1. 1 Using Research to Assess, Build and Collaborate with Partners in Child Development Friday, January 28, 2011 Southern Early Childhood Association Savannah, GA Oklahoma Pilot Early Childhood Program

2. Outline 2 1.Introductions 2.Oklahoma State Pilot Early Childhood Program 3.State Pilot Program Evaluation 4.Measuring and Monitoring Quality Programs 5.Using Data to Improve Professional Development 6.Conclusion

3. Goals and Objectives 3 1.Develop a basic knowledge of State of Oklahoma Pilot Early Childhood Program 2.Examine criteria used to measure and monitor assessments 3.Use applied research to enhance program quality through professional development

4. 4 QuantityQuality Legislature directed State Board of Education to establish Pilot Program Public/private partnership High-quality early childhood education program Pilot Early Childhood Program

5. 5 Major Participants Ensures Pilot Early Childhood Program goals are met Develops program infrastructure Provides training/implementation help Monitors performance Administers State funds on behalf of Legislature Ensures program compliance with State requirements Implement Pilot Early Childhood Program locally – improve quality and serve more children Connect with and leverage community resources 4

6. Key Collaborators 6 Evaluation Program planning Evaluation Program planning Training & Technical Assistance Program planning Training & Technical Assistance Program planning

7. 7 Serving Children & Families Birth through age 3 “At risk” Family income up to 185% FPL Public/private partnership High-quality early childhood education program

8. 8 Quality Standards At least one Bachelor Degreed Lead Teacher for every two 0-3 classrooms Bachelor Degreed, Certified Lead Teacher in every 3 yr. old classroom Associate Degreed Teacher Assistants CDA-holding Classroom Aides Professional caseworkers- Bachelor Degreed Link families to community resources No more than 50 families per caseworker

9. 9 Quality Standards Infant & Toddler Care In-Classroom Tech. Asst. Leadership Training Observation & Assessment Serve children 48 weeks/year 8 hours/day NAEYC accredited DHS licensing requirements Gold to track child progress

10. Across the State 10 Cherokee Nation Child Development Center Community Action Project of Tulsa County Educare Hutcherson YMCA Learning Development Center Kids’ Ranch Inc. Little Dixie Community Action Agency Margaret Hudson Program Sunbeam Family Services Inc. Tri County Technology Center Child Development Center

11. Evaluation Are participating Providers meeting Pilot Program expectations? What is the quality of the Pilot Program classrooms? How do classrooms and children in the Pilot Program compare with Community programs? 11

12. Phase I Required of all Pilot Program-funded programs Programs are required to report the following variables on a monthly basis: Number of classrooms Child enrollment and attendance rates Classroom staffing patterns Teacher credentials –Degree (BA, AA) –Major PITC Training completed 12

13. Phase I: Program Growth

14. Phase II Required of all Providers starting in second year of participation in Pilot Program Randomly selected 89 classrooms Administered ITERS and Arnett (78) ECERS (11) Results indicate the overall level of quality was "good" and that staff was "sensitive" and "not harsh" Feedback loop established to use results to inform professional development 14

15. Phase II: ITERS-R 15

16. Phase II: ECERS-R 16

17. Phase II: Infant-Toddler Arnett 17

18. Phase II: Preschool Arnett 18

19. Phase III To be implemented in third year of funding and operation Children recruited and tested in fall and retested in spring Winter classroom observations were completed Measures were chosen to enhance comparability across similar studies. Examples include: ITERS-R PLS – 4 ECERS-R Bayley DECA 19

20. Phase III: DECA 20

21. Phase III: DECA Results 21

22. Phase III: Classroom Quality 22 All total scores and subscale scores were higher for SPP classrooms than community classrooms

23. 23 Program Training & Technical Assistance Excellence For Children, LLC- Oklahoma Program for Infant Toddler Care seminar type training WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies- Continuation Training Excellence For Children, LLC & WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies- follow-up providing on-site Training & Technical Assistance Jeff Wilkie Consulting & WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies- Leadership Training Teaching Strategies, Inc.- Observation and Assessment / CreativeCurriculum.net Training

24. 24 Pilot Program Training Oklahoma Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) Modules I – IV Lead Teachers WestEd Continuation 2 – two day sessions Lead Teachers who have completed PITC previously Follow-up on-site training & technical assistance For staff attending PITC or Continuation Leadership 2 – two day sessions Management & supervisory staff CreativeCurriculum.net 3- three day sessions Staff responsible for collecting and entering child assessment data

25. PITC Training for Oklahoma 25 Module I – Social-Emotional Module II – Group Care Module III – Learning & Development Module IV – Culture, Family & Providers

26. Continuation Training Environments for Care Inclusion of Children with Disabilities & other Special Needs Language Learning in Infants &Toddlers Culture, Family & Care 26

27. PITC Training for Oklahoma Teachers come together in Tulsa or Oklahoma City for off-site training Strategies learned are translated into practical and hands on knowledge Follow-up with technical assistance in all classrooms 27

28. Leadership Training Topics Coaching on Strengths Effective Leaders Partnering Across Teams Professionalism in the Workplace Stress Management PITC Approach Program Manager’s Role in implementation of Individualized Care Reflective Supervision Director’s Role in Supporting Documentation and Curriculum Planning Process 28

29. Technical Assistance Technical assistance provided on-site in classrooms Linking training & technical assistance Importance of supportive technical assistance following training Transference of theoretical-based know how into classrooms 29

30. Next Steps Pre-service/ Kick-off event Year 3 training and technical assistance begins Launch Phase III Evaluation to determine outcome Refine feedback to Providers Disseminate program model and encourage replication Advocate for program expansion to serve more families and children Continuous communication with Providers and professional partners to improve program design 30