Friday, December 23, 2011

Kindergarten math skills key to later success, researchers say | California Watch

Kindergarten math skills key to later success, researchers say | California Watch:

Kindergarten math skills key to later success, researchers say

woodleywonderworks/Flickr

It’s one of the biggest debates going on among early childhood development experts: Is it more important for kindergartners to focus on academics and learn their ABC’s and numbers? Or spend more time on social and emotional issues, like how to play nice and pay attention?

Recent research by a UC Irvine education professor shows that math skills among kindergartners turn out to be a key predictor for future academic success.

Professor Greg Duncan and his colleagues analyzed studies conducted with close to 20,000 kindergartners, assessing their knowledge of math, literacy and other skills, including their ability to stay on task and make friends. The studies followed the kindergartners for several years through elementary school, testing them in


State seismic regulators destroy electronic records

Yuli Weeks/California WatchThe Division of the State Architect has erased the electronic records of former high-level officials, including former State Architect David Thorman.

The office that regulates California school construction routinely destroyed key documents that might have shed light on its lax enforcement of earthquake safety standards – despite a binding agreement it has with the State Archives to preserve public records.

For the past five years, the Division of the State Architect has erased the entire computer hard drives and copies