1. Assessment / Intervention Program Summary of PRE-POST Findings from the Yr1 (2002-2003) Assessment Miami-Dade School Readiness Coalition & Florida International University Charles Bleiker,Ph.D. Florida International University Adam Winsler, Ph.D. George Mason University September 11, 2003

2. Overview - Partners Miami-Dade School Readiness Coalition Florida International University (FIU) – George Mason University (GMU) Miami-Dade Child Development Services Family Central, Inc. Miami-Dade County Public Schools Early Care and Education Providers

3. Overview – Child Assessments Learning Accomplishment Profile–Diagnostic (LAP-D) – Fine Motor- Cognitive – Language- Gross Motor (Caregiver) Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) (Parent and Teacher Report) – Initiative- Self-Control – Attachment- Behavioral Concerns PRE (Sept-Oct) n = 3,208 4-yr-olds POST (April-June) n = 2,549 4-yr-olds

4. Children demonstrated considerable improvement from the beginning (PRE) to the end of the school year (POST) in their physical/motor, cognitive, and language abilities (LAPD)

5. Teachers reported noticeable improvements from PRE to POST in children’s initiative (independence and motivation to learn)

6. Parents also reported noticeable improvements from PRE to POST in children’s initiative as well as slight PRE to POST gains in children’s self control and behavior.

7. Neighborhoods / Regions 1.Hialeah, Medley, Hialeah Gardens 2.North Dade, Opa Locka, West View, North Miami Beach, Aventura 3.West Little River, Brownsville, Little Haiti, Allapattah, Wynwood 4.Miami Beach 5.Miami, Coconut Grove 6.South Miami, Tamiami, West Chester, Kendall Lakes 7.Cutler Ridge, Richmond Heights, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Kendall 8.Homestead, Florida City, Goulds

8. Average Change in Percentile Points From PRE to POST, by Domain and by Neighborhood/Region

9. -Teachers rate children’s protective factors (initiative, attachment, and self-control) higher than do parents. - Parents report considerably more child behavioral concerns than teachers (at PRE and POST).

10. Summary - Gender / Ethnicity / Language Differences Overall, ethnic/race differences in child outcomes were very small or non-existent and small differences that were observed on the LAPD at PRE practically disappeared by POST. There were essentially no differences in children’s scores depending on whether they were assessed in Spanish or English. Girls are consistently seen by parents and teachers as demonstrating better behavior and socio-emotional skills than boys. Slight gender differences favoring girls on the LAPD at PRE basically disappear by the end of the year.

11. Summary and Recommendations Considerable progress has been seen in the first year of the AIP. Subsidized early education programs in Miami-Dade appear to be effective in promoting positive developmental outcomes in children. Early, first year interventions (training, planning, assessments) implemented by the central agencies this year appear to be working. Room for improvement, however, still exists, as Miami-Dade children lag behind national standards in multiple domains. Language/literacy development continues to be the area of most concern for this community. Large-scale, tailored interventions beginning this year (e,g, SPARK, Project UPGRADE) are likely to yield even stronger gains.