1. Major Activities, Accomplishments and Next Steps Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute PACER Center American Institutes for Research University of Connecticut Health Center Presentation prepared for the Office of Special Education Programs 3+2 evaluation of the Center for Early Literacy Learning Washington, DC, August 19, 2008

2. Center for Early Literacy Learning Funding Period …………………………………….....10/1/06 to 9/30/11 Months Completed to Date ………………………………….22 months Research Syntheses/Practice Guide Development ……...20 months Dissemination (Web site) ……………………………………18 months Generalized Technical Assistance …………………………18 months Specialized Technical Assistance ………………………….8 months

3. Center for Early Literacy Learning Overview and Background

4. The Center for Early Literacy Learning Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute Asheville & Morganton, NC American Institutes for Research Washington, DC PACER Center Bloomington, MN UCONN Center for Excellence in Disabilities Farmington, CT (CELL) is a collaboration among the:

5. CELL Aims Synthesize research evidence to identify effective early literacy learning practices and interventions Develop evidence-based practices from the findings of this research Implement and evaluate the use of evidence-based practice guides Conduct general and specialized technical assistance promoting the adoption and use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices

6. CELL Goals Conceptualization Operationalization Field-Testing Technical Assistance Dissemination Evaluation

7. Conceptualization Define the domains of pre-literacy, emergent literacy, and early literacy development constituting the focus of CELL Define the key components of the CELL early literacy learning intervention model

8. Domains of Early Literacy Learning Speech Processing Skills Oral Language Phonological Awareness Listening Comprehension Print-Related Skills Print Awareness Written Language Alphabet Knowledge Text Comprehension Adapted from A. van Kleeck (1998). Pre-literacy domains and stages. Journal of Childrens Communication Development, 20, 33-51. a a

9. Everyday Literacy Activities Responsive Teaching Child Interests Literacy-Rich Environments CELL Early Literacy Intervention Model Early Literacy Learning Outcomes

10. Operationalization Conduct practice-based research syntheses of early literacy learning experiences and practices Develop evidence-based practice guides using findings from the research syntheses to inform the content of the practices

11. Practice-Based Research Syntheses A practice-based research synthesis attempts to identify, unpack, and disentangle those characteristics of environmental experiences (practices, interventions, treatments, etc.) that have development-enhancing features and elements.

12. Disentangling and Unpacking the Characteristics that Matter Most As many practice characteristics as possible of an intervention are coded and analyzed, and the presence and absence of the characteristics are related to the study outcomes to identify those characteristics that stand out as most important.

13. Research-to-Practice Approach Research Syntheses Practice Characteristics Evidence-Based Practice Guides

14. Evidence-Based Practice Guides What is the practice? What does the practice look like? How do you do the practice? How do you know the practice worked? CELL practices (paper, DVDs, PPP, etc.) are prepared in a manner that provides end-users (practitioners and parents) information about four elements of a practice:

15. CELL Practice Guides All CELL practice guides include the four how to elements and real life examples of the practices being implemented by practitioners or parents. At least one vignette includes descriptions of how the practice can be modified or adapted for a child with a disability.

16. CELL Practice Guides

17. Practice Guide Hierarchy Tier 1: Universal Practice Guides Tier 2: Practice Guides with Adaptations Tier 3: Individualized Practice Guides

18. Most Intrusive Adaptation Continuum Adapt Environment Adapt Activity Adapt Materials Adapt Instruction Provide Assistance Source: S. Milbourne & P. Campbell (2007). Caras kit. Philadelphia: Thomas Jefferson University. Least Intrusive

19. Field-Tests of CELL Practices Field-tests of CELL practices are being conducted in early intervention, preschool special education, Early Head Start, Head Start, and other early childhood programs in four states. The kinds of field- test studies being implemented are: Process studies of exemplary practices Social validity studies of CELL practice guides Fidelity studies of the use of CELL practice guides Outcome studies of child, parent, and practitioner benefits

20. Technical Assistance Generalized Technical Assistance Specialized Technical Assistance

21. Generalized Technical Assistance Generalized technical assistance is accomplished by the inclusion of CELL materials and products into the provision of training opportunities through existing national, regional, and state programs and organizations working with children with disabilities and their families.

22. Partners Generalized Specialized CELL Partners Puckett X X AIR X PACER X UCONN X Technical Assistance

23. Generalized Technical Assistance ParentsPACER and Puckett Technical AssistanceUCONN and Puckett Providers PractitionersPuckett (in collaboration with existing programs and organizations) Target AudienceCELL Partners

24. Specialized Technical Assistance Capacity-Building Approach Scaling-Up Model Participatory Training Processes

25. Specialized Technical Assistance Implementation Stages Stage 1….Exploration and Planning Stage 2….Initial Implementation Stage 3….Full Implementation Stage 4….Practice Adoption

26. State Leadership Team State-Level Technical Assistance Providers Regional and Local Technical Assistance Providers End-Users (Practitioners and Parents) Multi-level approach to scaling-up the adoption and use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices

27. Specialized Technical Assistance State-Level Capacity-Building Implementation Intervention

28. Specialized TA States Maine Montana Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Utah Vermont West Virginia

29. CELL Capacity-Building Planning Tool

30. Five Components of the CELL Capacity-Building Approach Vision Leadership Team Needs Assessment Outreach and Training Self-Evaluation

31. Relationship Between CELL Implementation and Intervention Practices Implementation (Training methods used with end-users) Intervention (CELL practices you want end-users to do) CELL Training MethodsCELL Practices

32. Specialized Technical Assistance Training Procedures Preview of CELL Intervention Practices Participatory Learning Opportunities Reflection and Understanding Use of Intervention Practices Training Methods

33. CELL Training Methods Previews of Targeted Practices (Knowledge Transmission) Participatory Involvement (Learning by Doing) Reflection and Mastery (Internalization) Adapted from D. Molnar (2001). Accelerated learning. Unpublished paper, and J. Bransford et al. (2001). How people learn. Washington, DC, National Academy Press. a a

34. Dissemination CELL Web Site Conference Presentations NECTAC eNotes OSEP TA Centers National, Regional and State TA Programs CELL E-mail Announcements

35. Evaluation Process Studies Social Norm Messages Studies Output Studies Social Validity Studies Fidelity Studies Outcome Studies

36. Center for Early Literacy Learning Activities and Accomplishments

37. Numbers of CELL Research-to-Practice Activities CELL Activity Indicator Outcome Literature Searches Number of Located Studies 1200+ Research Syntheses Number of Synthesis Topics a 25 Evidence-Based Practices Number of Practice Guides b 100+ a In process. b Completed and in process.

38. Distribution of Practices by Literacy Domain NUMBER OF PRACTICES Alphabet Knowledge Oral Language Print Awareness Written Language Phonological Awareness Listening Comprehension Text Comprehension LITERACY DOMAINS

39. CELL Products

40. Products Completed In-Process Total CELLpapers CELLreviews CELLnotes CELLpractices CELLdvds CELLscales 5 3 2 68 3 8 2 5 6 78 3 2 7 8 146 6 10

41. Additional CELL Accomplishments Web Site Products78 Web Site Visits 13,000 + Web Pages Viewed 58,000 + Conference Presentations16 Specialized Technical Assistance 3 Field-Test Case Studies24

42. Dissemination and Technical Assistance Activities TYPE OF ACTIVITY

43. Center for Early Literacy Learning Evaluation

44. Evaluation Model Process Evaluation Output Evaluation Outcome Evaluation

45. Types of Evaluation Studies Process Studies of Exemplary Practices Social Norm Messages Studies Web Site Visits Study Social Validity Studies Fidelity of Training Studies Fidelity of Practice Adoption Studies Child, Parent and Practitioner Outcome Studies

46. Field-Test Site Case Studies to Identify Exemplary Practices StatesClassrooms/ Programs Practitioner Interviews Exemplary Practices FIELD-TEST SITES NUMBERS

47. Social Norms Messages Survey Results of the Importance of Early Literacy Learning

48. Effects of Different Events Influencing Web Site Visits A: New York PTA Announcement B: Survey Monkey (I) Announcement C: Part C/Part B (619)/PACER E-mail Announcement D: Survey Monkey (II) Announcement E: Practice Guides Posted on Web Site A B C D E

49. Social Validity Studies of CELL Practices CELL Advisory Board Members Web Site Visitors Parents Practitioners Technical Assistance Providers

50. Social Validity Studies Framework PracticesOutcomes Type of Validity Appraisals Acceptability a Adapted from S. Foster & E. Mash (1999). Assessing social validity in clinical treatment Research: Issues and procedures. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 308-319. a Targets of Appraisals Importance

51. Fidelity Studies of CELL Practices Field-Test Sites Instructional Practices Literacy Practices Characteristics Specialized Technical Assistance Training Procedures Intervention Practices

52. Profiles of State Capacity-Building Assessments CAPACITY-BUILDING AREAS

53. Outcome Studies Field-Test Sites Parent Confidence and Competence Practitioner Confidence and Competence Child Learning and Behavior Specialized Technical Assistance Parent Confidence and Competence Practitioner Confidence and Competence Child Learning and Behavior

54. Center for Early Literacy Learning Future Plans and Activities

55. Planned Activities Complete Practice-Based Research Syntheses Finalize CELL Practice Guides and Tool Kits Generalized Technical Assistance Specialized Technical Assistance Evaluation Studies

56. Practice-Based Research Syntheses Complete the final sets of research syntheses. Publish both CELLreviews and CELLnotes on the CELL Web site.

57. CELL Tool Kits Make final changes to the CELL practice guides and produce CELL tool kits of different sets of practices. Make the tool kits available to parents, practitioners, and technical assistance providers on DVDs.

58. Generalized Technical Assistance Continue working with existing national, regional and state parent, practitioner, and technical assistance programs and organizations to promote awareness, understanding, adoption, and use of CELL practices.

59. Specialized Technical Assistance Continue provision of specialized technical assistance to the eight targeted states focusing on second generation training and end-user adoption and use of CELL practices.

60. Evaluation Studies Focus on the completion of the CELL fidelity studies and the outcome studies of CELL practices.

61. Center for Early Literacy Learning Questions from the Review Panel Members