Presented by: Ashley Austin
April 14, 2009
EDFL 568
Jackson State University
Research Proposal The purpose of my proposed study is to analyze the values of early childhood education in the public schools system. There are several things that I hope to accomplish by conducting this research. This research will further illustrate how a sound foundation on certain skills enhances the readiness for those students entering kindergarten. This research will also provide possible solutions for kindergarten retention rates in the public schools system. I plan to investigate the answers to my questions using data, personal interviews with teachers, research based journals and magazines. I plan to utilize documents such as report cards and standardized test scores from schools. There are several sub-questions that I plan to examine such as: How and when do we know a child is ready for kindergarten? What measures are being used to assess the readiness of kindergarten? Why does full-day kindergarten work? I am a Kindergarten teacher who has benefited greatly from having a sound foundation early in my academic career. Therefore, I will keep an open mind throughout this paper and only state facts based on information found during my research.
Parents, teachers, and other school employees are concerned with the issue of kindergarten readiness in today’s youth. Some districts start students in kindergarten based strictly on age. Other districts start students in kindergarten based on student’s scores from kindergarten screening tests. The screening tests are frequently administered by inexperienced employees (West). It is very difficult for a child to be confronted by a stranger, and perform several different tasks in a pressured testing atmosphere. Although these two ways have worked in our country for years,
References: Fulghum, Robert. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. New York: Ballantine, 1986 Gisler, Peggy Ed.S., and Marge Eberts Ed.S.. “Education Q & A with…” Family Education Online (2005): 4 pars Children.” National Center for Education Statistics (1996) 6 Nov.2005 Mueller, Cheryl Packer, Judy. Personal Interview. 24 March. 2009 Schweinhart, Lawrence J., and Xiang Zongping Readiness Program Evaluation through Age 10.” High Scope Ed (2002):3-9. & Contemporary Perspectives fifth edition. New York: McGraw, 2002.