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Prekindergarteners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Programs, Policy Brief (PDF)
By Walter S Gilliam
FCD Policy Brief, 3; May 2005

Summary: This study identifies ways that policymakers can reduce preschool expulsion rates. It is based on data from the National Prekindergarten Survey of 4,800 classrooms in the 40 States that fund prekindergarten. Seven recommendations are presented for reducing pre-K expulsion: (1) early education programs should not expel children with challenging behaviors; (2) all early education and child care teachers should have regular access to early childhood mental health consultation to help teachers address challenging behaviors in the classrooms; (3) early education and child care programs should enforce student–teacher ratios of no more that 10 preschoolers per teacher; (4) early education and child care programs should ensure that teachers work reasonable hours with breaks away from children; (5) supportive policies and services should focus on teacher job stress; (6) Federal and State funds should be made available to track the number of children expelled from public-funded programs and to implement and evaluate promising models of improving children’s classroom behaviors and preventing preschool expulsion; and (7) research should focus on (a) family and community factors associated with risk for expulsion, (b) effective methods for fostering effective preschool–home collaborations, (c) teacher training in classroom behavior management, and (d) the effectiveness of early intervention services as a preventive for severe behavior problems. Contains 29 references.

Index Terms: At Risk Children, Behavior Problems, Discipline, Expulsion, Prekindergarten, Statistical Data, Demographics, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Intervention, Preschool Education, Surveys

Publisher: Foundation for Child Development

Sponsoring Institution (or Funding Source): A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, Inc.

Publication Type: Reports (Descriptive)

Pages: 8 pages
Language: English
URL: http://www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/ExpulsionPolicyBrief.pdf

Availability
Foundation for Child Development
145 East 32nd Street, 14th Floor
New York, New York 10016-6055
212-213-8337
FAX: 212-213-5897
info@fcd-us.org
http://www.fcd-us.org/

 
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