programs in a large and diverse county. In models adjusting for a range of child and family covariates, evidence was detected for the separate, and on occasion additive, associations of several classroom process features with children's skills -- overall quality of teacher-student interaction, teachers' direct involvement in educational activities, the rigor of those activities in terms of difficulty, and children's exposure to academic content. Associations were not widespread or large, and overall children's performance appeared to increase modestly when classrooms were more educationally focused and structured, and teachers were supportive and responsive as they were involved with children. Results are discussed in light of efforts to improve the benefits of pre-K programs on children's learning.

The present investigation examined the links between preschool teachers' self-reported emotional exhaustion (n = 117) with the quality of their classroom interactions and the dosage and rigor of their instruction. Research Findings: Although teachers' experience of emotional exhaustion was not associated with the dosage and rigor of instruction, more emotionally exhausted teachers demonstrated lower quality interactions with children in their classroom. Additionally, there was some evidence to suggest that the association between emotional exhaustion and preschool teachers' classroom interactions was dependent on their years of education, such that the relation between teachers' education and their interactions with children was reduced when they described themselves as more emotionally exhausted. Practice or Policy: Taken together, these results suggest that supporting preschool teachers' well-being, and in particular helping minimize emotional exhaustion, maybe a beneficial strategy to foster a higher quality classroom environment. [For the grantee submission, see ED612357.]

Continuity of pre-k and kindergarten classroom experiences is a key area of interest for early childhood researchers interested in supporting public pre-k children's development over time. To advance the empirical evidence on this topic, this study examined whether differences in classroom experiences as children transition from pre-k to kindergarten are associated with kindergarten social-emotional and self-regulation skills among low-income, race- and language-diverse public pre-k children. Children attending public pre-K were assessed in the spring of pre-k and fall and spring of kindergarten on a range of social-emotional and self-regulation skills (N = 1,358; 67.1 months old (SD = 3.6) in kindergarten; 50% male; 60% Hispanic and/or Latine, 17% Black, 10% White, 13% other). Classroom experiences (teacher-child interactions, teacher-child closeness, and the amount of time spent in teacher-structured activities) were assessed using observations and teacher reports in both grade levels. Regression models adjusted for kindergarten nesting indicated that decreases in teacher-child closeness and the quality of teacher-child interactions were associated with children's lower social competence, learning behaviors, and inhibition in the fall of kindergarten, relative to spring of pre-k. There were limited associations with child gains from fall to spring. Results suggest that differences between pre-k and kindergarten academic and social environments may be difficult for children as they adjust to kindergarten. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications for efforts to align classroom experiences across grades.

Experiencing large differences between pre-k and kindergarten classroom contexts may affect children's academic development as they start school. This study examined differences between classroom contexts in pre-k and kindergarten (teacher-child interactions, time on academic content, and academic rigor) and associations with literacy, language, and math achievement in kindergarten fall and spring. 1498 children were followed from public pre-k through kindergarten (mean age = 52.8 months old at the start of pre-k, SD = 3.5). Children were ethnically and linguistically diverse (White = 7%, Black = 20%, Hispanic = 61%, Other = 12%; English at home = 21%, Spanish at home = 55%; other language at home = 24%). Piecewise growth modeling showed that experiencing a decrease in the quality of interactions or an increase in time on content or academic rigor was associated with lower than expected achievement in the fall of kindergarten but greater gains across the kindergarten year.

Parents, professionals, and policymakers agree that quality is crucial for early education. But precise, consistent, and valid definitions of quality have been elusive. In this article, Robert Pianta, Jason Downer, and Bridget Hamre tackle the questions of how to define quality, how to measure it, and how to ensure that more children experience it. Definitions of quality in early education, the authors write, generally include four aspects. The first is a program's structural elements, such as length of the school day or teachers' qualifications. The second encompasses general features of the classroom environment, ranging from playground equipment to activities involving staff, children, or parents. Third are the dimensions of teacher-student interactions that children experience directly. Finally, aggregate indices--such as "quality rating and improvement systems"--combine measurements across types of program elements. Pianta, Downer, and Hamre find very little evidence that programs' structural features influence children's development. Instead, they zero in on teacher-student interactions-- characterized by teachers' sensitivity to individual needs, support for positive behavior, and stimulation of language and cognitive development--as a key indicator of classroom quality that appears to benefit all children from prekindergarten through third grade. Teachers' interactions with children can be significantly and systematically improved through targeted and sustained professional development. Yet efforts to improve the quality of such interactions at scale and to ensure that quality remains consistent from prekindergarten through third grade have so far been ineffectual. If we accept the evidence that direct experiences within classrooms are the best indicators of program quality, the authors argue, then the next wave of science and policy must refine and advance the definition, measurement, production, and consistency of these experiences in early education.

Using a large, longitudinal data set that represents 701 state-funded pre-k classrooms and over 2,900 children enrolled in 11 states, the current study examined two hypotheses: (1) children would be perceived to be better adjusted at the beginning of pre-k when rated by a same-race teacher than by a different-race teacher, and (2) children would demonstrate greater gains during the pre-k year when in the class-room of a same-race teacher. Children rarely experienced a teacher with a different race/ethnicity from themselves, except in the case of African American or Latino children attending Caucasian teachers' class-rooms. When examining the school readiness outcomes of African American or Latino children matched or mismatched racially/ethnically with their teacher, racial/ethnic match demonstrated significant associations with the direct assessment of academic skills for Latino children only. However, teachers' initial perceptions of children and teacher reported social and academic gains were significantly associated with racial/ethnic match for African American children.

The current study focuses on the cumulative effect on children's early learning outcomes of the quality of teacher-child interactions over multiple years during early childhood. Using propensity score matching to minimize selection bias, we compared the academic outcomes of children who experienced consistently high-quality or consistently low-quality teacher-child interactions, as defined by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, during prekindergarten and kindergarten. Research Findings: Results indicated statistically significant differences in directly assessed language and literacy skills between children who experienced consistently high- and consistently low-quality instructional support. This was true after just 1 year, and gains were even greater for children who experienced high levels of instructional support over 2 years. Emotional support and classroom organization were not associated with children's academic learning. Practice or Policy: Although children experience cumulative benefits in response to high-quality instructional supports over 2 years, relatively few children have access to such opportunities. We discuss these results in light of limited consistency in children's experiences over the early school years and the presence of selection bias.

Data from 332 teachers who participated in the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education study were used to examine the implications of classroom age diversity in preschool programs for teacher interactions with students in areas of instructional and emotional support, and classroom organization. Teachers in early childhood classrooms with greater age diversity within a school year and who experienced an increase in age diversity across years exhibited less optimal teacher-child interactions. The negative effects of age diversity for teacher-child interactions were only noticeable among teachers with fewer years of education and experience, and among teachers whose views of children were less child-centered. When taken together, results indicate that closer attention should be paid to the consequences of classroom age diversity in preschool and that a multi-year perspective on teachers' classroom experiences would allow for a more nuanced understanding of the quality of teacher-child interactions.

Observational assessment is being used on a large scale to evaluate the quality of interactions between teachers and children in classroom environments. When one performs observations at scale, features of the protocol such as the scheduling of observations can potentially influence observed scores. In this study interactions were observed for 88 teachers across 814 videos. The associations between observed scores using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and characteristics of the protocol, specifically the day of the week, month of the year, and duration of an observation cycle in minutes, were examined through multilevel modeling. Preliminary evidence indicates few significant associations. The quality of instructional support interactions peaked in the months of December and January, and the quality of classroom organization peaked in February through April. Observation cycles that were shorter in duration were rated more positively regarding classroom organization. Future opportunities for research are discussed.

This study investigates the extent to which teacher-student interactions in fifth grade classrooms are associated with peer behavior in fifth grade, accounting for prior peer functioning. Participants included 894 fifth grade students from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The quality of teacher-student interactions (emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) was assessed through classroom observations in fifth grade; peer behavior was assessed via teacher report (prosocial behavior, aggression, relational aggression, and asocial behavior) in fourth and fifth grades and classroom observations (sociable/cooperative peer behavior) in third and fifth grades. Multiple regression analyses revealed that children in fifth grade classrooms with higher quality organization interactions had more positive observed interactions with their peers and lower teacher ratings of aggression and relational aggression. In addition, emotional support interactions were related to higher teacher ratings of prosocial behavior. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

In the present study, we present analyzed profiles of observed classroom experiences in terms of emotional and instructional dimensions of quality. Over 800 first-grade classrooms across the United States were included, selected by virtue of having a student participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development enrolled in the classroom. Our aim was to present a typology of first grades. We examined correlates of classroom profiles in terms of teacher (years of experience, education, and beliefs), child (gender, ethnicity, family socioeconomic status, maternal education, and preschool achievement), and school (public vs. private, class size, presence of teachers' assistants) characteristics. Data were collected via teacher and parent questionnaires, classroom observations conducted by trained data collectors using the Classroom Observation System for First Grade, and individually administered child assessments (Woodcock Johnson Psycho-educational Battery Revised Tests of Cognitive Ability and Tests of Achievement). Findings indicated discernible, replicable types of first-grade classrooms (descriptively titled high quality, mediocre quality, low quality, and positive emotional climate/lower academic demand) that demonstrated different levels of emotional and instructional support and were related to several of the characteristics of children, families, teachers, and schools listed above. Of note, characteristics such as teachers' years of experience and class size were not differentially related to the four classroom types. (Contains 7 tables and 1 note.)

The National Research Council's (NRC) statement and description of features of settings that have value for positive youth development have been of great importance in shifting discourse toward creating programs that capitalize on youth motivations toward competence and connections with others. This assets-based approach to promote development is consistent with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) framework for measuring and improving the quality of teacher-student interactions in classroom settings. This chapter highlights the similarities between the CLASS and NRC systems and describes the CLASS as a tool for standardized measurement and improvement of classrooms and their effects on children. It argues that the next important steps to be taken in extending the CLASS and NRC frameworks involve reengineering assessments of teacher and classroom quality and professional development around observations of teachers' performance. This might include using observations in policies regarding teacher quality or a highly effective teacher that may emanate from the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and moving away from a course or workshop mode of professional development to one that ties supports directly to teachers' practices in classroom settings. (Contains 1 figure and 23 notes.)

Research Findings: As the pre-kindergarten teacher workforce continues to grow in the United States, the promise of early childhood education depends in large part on in-service professional development. Given mounting evidence that the quality of teacher-child interactions is a fundamental ingredient for young children's learning in classrooms, the challenge becomes how to develop and test models of teacher education that facilitate teachers' development of these instructional interaction skills. In this article we describe how an innovative program, MyTeachingPartner (MTP), addresses the challenge of providing an enduring, classroom-focused, and scalable professional development experience that focuses on facilitating high-quality teacher-child interactions. Feasibility and usability results from two years of MTP implementation suggest high levels of teacher engagement, buy-in, and satisfaction, as well as some challenges related to sustaining these levels over time. Practice or Policy: Implications for scalable implementation of interaction-focused professional development in early childhood are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

This study examined development of academic, language, and social skills among 4-year-olds in publicly supported prekindergarten (pre-K) programs in relation to 3 methods of measuring pre-K quality, which are as follows: (a) adherence to 9 standards of quality related to program infrastructure and design, (b) observations of the overall quality of classroom environments, and (c) observations of teachers' emotional and instructional interactions with children in classrooms. Participants were 2,439 children enrolled in 671 pre-K classrooms in 11 states. Adjusting for prior skill levels, child and family characteristics, program characteristics, and state, teachers' instructional interactions predicted academic and language skills and teachers' emotional interactions predicted teacher-reported social skills. Findings suggest that policies, program development, and professional development efforts that improve teacher-child interactions can facilitate children's school readiness.

This nonexperimental, longitudinal field study examines the extent to which variation in observed classroom supports (quality of emotional and instructional interactions and amount of exposure to literacy and math activities) predicts trajectories of achievement in reading and math from 54 months to fifth grade. Growth mixture modeling detected two latent classes of readers: fast readers whose skills developed rapidly and leveled off, and a typical group for which reading growth was somewhat less rapid. Only one latent class was identified for math achievement. For reading, there were small positive associations between observed emotional quality of teacher-child interactions and growth. Growth in math achievement showed small positive relations with observed emotional interactions and exposure to math activities. There was a significant interaction between quality and quantity of instruction for reading such that at higher levels of emotional quality there was less of a negative association between amount of literacy exposure and reading growth. (Contains 5 tables, 4 figures, and 1 note.)

In this study we examined the relation between children's social competence and their first-grade classroom environment. Drawing from data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we used cluster analysis to identify 4 types of typical classrooms based on observed classroom emotional and instructional supports. The 4 types of classrooms were marked by (1) overall high quality of both supports, including high-quality evaluative feedback; (2) high-quality emotional support, and low-quality evaluative feedback; (3) mediocre levels of both supports; and (4) low levels of both supports. Of the children participating in this study, 946 students from 820 classrooms fit the 4-cluster solution and were included in the data analysis. The association between classroom type and social competence (measured by teacher ratings and independent observations of behavior in and out of the classroom) was analyzed, and a moderating effect of the classroom on children displaying indicators of functional risk (attentional, academic, behavioral, and social) was considered. In classrooms marked by high-quality emotional supports and evaluative feedback, children displayed significantly better social competence than children in other classrooms. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

In the past decade in the United States, pre-kindergarten programs for four year olds have expanded rapidly as a potentially powerful intervention intended to promote school readiness for children at-risk for future school failure. This paper describes in detail multi-dimensional profiles of observed quality across 692 classrooms in 11 states representing 80% of these available programs and examines teacher, program, and classroom characteristics associated in these profiles. Cluster analysis enabled the detection of patterns that fit profiles of high and low overall emotional and instructional support along with "mid-range" patterns in which emotional support is somewhat higher than instructional support. Associations between teacher characteristics and program characteristics were generally not significant. However, the poorest quality profile was associated with classroom poverty level, suggesting that the children who need the highest quality educational experiences have teachers who are struggling the most to provide it.

The primary objective of this investigation was to examine the way in which two facets of the classroom environment (classroom quality and instructional contexts) and children's risk for school problems combine to predict children's behavioral engagement in third-grade classrooms. As part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, observations were conducted on 955 children in 888 third-grade classrooms. Results revealed that children were more likely to be engaged within small groups and during analysis-inference instruction than in large group activities, individualized work settings, and basic skills instruction. Classroom quality and children's risk status were also uniquely associated with behavioral engagement. Children at risk for school problems particularly benefited from higher classroom quality within more demanding instructional contexts. (Contains 3 tables.)

In recent years, providsion of early learning experiences to children has found a place on political agendas nationwide. Increasingly, early childhood education is viewed as a point of leverage for addressing low levels of, and gaps in, K-12 achievement. This article discusses what people know about the quality of existing early-childhood programs. It describes how to best measure quality in the early education classroom, what a high-quality early-childhood education classroom looks like, how good the early childhood education currently is, the difficulty of finding well trained early educators, and the challenges of improving early education practices. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study examines the classroom experiences of 192 children followed longitudinally from kindergarten to 1st grade. Time-sampled observations of children were conducted to compare learning formats, teaching activities, and children's engagement in activities between kindergarten and 1st grade. Classroom observations also were conducted to examine differences in classroom quality; specifically, teacher sensitivity and instructional and emotional support for learning. Results from paired t-tests show that instructional activities become more teacher-directed and structured in 1st grade, children in 1st grade are exposed to less academic instruction than children in kindergarten, but children in 1st grade are more actively engaged in activities than children in kindergarten. With respect to classroom quality, kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms were similar in terms of teacher sensitivity and emotional support for learning. Instructional support for learning, including instructional conversations, evaluative feedback, and child responsibility, decreased from kindergarten to 1st grade. These findings point to both stability and change in children's classroom experiences across kindergarten and 1st grade and are discussed in terms of the ways in which instructional activities in the classroom and children's achievement can be enhanced in early childhood classrooms. (Contains 3 tables.)

Teachers' ratings of children's competencies may in part reflect characteristics and perspectives of teachers who assigned the ratings, which compromises their validity as a measure of child attributes. The purposes of this study were to use multilevel modeling to (a) estimate between-rater variance in teachers' ratings of children's social behaviors and relationships with teachers and (b) examine characteristics of teachers and classrooms associated with teachers' perceptions of these social competencies. Ratings of 711 children completed by 210 prekindergarten teachers indicated that between 15% and 33% of the total variance in teachers' ratings was attributed to mean differences between raters. After controlling for characteristics of children and their families, teachers' ratings of positive relationships and behaviors were associated with fewer years of experience, higher self-efficacy, non-White race/ethnicity, shorter length programs, better child-teacher ratios, and programs located within school settings. Implications are discussed for interpreting and analyzing teachers' ratings of children's competencies. (Contains 3 tables.)

Family and child care experiences from birth to 54 months, achievement and social competence at entry to school, maternal sensitivity at first grade, and qualities of first-grade classrooms were used to predict academic and cognitive functioning at first grade for 832 children enrolled in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care. Repeated assessments of functioning from preschool to first grade indicated that individual differences in academic and cognitive functioning over the course of two years were relatively stable. In regression models that predicted relative change in cognitive ability from 54 months to first grade, child gender and race, family income-to-needs ratio, maternal education and sensitivity, and home learning environment were significant predictors. Preschool academic cognitive functioning served as a significant mediator between child characteristics, early family factors, child care quality, and first-grade child outcomes. Children's social competence prior to school entry served a secondary yet significant mediating role between early experience and elementary school academic functioning. Upon controlling for early home and child care factors, classrooms that spent more time on literacy, language, and math instruction were associated with higher scores on tests of reading achievement, phoneme knowledge, and long-term retrieval. (Contains 5 tables.)

This study draws from the National Center for Early Development and Learning's Multi-State Pre-Kindergarten Study to examine the extent to which program, classroom, and teacher attributes of the program ecology predict observed quality and teacher-child interactions in a sample of 238 classrooms representing 6 states' pre-kindergarten programs. Quality was assessed observationally at the global level and for specific teaching practices. Quality was lower in classrooms with more than 60% of the children from homes below the poverty line, when teachers lacked formal training (or a degree) in early childhood education, and held less child-centered beliefs. Program and teacher attributes were statistically significant, albeit quite modest, predictors of observed quality. Location of the program in a school building, child:staff ratio, and length of day had no relation to quality. State-level factors not attributable to the teacher, program, and classroom factors examined accounted for the majority of explained variance in observed quality. Results suggest that the association between distal features of programs and teachers and quality in pre-kindergarten is more similar to elementary school settings than to child care settings and that quality appears most closely related to proximal teacher and child characteristics. (Contains 7 tables.)

This study examined ways in which children's risk of school failure may be moderated by support from teachers. Participants were 910 children in a national prospective study. Children were identified as at risk at ages 5-6 years on the basis of demographic characteristics and the display of multiple functional (behavioral, attention, academic, social) problems reported by their kindergarten teachers. By the end of first grade, at-risk students placed in first-grade classrooms offering strong instructional and emotional support had achievement scores and student-teacher relationships commensurate with their low-risk peers; at-risk students placed in less supportive classrooms had lower achievement and more conflict with teachers. These findings have implications for understanding the role that classroom experience may play in pathways to positive adaptation.

Research on teacher-child relationships, classroom environments, and teaching practices provided the rationale for constructing a system for observing and assessing emotional and instructional elements of quality in early childhood educational environments: the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). The CLASS provides a framework for observing key dimensions of classroom processes, such as emotional and instructional support, that contribute to quality of the classroom setting from preschool through third grade. This article provides information about the development, field testing, and use of this instrument in prekindergarten. Data from a national sample of 224 prekindergarten classrooms in 6 states are presented to provide reliability and validity information. The full range of the scale was used for the majority of ratings. Ratings reflected generally positive impressions of the classroom environment and teacher-child interactions. Factor scores from the CLASS were related to the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) total score and most strongly related to the ECERS interactions and language-reasoning subscales. Implications for policy and professional development from prekindergarten to third grade are discussed.

In the context of a broader focus on prevention and school psychology, there is no question that Elias, Zins, Graczyk, and Weissberg (2003) raise key issues in the movement toward a sensible approach to creating school and classroom environments that are responsive to children's developmental needs. The Elias et al. article argues convincingly for a reconceptualization and reorganization of how school psychologists approach supporting children's various needs--and that doing so requires attention to how educational settings are structured and organized, how supports are delivered, and most importantly, the people in these settings who are interacting with children on a day to day basis. In moving to "scale," Elias et al. (2003) identify three key foci: understanding and working with structural features of schools, moving away from a program/package mentality, and attending to the adults who are interacting with children in school settings. In this article, the author offers his views on the points raised by Elias et al. He also describes some results from large-sample observations of classrooms in which he has been involved recently that illustrate two of the three foci identified by Elias et al.

Observed 223 public school kindergarten classrooms to describe classroom activities and child-teacher interactions. Also observed global classroom quality. Found, among other observations, that the most frequently observed forms of activity were structured, teacher-directed activities and whole-group instruction. Findings pose implications for educational policies on class size and composition, and issues of equity in early school experiences. (Author/SD)

Examined the practices teachers employ to help children and families make the transition to school, and the links between school, teacher, and classroom characteristics and transition practices. Discusses findings on factors influencing transition practice, including teacher experience and training, teacher race or ethnicity, class size, and the timing of class list receipt. (JPB)

Describes demographic and structural features of kindergarten classrooms using data from the National Center for Early Development and Learning's Transition Practices Survey of kindergarten teachers. Explores teachers' education and experience, and their training on facilitating transitions to kindergarten. Also discusses teacher and student race/ethnicity, adults in the classroom, class size, and free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. (Author/LPP)