Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Sociology

When is the right time to enter children into kindergarten? In this dissertation, I employ data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) to take an in-depth look at the timing of entry into kindergarten and ask the following questions: Are there race, class, or gender differences between those who enter “on time” and those who either enter “early” or are “delayed”? What role do reference groups play in influencing how parents might make decisions regarding the timing of entry into kindergarten for their children? And do any longer term cognitive effects exist for children according to the timing of their kindergarten entry? My results suggest that there are indeed differences between children by kindergarten entry status. For example, boys and White children are more likely to be held out, whereas African American children are more likely to be sent early. My results also provide limited support that parents use reference groups for guidance and comparison when considering kindergarten entry. Kindergarten entry status also appears to influence cognitive test scores over time: by third grade, children who were entered into kindergarten early perform significantly worse on reading and math assessments than children who entered into kindergarten on time. On the other hand, delayed children, who performed worse in reading and math in kindergarten and first grade than on time children have caught up by the third grade. Finally, my results suggest that the age a child enters into kindergarten and kindergarten entry status itself are two different concepts. I discuss the implications of these results for educational stratification, and stratification more broadly.

Committee: Elizabeth Cooksey (Advisor) Subjects: Sociology, General

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Special Education

This study explored the predictors of multiple year kindergarten experiences. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten data, the study examined whether child and family variables predicted who would receive more than one year of kindergarten. Data for 15,936 kindergarten students were analyzed. A backward Multiple Logistic analysis was conducted. Strong predictive relationships were found for gender and disability status. Boys and children with disabilities were found significantly more likely than girls and children without disabilities. Non-two parent families strongly predicted multiple year experiences. Mothers' expectations for academic achievement and mothers' age at first birth were strongly predictive. Whether children entered kindergarten on time or not was strongly predictive. And, the child's reading assessment score was found to be strongly predictive of multiple year kindergarten experiences.

Committee: Lawrence Johnson PhD (Committee Chair); Victoria Carr EdD (Committee Member); Peggy Elgas PhD (Committee Member); Roger Collins PhD (Committee Member); Dorothyann Feldis PhD (Committee Member); James Deddens PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Preschool Education

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2006, Educational Administration

The purpose of this study was to examine the academic and social effects of a half-day kindergarten experience when compared to a full-day kindergarten experience. Three specific questions were posed prior to the research: Do children entering first grade with a full-day kindergarten experience demonstrate a clear academic and social advantage over half-day children? Does this advantage remain present through the fourth grade? Did the length of the kindergarten day affect the following areas: attendance, retentions, suspensions, qualifying scores for Title I services in second grade, and the number of students identified for special education services? This was a cross sectional, causal comparative design. Five grade levels, K-4, were evaluated during the 2004-2005 school year. Two Ohio school districts with similar demographics were selected for this study, one offering full-day kindergarten and the other district offering half-day kindergarten. The independent variable for this study was the length of the school day. The dependent variables were academic measures (Dynamic Indicators Basic of Early Literacy Skills, Third and Fourth Grade Achievement Tests, Fourth Grade Math Proficiency Test), attendance, retentions, suspensions, Title I qualifying scores, and the identification of special education students. An analysis of variance was performed on all academic measures to determine those comparisons that were statistically significant. The remaining variables were compared through a chi square analysis. The results of the analysis of variance did show a clear academic advantage for students in kindergarten and first grade who had received a full-day kindergarten experience. However, all academic measures administered in second, third, and fourth grade were not statistically significant, thus suggesting that the advantages of full-day kindergarten were not present after first grade. The chi square test performed on the remaining variables found that the number of t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frances Fowler (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Curriculum and Teaching/Master Teaching

Play is an important aspect of children's social, emotional, and physical development that is being pushed out of kindergarten because of the drive to meet standards and exceed on assessments. This research explores the perspectives of half-day and full-day kindergarten teachers on play-based learning. Particularly, the value teachers place on the integration of play-based learning into kindergarten instruction, as well as how often they use play-based instruction, are assessed. Furthermore, the influences and pressures kindergarten teachers perceive as barriers to the implementation of play-based learning are investigated. Finally, strategies to implement play-based learning within a standards-based culture of assessment are presented.

Committee: Eric Worch Dr. (Advisor); Mary Ann Culver (Committee Member); Tracy Huziak-Clark Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2013, School Psychology

Every year, parents of children with late birthdays are faced with the decision to send or withhold their late birthday child from kindergarten when he or she is technically eligible to enroll. This decision can have long-term effects on a child's academic development, and is one that can weigh heavily on parents. However, to date there is no conclusive agreement regarding the efficacy of either enrolling or withholding an eligible but young child. Further, there is little research examining why some parents choose to enroll their child, while others choose to withhold their child. The present study examined the factors parents consider in their decision to enroll or withhold their child, using a qualitative design. Nine parents were interviewed to gain insight into their experiences regarding the decision-making process about kindergarten enrollment. The factors considered by parents, and how these are weighted, are discussed. The results provide a better understanding of what influences parents in choosing to enroll or withhold their late birthday child from kindergarten. Suggestions are made for school psychologists, teachers, and other professionals to better guide parents faced with this decision.

Committee: Elana Bernstein Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Susan Davies Ed.D. (Committee Member); Molly Schaller Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Educational Psychology

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2025, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of an extended-day kindergarten program in addressing the needs of vulnerable student populations, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds, non-native English speakers, and students with an individualized education plan (IEP). Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study compares traditional half-day programs with an extended-day format that integrates play-based learning and structured literacy. Quantitative data from reading and math benchmarks and reports of student progress, along with qualitative teacher surveys, highlight the program's impact on academic performance, social skills, and emotional development. The findings suggest that extended-day kindergarten programs can effectively mitigate learning barriers, enabling at-risk student groups to perform comparably to their half-day peers across all domains of development, on average. These results offer actionable insights for policymakers and educators to design more inclusive and supportive educational environments, thereby advancing equity and reform in early childhood education.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Debra Gratz EdD (Committee Member); Marla Peachock EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2023, Education

Academic achievement cannot be addressed without considering the underlying neurocognitive constructs foundational to learning. Early identification and interventions can keep disabilities from manifesting (Balikci et al., 2020), however, there is little research or consistency in practice relative to using kindergarten screening assessments, and linking interventions to specific foundational weaknesses. This study aims to provide information regarding current practices of identifying neurocognitive constructs and developmental weaknesses for developing prescriptive interventions. This descriptive research study utilized a sequential mixed-methods design. An electronic survey was disseminated through three professional educator groups (n = 58). Data analysis included descriptive analysis, Chi-square cross-tabbing, and inductive coding. Results indicate only one neurocognitive construct is assessed by more than half of the respondents, and 5 of the neuroconstructs are assessed by less than 25% of the respondents. In spite of 95% - 100% of respondents being familiar with research-based interventions, less than 10% of respondents design interventions for neurocognitive areas they assess. The results of this study show huge discrepancies between knowledge and application in kindergarten screening. Recommendations include utilizing a standardized kindergarten screening assessment to identify foundational weaknesses necessary for learning in order to design prescriptive interventions.

Committee: Mary Heather Munger Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kara Parker Ed.D. (Committee Member); Jon Brasfield Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2018, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this mixed methods bounded case study was twofold: 1. to explore qualitatively the experiences of parent participants in the READY! for Kindergarten parent education program, and 2. to examine quantitatively the impact of the program on the outcomes of children of participants as compared to the children of non-participants. A dosage effect was also examined to determine if attending the program four or more times impacted students' school readiness on the same measures. Structured interviews were conducted with 19 READY! participants. On the whole, interviewees valued their experiences in the program; utilized, with their children at home, the knowledge and resources provided; improved their home learning environments; and highly recommend the program to other parents of preschoolers. Quantitative analysis was undertaken to explore the research question examining kindergarten readiness assessment results for three cohorts totaling 441 students. Independent sample t-tests were run with two kindergarten readiness assessments as dependent variables. The results indicate that although the children of READY! participants in the three cohorts studied achieved slightly higher mean scores on both assessments, there is no statistically significant correlation between participation in READY! and improved school readiness for the participants' children. No dosage effect was found in this study for students whose parents participated in four or more READY! for Kindergarten sessions.

Committee: Tom Poetter Dr. (Committee Chair); Lucian Szlizewski Dr. (Advisor); Kevin Bush Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2004, Curriculum and Instruction

This ethnographic case study of a constructivist classroom examined the contextual, academic, and socio-cultural factors that influence kindergarten students' mathematical literacy development. This study was done during the crucial junction between informal and formal mathematics and during the junction between informal and formal discourse that occurs in a kindergarten classroom. It also examined how disciplinary knowledge in mathematics is presented through classroom discourse. Five lenses drawn from the research literature were used to examine the data: (a) socio-cultural perspectives, (b) constructivist learning theory, (c) kindergarten curriculum, (d) language and discourse development, (e) mathematical process and content. A final framework was developed from the data collected. It included an (a) active restructuring of the environment (socio-cultural perspectives and constructivist learning theory), (b) language and discourse development, and (c) mathematical processes and content. This framework also delineated the elements observed in the classroom that support the final framework categories. The choice of curriculum should support collaboration between children and adults as well as collaboration between children. The choice of curriculum should encourage the complex use of language and support the transition to formal mathematical discourse (one of the dominant academic discourses). Children's initiation and choice within the curriculum were found to be other key elements in this constructivist classroom. A system of continuous assessment and subsequent differentiation of instruction were two other essential elements in this reform mathematics classroom. Each of these key elements was shown to be important to foster mathematical literacy for all children. The role of socio-cultural perspectives ranging from Dewey's structuring of the environment through Freire's problem-posing curriculum to Delpit and Gee's work on dominant discourses was highlighted in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eileen Carr (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Reading

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a phonologically linked kindergarten writing program on students' abilities to spell and read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. The investigation utilized the CVC Spelling Assessment, the CVC Decoding Assessment, and a revised word list from the Woodcock Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery: Word Attack subtest. A review of students' writing work samples allowed for comparisons to be made between spelling and decoding in isolation and for authentic purposes. The setting for this study involved two kindergarten classrooms in a northwest Ohio elementary school. Students were pre- and post-assessed over an eight-week period on their abilities to spell and read consonant-vowel-consonant words. Writing work samples were also collected before and after the implementation of the phonologically linked writing program. The results showed that the phonologically linked writing program is an effective method of spelling and reading instruction for kindergarten students.

Committee: Richard Oldrieve PhD (Committee Chair); Cindy Hendricks PhD (Committee Member); Craig Mertler PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between pre-kindergarten student test scores on a kindergarten readiness assessment, the Developmental Indicators for Assessment of Learning (DIAL-3), and test scores for the same students four years later on the mathematics and reading sections of the Ohio Fourth Grade State Achievement Test. Determining if the DIAL-3 readiness assessment had long-range predictive validity was the goal of this dissertation study. The design of the study was correlational. The researcher used historical data from at least 48 students from each of three district types (rural, suburban, and urban) as the sample for this study. Utilizing a sampling method of stratified-cluster, 208 students were randomly selected for inclusion in this study. In addition, the researcher analyzed and discussed influential variables, which affected the results. Age, ethnicity, gender, district type, half-day programs were among the variables analyzed. The targeted population was diverse in socio-economic status, race, and gender and consisted of students in Northwestern Ohio. To address the premise of this study, three research questions were developed and analyzed. Utilizing a Pearson Correlation Coefficient to calculate the relationship between the variables, the researcher was able to identify practical significance in many analyses. Although a low correlation existed in regards to the White, rural population, an increase in relationship existed among urban, children of color. Additionally, gender was analyzed to influence the correlation between the DIAL-3 and the OAT in Reading and Math. This study revealed large variances between district type, gender, and ethnicity in regards to correlational patterns. Close examination confirms that the variables in this study significantly influence one another and provide an opportunity to predict future achievement. Specifically, according to this research data, educators in urban districts can use th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Judy Jackson May (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2013, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Early intervention prior to kindergarten is an effective strategy in closing the gaps in pre-readiness skills and appropriate behavior which may occur because of disparity in socioeconomic status, parenting styles, and preschool experience. The United Way Success by Six Program was created to provide the opportunity to engage children and their parents prior to the kindergarten experience in an intervention process. This study was designed to determine if the Success by Six Program with parental workshops closed the gaps of skill development and behavior prior to the kindergarten experience. The first research question explored if the achievement gap closed. The second research question determined which factors had the most impact on closing the gap. The third research question explored the impact of the parent workshops. A pre-post non-random control group design was utilized. Results were analyzed utilizing SPSS Version 20 to compute descriptive and inferential statistics. The outcome revealed the achievement gap closed upon the completion of the program for those students in the treatment group. Socioeconomic status and days in attendance were the two independent variables that significantly impacted the outcome. Two of the four parental workshop appeared to impact the outcome of the treatment group in a positive manner.

Committee: Karen Larwin Ph.D. (Advisor); Chuck Vergon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Gail Saunders-Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member); Danielle Grunenwald Gruhler Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1908, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1946, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1967, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: