Ongoing Staff Development in a Ongoing Staff Development in a Pre-K Literacy Project: Pre-K Literacy Project:
A Model for School and Community A Model for School and Community CollaborationCollaboration
Priscilla GriffithPriscilla Griffith
Belinda BiscoeBelinda Biscoe
Patricia WintersPatricia Winters
University of OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
Debra Corey Ruth Ann Ball Susan KimmelDebra Corey Ruth Ann Ball Susan Kimmel
United States United States Department of Education Department of Education Early Literacy First GrantEarly 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
Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E.Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E.PPreparing reparing RReaders and eaders and IInitiating nitiating
DDevelopmental evelopmental EExcellencexcellence• 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
TTRRAAIINNIINNGG OOUUTTCCOOMMEESS
KKnnoowwlleeddggee SSkkiillllss CCllaassssrroooommAApppplliiccaattiioonn
Theory
Demonstration
Practice
Peer CoachingStudy TeamsKey: Very Low = 5%Low = 10%Middle = 40%High = 80%
Note: The rows are cumulative; the strength ofcoaching rests on the total effect of theory,demonstration, practice, curriculum and coaching.
Training EffectivenessTraining Effectiveness**
The degree of proficiency attained in knowledge, skills, and application.The degree of proficiency attained in knowledge, skills, and application.
Mid High Low Very Low
*From Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers
High Low Middle Very Low
High High Very Low
High High High
Research-Based Sustained Research-Based Sustained Professional DevelopmentProfessional 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
Our SchoolsOur SchoolsOklahoma PRIDE Comparison
Cohort Public Schools
Private Child Care
Public Schools
Private Child Care
Year 1 W 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
C
C
PSC1
PSC2
PSC3
CC1
CC2
Our Children - LanguageOur Children - Language
Oklahoma
PRIDE
Comparison
Total N at Pre-Test 129 105
% Tested in Spanish 48% 63%
Total N at Post-Test 88 79
% Tested in Spanish 43% 67%
Our Children - AgeOur Children - AgePre-Test Post-Test
OK PRIDE Comparison OK PRIDE Comparison
3-year-olds 13 7 10 5
4-year-olds or older
116 98 78 74
Our FamiliesOur Families
Reports of ParentsPRIDE Compare
Percentage of parents reporting language spoken at home as:
Spanish 52% 62%
English 48% 38%
Percentage of parents reporting their ethnicity as:
Hispanic 64% 90%
White 21% 7%
Other 15% 3%
Percentage of parents responding to the survey in:
Spanish 49% 75%
English 51% 25%
Reports of ParentsPRIDE Compare
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%
Project DevelopmentProject 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
Three C’s of Professional Three C’s of Professional DevelopmentDevelopment
• 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
Structure of Professional Structure of Professional Development ClassesDevelopment Classes
• Two groups: certified and non-certified teachers
• Classes off campus
• Classes two times each month for 3 hours
• Literacy instructor
• Literacy mentors attend
Content of Professional Content of Professional Development ClassesDevelopment 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
Project EvaluationProject 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
Concept MapsConcept 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
Early Language and Literacy Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation 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
ELLCOELLCOLiteracy
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
PRIDE 12.30 8.30 17.80 22.70 4.20 2.20
COMPARE 11.00 7.00 15.90 16.00 3.80 2.80
End of Year 2 – May 2005
PRIDE 19.20 18.20 23.30 31.50 6.70 3.80
COMPARE 12.30 10.30 16.50 25.50 4.50 2.30
Focus GroupsFocus 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
• 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
• 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
TELDTELD
• 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
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Pre-Test Post-Test
PRIDE
Compare
PALS/AMIGOSPALS/AMIGOS
• Rhyme Awareness• Beginning Sound• Upper-Case Alphabet• Lower-Case Alphabet• Verbal memory• Print Knowledge• Concept of Word• Name Writing
PALS/AMIGOS ResultsPALS/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.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Pre-T
est
Post-T
est
PRIDE
Compare
Literacy Activities SurveyLiteracy Activities Survey
PRIDE Comparison
Activities Parent Does with Child – Percent Reporting
Pre-
Test
Post-
Test
Pre-
Test
Post-
Test
Writing notes to teacher 5 8 3 3Writing stories with child 17 21 11 21Helping with homework 58 62 35 49Going to the library 34 52 16 21Teaching child letters/words 80 83 76 79Reading directions cooking/projects 22 29 9 13
PRIDE Comparison
Activities Parent Does with Child – Percent Reporting
Pre-
Test
Post-
Test
Pre-
Test
Post-
Test
Writing letters/cards 30 39 26 34Making signs and letters 16 18 7 18Reading menus at restaurants 29 47 20 27Reading labels at grocery stores 31 30 18 18Reading signs and billboards 37 53 25 28
OBSERVATION
REFLECTION
ASSESSMENT
PLANNING
INSTRUCTION
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
The Continuous, Recursive, and Interactive Process of Progress
Monitoring
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
Thank you for attending Thank you for attending our presentation.our presentation.