Between the Lions Preschool Literacy Project Evaluation Results

Project Goal To improve language development and other pre-literacy skills among low-income children in child care centers

Project Intervention Leaders in Literacy training On-site technical assistance Between the Lions materials

Evaluation Questions How do the classroom environments of teachers who participate in the BTL intervention compare with the classroom environments of teachers who do not participate in the BTL intervention? How do the classroom environments of teachers who participate in the BTL intervention compare with the classroom environments of teachers who do not participate in the BTL intervention? How do the literacy outcomes for children whose teachers participate in the BTL intervention compare with the literacy outcomes of children whose teachers do not participate in the BTL intervention?

Participants in Fall 2005 Intervention –4 Child Care Centers 11 Classrooms Fall 2005 Control –2 Child Care Centers 5 Classrooms Spring 2006 Intervention –7 Child Care Centers (3 from Fall Intervention, 1 from Fall Control) 9 Classrooms (All different from Fall) Spring 2006 Control –3 Child Care Centers 5 Classrooms (All different from Fall)

Instruments Classroom Environment Assessment – –Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) Toolkit Early Literacy Assessment – –Get Ready to Read Screening Tool – Recommended for 4-year-olds – –Test of Early Reading Ability-Third Edition (TERA-3) – Designed exclusively for ages 3 ½ to 6

ELLCO Toolkit Literacy Environment Checklist: Used in assessing the organization and contents of the classroom. Classroom Observation & Teacher Interview: Used to gather objective ratings of the quality of the language and literacy environment and experiences in a given classroom. Literacy Activities Rating Scale: Provides summary information on the nature and duration of literacy-related activities observed.

Get Ready to Read Screening Tool Print knowledge – Assesses a child’s understanding of books, printed letters, and words. Emergent writing – Assesses a child’s first efforts to use print in a meaningful way. Linguistic awareness – Assesses a child’s understanding of how language works.

Test of Early Reading Ability, 3rd Edition (TERA-3) Subscales – Normed average score of 10 –Alphabet: Measures children’s knowledge of the alphabet and sound-letter correspondence. –Conventions: Measures children’s familiarity with the conventions of print. –Meaning: Measures children’s ability to comprehend the meaning of printed material. Reading Quotient – Normed average score of 100 – Derived from the sum of the three subscale scores

Assessment Timeline Fall 2005 Intervention and Control –Pretests - August 2005 ELLCO, Get Ready to Read, TERA-3 –Posttests – Jan ELLCO, Get Ready to Read, TERA-3 –Delayed Posttests – June 2006 ELLCO, Get Ready to Read, TERA-3 Spring 2006 Intervention and Control –Pretests – January 2006 ELLCO, Get Ready to Read, TERA-3 –Posttests – June 2006 ELLCO, Get Ready to Read, TERA-3

Number and Percent of TERA-3 Participants Below and Within the Acceptable Age Range

Explanation of Statistical Terminology Used N - Number of participants Mean - Average p - Level of significance (p <.05 indicates less than 5% probability that the effect was a chance occurrence; 95% probability that the change resulted from the intervention) –Significance is determined by statistical tests (e.g., t-tests)

Fall 2005 Classroom Initial Assessment Results

Fall 2005 Preschoolers’ Initial Assessment Results

Fall 2005 Classroom Delayed Posttest Results

Fall 2005 Preschoolers’ Delayed Posttest Results (June 2006)

Spring 2006 Classroom Assessment Results

Spring 2006 Preschoolers’ Assessment Results

Limitations of Study Brief intervention periods for both Fall and Spring (4 to 5 months) Use of assessment instruments that were not appropriate for younger aged children Notably smaller control group than intervention group High turnover of teachers and students

Recommendations for Study Longer intervention period Documentation of intervention to ensure fidelity to intended treatment Consideration of revising the process of selecting intervention and control groups to match more closely in number