"School and district administrators, as well as policymakers, are increasingly recognizing that early education and intervention services for young children have a direct and positive impact on later school performance and quality of life. But which programs and services should be operated and funded? To answer that question, this book highlights the principles that characterize effective practices and programs for children ages three to eight." "Written specifically for busy administrators, Evidence-Based Practices and Programs for Early Childhood Care and Education synthesizes what works, what doesn't, and what we still need to know based on the reviews of scientific literature by an expert panel of contributors. Key topics include: Definition and assessment of readiness of children and schools, Early intervention for children in poverty, English language learners, and students with special needs, Publicly funded, home-based, school-age, and out-of-school time programs, The future of personnel preparation and professional development. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET