Early Literacy in Part C and Part B(619) Programs:How We Are Doing and How to Move Forward
Carl J. Dunst, Ph.D. Carol M. Trivette. Ph.D.
Orelena Hawks Puckett InstituteAsheville and Morganton, NC
Maury McInerney, Ph.D. Rebecca Holland-Coviello, Ph.D.
American Institutes for ResearchWashington, DC
Presentation made at the Office of Special Education Programs National Early Childhood Conference, Arlington, VA, December 3, 2007
Purposes of the Presentation
• Describe the major goals of the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)
• Describe the approach and results to date in terms of the identification of evidence-based early literacy learning practices
• Describe the approach to providing specialized technical assistance to scale-up the adoption and use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices
CELL Aims
• Synthesize research evidence on 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
Domains of Early Literacy
• Alphabet knowledge and print awareness
• Written language
• Text comprehension
• Phonological awareness
• Oral language
• Listening comprehension
Status of Early Literacy Learning Practices in Part C Early Intervention and Part B(619)
Preschool Special Education Programs
• National survey of the desired and actual use of early literacy learning practices
• Study participants
230 parents of preschool children in Part C and Part B(619) programs
508 Part C and Part B(619) practitioners
140 Part C and Part B(619) technical assistance providers/trainers
Survey QuestionsThree questions about the importance (desired) of early literacy learning and practices
• Should talk to parents about early literacy learning practices
• Early literacy learning practices should be part of early intervention and preschool special education practices
• Early literacy learning outcomes/objectives should be on IFSPs and IEPs
Three questions about how much (actual) early literacy learning is part of Part C and Part B(619) practices
• Talk to parents about early literacy learning practices
• Early literacy learning practices are part of early intervention and preschool special education practices
• IFSPs and IEPs include early literacy learning outcomes and objectives
Part C Early Intervention Program Participants
Literacy Learning Is Important
IFSP Literacy
Outcomes
Early Literacy
Practices Part of EI
SU
RV
EY
ITE
MS
(DE
SIR
ED
PR
AC
TIC
ES
)
Literacy Learning Is Important
IEP Literacy Objectives
Early Literacy
Practices Part of ECSE
SU
RV
EY
ITE
MS
(DE
SIR
ED
PR
AC
TIC
ES
)Part B(619) Preschool Special Education Program Participants
Part C Program Parent Respondents
Literacy IsImportant
EarlyIntervention
Practices
IFSPOutcomes
PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
PE
RC
EN
T O
F R
ES
PO
ND
EN
TSDesired Practices Actual Practices
Part B(619) Program Parents
Literacy IsImportant
ECSEPractices
IEPObjectives
PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
PE
RC
EN
T O
F R
ES
PO
ND
EN
TSDesired Practices Actual Practices
Part C Program Practitioners
Literacy IsImportant
EarlyInterventionPractices
IFSPOutcomes
PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
PE
RC
EN
T O
F R
ES
PO
ND
EN
TS
Desired Practices Actual Practices
Part B(619) Program Practitioners
Part C Program Technical Assistance Providers
Part B(619) Program Technical Assistance Providers
Literacy IsImportant
EarlyIntervention
Practices
IFSPOutcomes
PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80P
ER
CE
NT
OF
RE
SP
ON
DE
NTS
Desired Practices Actual Practices
Literature Review of Relevant Studies
Approximately 900 empirical studies of literacy and literacy-related practices have been identified that included infants, toddlers, or preschoolers. About 30% of the studies included or were investigations of young children with identified disabilities or developmental delays.
Literature Search Results
The studies identified by the literature search have been sorted by type of practice, type of outcome, and other study and practice factors and characteristics to categorize the studies into logical groups and subgroups. Preliminary analyses of the study results have been used to prepare evidence-based practice guides.
Procedure for Linking Research to Practice
Practice-Based Research Syntheses
Isolating the Practice
Characteristics That Matter Most
Evidence-Based Practice Guides
Framework for Developing Evidence-Based Practice Guides
Print-Related Abilities
INTERVENOR
CA
TEG
OR
IES
OF
LITE
RA
CY
LE
AR
NIN
G
STAGE OF LITERACY LEARNING
Linguistic Processing
Abilities
Preliteracy Emergent Literacy Early Literacy
Practitioner
Parent
Framework for Developing Literacy 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?
Draft Practice Guides Developed to Date
Stage Type of Practice Guide NumberPreliteracy Print-Related 17
Linguistic Processing 14
Emergent Literacy Print-Related 7Linguistic Processing 7
Early Literacy Print-Related 9Linguistic Processing 8
From Evidence-Based Literacy Practices to Adoption and Use of Practices
Specialized technical assistance will be provided by select states to promote the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy practices.
Scaling-Up Early Literacy Learning Practices
• CELL definition of scaling-up• CELL model for scaling-up• CELL state resource teams• CELL specialized TA
CELL Definition of Scaling-Up
The adoption of policies, practices, and implementation strategies
that promote widespread, sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices
by early childhood intervention programs and practitioners serving young children, birth to 5 years of age, and their families
to achieve outcomes that are socially and developmentally important and valued
CELL Conceptual Model for Scaling-UpV
ertic
al S
calin
g-U
p
Horizontal Scaling-Up
Local
End-Users
End-Users
End-Users
End-Users
Regional
State
National
CELL Resource Teams
StateResource
(Leadership)Team
Regional Resource Teams
Local Resource Teams
One
Number of Teams
Many
Specialized Technical Assistance
• Helps stakeholders adopt policies, practices, and implementation strategies that promote the effective and sustained use of CELL practices
– Information Sharing Communities: states share experiences, discuss needs, and explore solutions to early literacy learning challenges
– Statewide Training Assistance: individual states develop their own training programs for using CELL Toolkits and Practice Guides to improve early literacy outcomes
Distance Learning for CELL Specialized TA• Website in which groups of users can
privately:– Discuss– Share documents– Maintain a calendar, learn about
upcoming and past events
• Examples of distance learning vehicles:– Conference calls– Online chats/discussions with experts or
leaders– Webinars– Events and documents archived on the
website
CELL Capacity-Building Strategy
• State vision• Leadership team• Needs assessment• Outreach and training• Self evaluation
Next Steps
• Gather feedback on completed practice guides and develop additional guides
• Establish information-sharing communities and provide training assistance to the first set of states developing their own training programs
