School Readiness Resources and Links for Parents and Child Care Providers

A Guide for Latino Parents - including Information on No Child Left Behind, Homework Standards, and much more
One of the central goals at the Education Trust is to improve the education opportunities for members of the Latino community. In our continuous effort to reach out to this community, we are now offering educational resources specifically targeted to members of the Latino community including legislators, educators, parents and community members.


A Kindergarten Readiness and Kindergarten Transition Brochure


Are Santa Clara County Kindergartners Prepared to Learn?
New study shows most preschoolers meet expectations, but fall short on language skills.


Building Culturally & Linguistically Competent Services to Support Young Children, Their Families, and School Readiness
This tool kit was developed by Kathy Hepburn of Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development for Casey to help promote early childhood development and school readiness. The tool kit defines cultural and linguistic competence and provides guidance, tools, and resources that will assist communities in building culturally and linguistically competent services and practices related to young children and families. It supports a holistic approach by encouraging cultural and linguistic competence across all systems that serve young children and their families so children can enter school ready to learn.


Families as Primary Partners in their Child’s Development and School Readiness
This tool kit was developed by Kathy Hepburn of Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development for Casey to help promote early childhood development and school readiness. Each section provides guidance, tools, and resources that will assist communities in engaging and partnering with families in ways that promote parent involvement, encourage family-centered care, and influence practices related to young children and families. The tool kit promotes a holistic approach for supporting families and encouraging parents as primary partners across all systems that serve young children so children can enter school ready to learn and service systems are ready to receive them.

Getting School Ready- Vocabulary Building


Getting Ready for School Begins at Birth. How to Help Your Child Learn in the Early Years (Spanish)
Most parents watch proudly as their 5-year-old grabs her backpack and heads out the door to her first day of kindergarten—her “official” start into the world of education and learning. Few might imagine that their child has actually been preparing for this day since she first opened her eyes.


No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law January 8, 2002.

• Adequate Yearly Progress
  Every state and school district is responsible for ensuring that students meet state standards for proficiency in reading and math by 2014. Schools must use disaggregated data to ensure that ALL groups of students are making adequate progress.
• Teacher Quality
  Requires states to define a qualified teacher and to ensure that low-income and minority students are not taught disproportionately by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers. States have until 2005-06 to get all teachers to state standards.
• Resources for Realizing the Goals of NCLB
  NCLB can be effective when the efforts of key stakeholders, coupled with the determination of parents and students, combine to make meaningful school reform reality. This law, NCLB, provides strong leverage for guaranteeing all children an opportunity to learn from a high quality curriculum delivered by highly qualified teachers with high standards as the expectation for all.
• Fact Sheets for parents about the No Child Left Behind Act
  

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory - Children’s Readiness to Learn


Parent/Family Support and School Readiness

Preschool for All


Preschool for All in Santa Clara County


The Preschool Debate: Community Involvement - Not State Bureaucracy - July 24, 2005
Sacramento Bee
Policymakers have tried to keep pace with climbing demand, from the parent vouchers to keep child-care decisions close to home crafted by Wilson Riles in the 1970s, to Pete Wilson's tripling of spending in the 1990s, climbing to $3 billion yearly for a dizzying patchwork of programs run by community groups, churches and schools.

Bruce Fuller is an education professor at UC Berkeley; he co-directs Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). Margaret Bridges is PACE's director of child development projects. Alejandra Livas is a graduate student in education at UC Berkeley. The authors are completing a book on the dilemmas facing the universal preschool movement. For details, see pace.berkeley.edu.
See Also: Targeting Investments for Universal Preschool


Reading is Fundamental–(Spanish)
Reading is Fundamental's bilingual website section designed to help Latino families read, sing, and share stories together at home. Explore the interactive house or use the links below to find tips and advise for adults and more information.
Also: Simple things Families Can do to help their Child Become a Reader


Santa Clara County Partnership for School Readiness
The Santa Clara County Partnership for School Readiness is composed of more than 20 organizations committed to strengthening our communities to grow successful children and is co-chaired by American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley and United Way Silicon Valley. Major funding for Ready for School.

A Report on the Skill Levels of Santa Clara County Kindergartners was provided by the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation, the Morgan Family Foundation, the Bella Vista Foundation and FIRST 5 Santa Clara County. The principal researcher for this study was Applied Survey Research, a nonprofit research organization that specializes in community assessments, program evaluations and related studies to support a community's strategic planning and interventions.

School Readiness Resources and Downloads for Parents and Early Care and Education Professionals


Terrific Transitions
Our goal is to provide a wide variety of transition information and resources for families, professionals, and community partnerships to use as they address children’s transitions into kindergarten.


Web Based Resources for Parents
The Education Trust has compiled a list of web-based resources that they feel are particularly helpful to parents and community members to help gain a more active role in your child’s education. Topics include: standards, help with homework/school work, parent involvement, and parents' rights.