School Readiness among Young Urban Immigrant Populations: Evaluation of a Comprehensive Intervention Program Samuel C. Gilstrap LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT November 4, 2006

School Readiness Collaboratives School Readiness Center Elementary School Pre-Kindergarten Programs Adult Education Community Agencies: Local Child Care Family Support Services Child Development Services Special Needs Services Families

School Readiness Services Tier 1 (Individual) – e.g., Home visitation, case management, support groups Tier 2 (Multi-Session Group) – e.g., Parenting classes, ESL, kindergarten transition classes Tier 3 (Short-term Group) – e.g., Workshops, resources & referrals, health insurance enrollment

School Readiness Evaluation: Research Questions 1.What is the nature of the interventions used by the program? How are program sites addressing the five elements of school readiness as well as the unique needs of their communities? 2.Which factors facilitate and which factors impede implementation of school readiness programs? 3.What impact do site-level activities have on the school readiness of young children living in Los Angeles communities?

School Readiness Evaluation: Participant Growth Tracking Participant Outcomes Case Study Macro-level Program Analysis Knowledge of Program

School Readiness Evaluation: Participant Growth Methods Intake Forms Administered to all eligible participants onsite at time of first enrollment Intake Forms Administered to all eligible participants onsite at time of first enrollment School Readiness Questionnaire (SRQ) Administered at an appropriate time to identified groups of participants School Readiness Questionnaire (SRQ) Administered at an appropriate time to identified groups of participants Follow-Up Questionnaire Administered onsite or by telephone to samples of participants Follow-Up Questionnaire Administered onsite or by telephone to samples of participants

School Readiness Evaluation: Follow-Up Schedule Follow-Up 1: January ‘05 Follow-Up 2: July ‘05 Follow-Up 3: January ‘06

School Readiness Evaluation: Key Outcome Measures Parent Sense of Competency - Parent Efficacy - Parent Satisfaction Family Activities Scale (FAS) English Proficiency Scale

School Readiness Evaluation: Outcomes: English Language Proficiency

School Readiness Evaluation: Outcomes: Parenting Efficacy

School Readiness Evaluation: Outcomes: Parent Satisfaction

School Readiness Evaluation: Outcomes: In-Home Family Learning

School Readiness Evaluation: Case Study Methodology Case Study Methods: Cross-Site Study: Analysis of Individual Case Studies - Interviews - Focus Groups - Observations - Questionnaire

School Readiness Evaluation: Cross Site Findings: Facilitating Factors Staffing Models Coordinator experience; cross-site collaboration Staffing Models Coordinator experience; cross-site collaboration Collaborative Models Partner, school, and parent support Collaborative Models Partner, school, and parent support Service Provision Coordinated, culturally appropriate outreach Service Provision Coordinated, culturally appropriate outreach

School Readiness Evaluation: Cross Site Findings: Challenges Facilities Limited space; lack of internet access Facilities Limited space; lack of internet access Staffing Turnover; Coordination of Supervision Staffing Turnover; Coordination of Supervision Collaboration Communication; Articulation Collaboration Communication; Articulation

School Readiness Evaluation: Case Study Findings Utilization of Local Council Meetings linked to Higher Implementation Coordinated, Multi-Method Outreach Models Linked to Higher Implementation Core Parent Leadership Groups Linked to Effective Outreach and Parent Empowerment Central Leadership Evident in Program Development Utilization of Local Council Meetings linked to Higher Implementation Coordinated, Multi-Method Outreach Models Linked to Higher Implementation Core Parent Leadership Groups Linked to Effective Outreach and Parent Empowerment Central Leadership Evident in Program Development

School Readiness Evaluation: General Findings All RFS Programs Yielded Family Level Change Collaborative Model Essential to Effect System-Wide Change Active Parent Involvement Critical to Program Success All RFS Programs Yielded Family Level Change Collaborative Model Essential to Effect System-Wide Change Active Parent Involvement Critical to Program Success

School Readiness Evaluation: Future Directions Child Level Outcomes Additional family level outcomes Longitudinal study of families Additional focus on systems change Child Level Outcomes Additional family level outcomes Longitudinal study of families Additional focus on systems change

School Readiness Evaluation: Some Raw Data from Parents “…every class here encourages you to talk to children. I thought children learned in school.” “I have gone through the colors and numbers with my children in English, but that is pretty much all I know. And, my four year-old says I need to learn more English so I can teach him the name of objects (he teaches me some English sometimes).” -Parent Participants

Samuel Gilstrap School Readiness Project Director (213) perb.lausd.net Questions?