2. Ongoing Staff Development in a Pre-K Literacy Project: A Model for School and Community Collaboration Priscilla Griffith Belinda Biscoe Patricia Winters University of Oklahoma Debra Corey Ruth Ann Ball Susan Kimmel

3. United States Department of Education Early Literacy First Grant Focus: Pre-K 3 and 4 year olds Purpose: –Create early childhood centers of excellence –Prepare young children to enter kindergarten with necessary skills to ensure school success

4. Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E. Preparing Readers and Initiating Developmental Excellence Create language and literacy rich classroom environments Integrate curriculum, activities and materials into classrooms and family literacy practices Assess literacy learning Build partnerships to support the transition of all children into formal classroom instruction Support family literacy Provide research-based sustained professional development

5. Training Effectiveness * The degree of proficiency attained in knowledge, skills, and application. Mid HighLowVery Low *From Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers HighLow MiddleVery Low High Very Low High

6. Research-Based Sustained Professional Development Formal study Oriented towards improvements in curriculum and instruction Continuous examination of student learning Coaching with theory, practice, and demonstration are necessary for classroom implementation Joyce and Showers, 2002

7. Our Schools Oklahoma PRIDEComparison Cohort Public Schools Private Child Care Public Schools Private Child Care Year 1 W L A L K C PSC1 PSC2 PSC3 CC1 CC2 Year 2 PQ L A L K C PSC1 PSC2 PSC3 CC1 CC2 Year 3 PQ L A CCCC PSC1 PSC2 PSC3 CC1 CC2

8. Our Children - Language Oklahoma PRIDE Comparison Total N at Pre-Test129105 % Tested in Spanish48%63% Total N at Post-Test8879 % Tested in Spanish43%67%

9. Our Children - Age Pre-TestPost-Test OK PRIDEComparisonOK PRIDEComparison 3-year- olds 137105 4-year- olds or older 116987874

10. Our Families Reports of Parents PRIDECompare Percentage of parents reporting language spoken at home as: Spanish52%62% English48%38% Percentage of parents reporting their ethnicity as: Hispanic64%90% White21%7% Other15%3% Percentage of parents responding to the survey in: Spanish49%75% English51%25%

11. Reports of Parents PRIDECompare Percentage of people reporting having an annual income of $21,000- $25,000 or less 63%90% Percentage of parents reporting less than a high school education: 36%64% Percentage of parents who report having a high school education: 38%27%

12. Project Development Year One –Physical transformation of classrooms –Initiated literacy classes –Learning to mentor Year Two –Implemented spiral curriculum of literacy classes –Learning to develop portfolios Year Three –Focus on examining student work to plan instruction

13. Three C’s of Professional Development Community –Professional development classes –Examine student learning Curriculum Content: Assessment and Instruction of Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E Benchmarks –Oral language –Phonological awareness –Print concepts –Alphabet knowledge and writing –Listening comprehension Coaching –Implementing instructional strategies

14. Structure of Professional Development Classes Two groups: certified and non-certified teachers Classes off campus Classes two times each month for 3 hours Literacy instructor Literacy mentors attend

15. Content of Professional Development Classes Portfolios and Assessment Observations and Anecdotal Notes Oklahoma PRIDE Literacy Benchmarks Oral Language Phonological Awareness Environment/Classroom Management At-Risk Child Language Development Alphabet Knowledge Comprehension Concepts of Print Teacher-Child Interactions Home Visits Family Literacy Nights Door to Discovery Curriculum

16. Project Evaluation Classrooms –Before and after photos Teachers –Concept Maps –ELLCO: Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation –Focus Groups Students –TELD: Test of Early Language Development –PALS: Phonological Assessment Literacy Screening Parents –Literacy Activities Survey

17. Changing the Physical Environment

18. Transforming a disorganized environment

20. Setting up Centers Dramatic Play Writing Library

21. Concept Maps Voltz, 2004 (Action in Teacher Education, v. 27 # 3) Rated maps for variation and quantity –Variation = number of categories represented in the map –Quantity = total number of ideas

22. Concept Maps Early Literacy

24. Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Literacy Environment Checklist –Book Use and Availability - 20 points –Writing Materials and Display – 21 points Classroom Observation Protocol –General Classroom Environment – 30 points –Language and Literacy Curriculum – 40 points Literacy Activity Rating Scale –Book reading – 8 points –Writing – 5 points

25. ELLCO Literacy Environment Checklist Classroom Observation Protocol Literacy Activity Rating Scale Book Use 20 Writing Materials 21 Classroom Environ 30 Curriculum 40 Book Reading 8 Writing 5 Baseline - February 2004 PRIDE12.308.3017.8022.704.202.20 COMPARE11.007.0015.9016.003.802.80 End of Year 2 – May 2005 PRIDE19.2018.2023.3031.506.703.80 COMPARE12.3010.3016.5025.504.502.30

26. Focus Groups Accomplishments –Professional growth –Focus of the program on their roles as professionals – before the program Pre-K teachers were “considered by some to be babysitters but now they were using research- based teaching principles that can be measured and validated” –Provided roadmap for meeting state standards

27. Benefits –Access to resources/research-based, developmentally appropriate instructional strategies –Mentor support –Professional development classes –Progress of children –Credit towards CDA –Interact with other teachers –Peer support –Opportunity to attend professional conferences

28. Challenges/Concerns –Letting go of old curriculum and ways –Over-emphasizing literacy –Leaving their assistant alone with their class in order to attend professional development classes –Having resources to sustain parent activity component after the Oklahoma PRIDE program ends –More modeling of different types of classroom instruction by their mentor

29. TELD TELD: Test of Early Language Development –Administered in English only –Not normed on our population –Assesses English language learning children need for initial success in school

30. PALS/AMIGOS Rhyme Awareness Beginning Sound Upper-Case Alphabet Lower-Case Alphabet Verbal memory Print Knowledge Concept of Word Name Writing

31. PALS/AMIGOS Results All scores for both groups (PRIDE and Comparison) were significantly different from pre-test to post- test. There was a statistically significant difference between groups on rhyme awareness.

32. Literacy Activities Survey PRIDEComparison Activities Parent Does with Child – Percent Reporting Pre- Test Post- Test Pre- Test Post- Test Writing notes to teacher 5833 Writing stories with child 17211121 Helping with homework 58623549 Going to the library 34521621 Teaching child letters/words 80837679 Reading directions cooking/projects 2229913

33. PRIDEComparison Activities Parent Does with Child – Percent Reporting Pre- Test Post- Test Pre- Test Post- Test Writing letters/cards 30392634 Making signs and letters 16187 Reading menus at restaurants 29472027 Reading labels at grocery stores 313018 Reading signs and billboards 37532528

34. OBSERVATION REFLECTION ASSESSMENT PLANNING INSTRUCTION STAFF DEVELOPMENT The Continuous, Recursive, and Interactive Process of Progress Monitoring

35. Data Collection Systematic Observation Assessment Tasks Work Samples Data Aggregation Planning and Reflection using Portfolios Instruction Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E. Progress-Monitoring Plan

40. Thank you for attending our presentation. Questions? Pgriffith@ou.edu Bpbiscoe@ou.edu Pwinters@ou.edu