School Readiness Resource Directory

Organizations/Associations

• American Montessori Society
  150 Fifth Avenue
  Suite 203
  New York, NY 10011
  212/358-1250
  This organization promotes the education principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, focusing on individual growth and peer stimulation among young children, with the teacher as observer. It oversees the development of materials and programs and offers information and placement services.
  

• ASPIRA Association
  1112 16th Street, NW
  Suite 340
  Washington, DC 20036
  202/835-3600
  This national Hispanic education leadership development organization operates demonstration projects in Hispanic communities in nine cities and produces booklets to help Hispanic parents with their childrens education.
  

• Association for Childhood Education International
  11501 Georgia Avenue
  Suite 315
  Wheaton, MD 20902
  800/423-3563
  This association encourages quality educational practices for infant to early adolescent children as well as professional growth for their teachers. It emphasizes the well-being of children in the home, school, and community through various publications, meetings, and outreach activities.
  

• Child Trends, Inc.
  4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW
  Suite 100
  Washington, DC 20008
  202/362-5580
  This research organization is conducting three projects related to school readiness: a synthesis of research on parental behaviors that reinforce the healthy physical development of infants and young children; a 5 year longitudinal study of families receiving public assistance to determine whether providing basic skills training to mothers affects the health and development of their children; and a feasibility study on the development and implementation of early childhood assessments in several nations.
  

• Childrens Defense Fund (CDF)
  122 C Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20001
  202/628-8787
  This advocacy organization conducts research and monitors federal and state legislation and performance on issues affecting the health and well-being of children and teenagers in the United States. CDF places special emphasis on the needs of children living in poverty.
  

• ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education
  University of Illinois
  Childrens Research Center
  51 Gerty Drive
  Champaign, IL 61820-7469
  800/583-4135; 217/333-1386
  The ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE) is one of 16 ERIC clearinghouses funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education. ERIC clearinghouses identify and select documents and journal articles, and then prepare entries describing the documents and articles to be incorporated in the ERIC database. Clearinghouses also publish digests, monographs, and other publications; answer questions; disseminate information on the Internet; and represent ERIC at conferences and workshops.
  

• National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE)
  Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  P.O. Box 480
  Jefferson City, MO 65102
  573/751-2095
  NAECS/SDE strengthens communications and coordination among early childhood professionals in each of the states. This membership organization influences and supports policies and legislation that affect the education, health, and welfare of children and their families. The association also offers assistance and leadership in researching, analyzing and recommending standards for quality early childhood teacher preparation programs.
  

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  1509 16th Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20036
  800/424-2460
  NAEYC is dedicated to improving the quality of care and education of children birth to age 8. It offers publications and videos for parents, day care providers, and elementary school personnel, as well as policy-related information and legislative analyses. It administers the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a voluntary national accreditation system for high-quality early childhood programs.
  

• National Black Child Development Institute
  1023 15th Street, NW
  Suite 600
  Washington, DC 20005
  202/387-1281
  To improve the quality of life for black children and youth, this group provides direct services and conducts advocacy campaigns aimed at national and public policies. It provides newsletters, a quarterly journal, legislative updates, topical research packages, conferences, and speakers on issues of health, child welfare, education, and child care.
  

• National Center for Children in Poverty
  Columbia University
  154 Haven Avenue
  New York, NY 10032
  212/304-7100
  This group encourages interdisciplinary thinking about the needs and opportunities for early intervention with young children (ages birth to 5) in poverty at the national, state, and local levels. It offers library services, publications, and referrals.
  

• National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL)
  Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center
  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Sheryl-Mar Suite 100
  CB No. 8185
  Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185
  919/966-7180
  This national centers purpose is to find ways, through research and other means, to boost the intellectual and social development of the children in the United States and to disseminate that knowledge as widely as possible to effect positive change.
  

• National Head Start Association
  1220 King Street
  Suite 200
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  703/739-0875
  This national organization seeks to upgrade the quality and quantity of Head Start program services. It conducts training sessions and seminars, maintains a speakers bureau, and prepares organizational policies, positions and statements.
  

• National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
  P.O. Box 1492
  Washington, DC 20013
  800/999-5599
  This organization provides free information to assist parents, educators, caregivers, advocates, and others in helping children and youth with disabilities. NICHCY provides information on national, state, and local disability groups for parents and professionals and maintains databases with current information on disability topics. Publications include News Digest and Parent Guides.
  

• Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc.
  10176 Corporate Square Drive
  St. Louis, MO 63132
  314/432-4330
  This organization provides training and technical assistance in the Parents as Teachers program, an early childhood parent education and support program designed to empower all parents to give their children the best possible start in life. The Center also provides certification of Parents as Teachers parent educators; curriculum and materials development and adaptation; research and evaluation coordination; and international conferences. The Center also engages in public policy initiatives that promote family support and parent education.
  

• Southern Regional Education Board
  592 Tenth Street, N.W.
  Atlanta, GA 30318-5790
  404/875-9211
  SREB assists southern state leaders by identifying and directing attention to key issues; collecting, compiling, and analyzing comparable data; and conducting broad studies and initiating discussions that lead to recommendations for state and institutional long-range planning, actions, and policy proposals. SREB maintains regional education databases for higher and K-12 education and publishes about 40 reports and studies annually.