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eNotes
A News Service from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
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ECTA
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eNotes
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently published a technical report, entitled State Approaches to School Readiness Assessment (2009), which discusses how states currently assess school readiness and how readiness information is used within the states. It includes states that have universal or near-universal assessment on an ongoing basis, as indicated through state statute or code. Appendix A of the report summarizes approaches used in the 23 states that perform assessments. It is available online at http://www.ncsl.org/documents/Educ/KindergartenAssessment.pdf
The National Autism Center has published the final report of its National Standards Project, a rigorous multi-year project to analyze treatments for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The National Standards Report (2009) provides information on which treatments have been shown to be effective for children with ASD. It covers a broad range of applied treatments, identifies the level of scientific evidence available for each, and provides specific information about the age groups, treatment targets, and diagnostic populations to which these treatments have been applied. The report is meant to serve as a single, authoritative source of guidance for parents, caregivers, educators, and service providers as they make informed treatment decisions. To learn more, go to http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/affiliates/
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) has published a new Social Policy Report, entitled Home Visitation and Young Children: An Approach Worth Investing In? (2009), by Jennifer Astuto and La Rue Allen. The report reviews studies of large, established home visitation program in the U.S. and discusses major concerns and current developments in the field of home visitation. It is available online at http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=780
The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) has posted a recorded on-line presentation and discussion on their Web site entitled Preventing Challenging Behavior: A Model for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (November 2, 2009), with Glen Dunlap and Phil Strain. The session presents a three-tiered framework for organizing prevention and intervention strategies that is appropriate for home, community and preschool applications. It can be accessed at http://www.challengingbehavior.org//explore/webinars/11.2.2009_tacsei_presentation_teleconference.htm
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date. To learn more and to see examples of awarded studies, go to http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2009/nimh-04.htm
The What Works Clearinghouse at the Institute of Education Sciences has released a new early childhood intervention report assessing the research evidence on the effectiveness of "Headsprout Early Reading," an internet-based supplemental early literacy curriculum consisting of forty 20-minute animated episodes that are designed to teach phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It is available online at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/early_ed/headsprout/
On November 4, 2009, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called on states and communities to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered. The Secretary issued this call to action as she opened the National Children's Health Insurance Summit in Chicago, kicking off the nation's largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children in over a decade. To learn more, go to http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/11/20091104a.html