Scaling-Up Early Childhood Intervention Literacy Learning Practices Maurice McInerney, Ph.D. American Institutes for Research Presentation prepared for an Office of Special Education Programs meeting, Washington, DC, November 16, 2006.

CELL Scaling-Up Challenges Availability and quality of state TA systems vary greatly across the 50 states. Programs and services are administered by different state agencies (e.g., education and health), each with its own organizational culture and standards of practice. Typically, there are a large number of local providers within a given state. Providers are drawn from multiple professional disciplines and are employed by a variety of local programs.

Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs Lesson # 1: Targeted practices should be -- Based on sound evidence Observable Relevant Seen as improving existing practices Compatible with users values, norms, & facilities Testable without requiring complete adoption Easy to understand and use Have positive impacts that are valued

Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs Lesson # 2: Members of state and local implementation teams should -- Be effective, motivated leaders with a unifying vision Be knowledgeable about: –Organizations strengths and limitations –Political, social, and cultural environments where scaling-up will take place Have access to needed resources: –Technical expertise –Training capacity –Management capacity –TA financial resources

Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs Lesson # 3: End-users (practitioners & parents) should -- Agree that the new practice: –Is needed –Will meet their needs Feel empowered to: –Own the new practice –Use the new practice Have ready access to: –Implementation and maintenance supports –Evidence that the new practice works for them

Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs Lesson # 4: Scaling-up strategies should include – Clear messages Personal contact and informal communication End-users who: –Are involved early in planning the new practice –Actively participate in using the new practice –Feel ownership of the new practice –Self-evaluate their own use of the new practice Implementation activities that: –Focus on sustainability –Adapt new practices to local environments and contexts –Include strong diffusion channels –Systematically communicate evidence that the scaling-up process and its outcomes are working

CELL Definition of Scaling-Up The adoption of policies, practices, and implementation strategies that promote widespread, sustained use of evidence- based early literacy learning practices by early childhood intervention programs serving young children, birth to five years of age, and their families, to achieve outcomes that are socially and developmentally important and valued.

CELL Conceptual Model for Scaling-Up Horizontal Scaling-Up Vertical Scaling-Up Regional State Local National End- Users

XXXX Research and Evaluation X Replications XXX Capacity Building XXX Resource Teams XXXX Dissemination Research to Practice XX Policy and Incentives Levels XXXX Social Marketing End- Users TA ProvidersStateFederalFunctions CELL Scaling-Up Functions and Levels X

CELL Scaling-Up Elements Types of Technical Assistance General TA –CELL strategic partnerships –CELL website –CELL presentations Specialized TA –State resource teams –Regional resource teams –Local resource teams

CELL Resource Teams Local Resource Teams Regional Resource Teams State Resource (Leadership) Team Many One Number of Teams

CELL Scaling-Up Elements Distinguishing Characteristics Guided scaling-up –Leverage political, policy, or legal incentives –Map CELL TA onto existing, statewide TA systems Replications of replications –Spreads CELL practices across end-users –Builds statewide momentum for scaling-up Grafting and embedded practices –Strengthens the end-users existing practices –Avoids increasing the end-users burden

CELL Scaling-Up Elements Scaling-up Methods Flexible and adaptive Active participatory involvement Gradual adoption Capacity building and follow-up support

CELL Capacity Building Strategies CELL resource teams are state and local stakeholders whose support for scaling-up is critical Support resource teams in developing: –Sound rationale for their end-users to use CELL practices –Problem solving strategies to reduce policy and practice barriers Develop implementation strategies that support end- users in learning to: –Value CELL practices –Adopt CELL practices –Sustain CELL practices

CELL Scaling-Up Elements Resource Management CELL Resources –Research-to-practice experts (Puckett staff) –Literacy experts (CELL Resource Bank) –TA liaisons (AIR staff) State Resources –Policies –Incentives –Support for adoption, implementation and follow-up activities Local Resources –Policies –Incentives –Support for adoption, implementation and follow-up activities

Scale-up CELL Literacy Learning Practices Establish Resource Teams State Regional Local Value & Support Improved Outcomes Empower End-Users Practitioners Families Accommodate Implementation Environments CELL Commitments