Crossroads to Early Language and Literacy CELL Grant Pre K Pilot

1
Crossroads to Early Language and Literacy CELL
Grant (Pre K Pilot)

• Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth Counties

2
Collaboration

• United Way Tri County Sites
• Bryant Head Start Site
• Project Eagle Training
• Family Conservancy FSW
• Kansas City Kansas Public Schools

3
Two Different Delivery Models

• I. United Way Tri County Smart Start classrooms
  (four) consisted of A.A. level staff in a variety
  of community agencies. Faith based, Federal
  daycare/preschool, Community College)
• II. Bryant Head start
• USD 500 Kansas City, Ks. Public Schools provided
  Bachelor level teachers for four classrooms.

4
What was equal in the delivery models?

• Job embedded coach one day a week
• Professional development provided by Pre K
  Grantee
• Mini grants to purchase items to replenish or
  enrich materials in classroom
• Funding that provided monies for classroom
  libraries

5
What was different in the delivery models?

• Tri County Smart Start Sites received
• Wage supplements
• Fringe Benefits in the form of College
  reimbursement or health benefits

6
Pros Cons of Two Delivery Models

• Pros
• Collaborated with other grants that were
  currently underway
• Looked at best practices in teaching vs. changes
  in curriculum
• Cons
• Trying to explain that we were all one grant/
  receiving the same professional development/ but
  we were not cookie cutter models of one another.
• Bryant Staff had lower buy in. Could it be due to
  lack of wage supplement?
• Lack of protocols in place

7
Training for Staff

• Job embedded professional development through the
  use of Mentor Coach.
• Modeling lesson
• Assisting with small groups
• Preparation of materials
• Lesson planning
• Room arrangement
• Rotation of center materials

8
Online Modules

• Included small group learning with between1 to 3
  other teachers with the coach working through
  online training
• Consists of Pre/Post test
• Short video clips/ attached activities

9
Module OneBasics of an Effective Preschool
Environment

http//training.altec.org/
10
Room Planning Tool Interactive piece

• Using an electronic floor plan you may design
  your own classroom, prior to any major shifting
  of furniture. Print out the floor plan and review
  it to see if it will work.

11

• To enhance language, early literacy, and later
  reading achievement through interactions with
  high-quality read-alouds.

12
Oral Language Online Module III

• Goal
• To raise awareness of the vital importance of
  teacher/child conversations in shaping childrens
  language and early literacy development.

13
Pros and Cons

• Pros
• Immediate feedback
• Refers you to part of the training to review
• survey questions if needed
• Interactive/ visual, auditory
• Allows for extended dialogue
• Site Directors were involved and learning side by
  side with their staff!!
• FREE!!!!!!!!
• Con
• Some individuals were not comfortable with their
  computer skills

14
Additional Training Supports

• Second Semester we provided Group
• Trainings that mixed Head start and Tri
• County Smart Start staffs.
• They included
• Alphabet Knowledge
• Phonological Awareness
• Thematic Planning
• Print Awareness

15
How did we hold teacher accountable for applying
their new knowledge?

• With the collaboration of Project Eagle/ Juniper
  Gardens we developed Fidelities for our
  professional development modules.
• These allowed us to do observations, take data
  and then reconvene with staff to discuss what was
  observed.
• From this an Action Plan was chosen by the
  teaching team.

16
Pros Cons of Fidelities

• Pros
• Allowed us to see if implementation occurred.
• Did they fully understand what was knowledge was
  being shared?
• Could be done repeatedly/ or even in part.
• Con
• Found that some staff preferred to have an
  individual Action Plan vs. a Team Plan.

17
Coach Training

• Collaborated with USD 500 Kansas City Kansas
• Public School Friday schedule for Instructional
• Coaches.
• Culturally proficient students
• Math Observations and Debriefing Practices
• Attended NAEYC Convention
• Participated as presenters for KCKCC
• Participated as presenters at KDEC
• Participated as presenters at United Way Early
  Childhood Conference
• Attended trainings by Project Eagle

18
Community Partnerships

• Family Conservancy provided additional trainings
  we could attend.
• Kansas City Kansas Public Schools provided
  professional development coordination.
• State Legislators visit to St. Bens Childcare
  Center in KCKPS.
• Combined letter writing efforts to Local and
  State agencies around support for Early
  Childhood.

19
Family Service Workers a.k.a. The Fairy
Godmothers!!!

• Classroom book project
• Collaborated with Coats for families in need.
• Collected books for all sites through Hooked on
  Books
• Personal contact with each family for transition
  to kindergarten
• Used drop off time at sites, to secure that
  materials were handled out personally
• Were available at conference dates at sites to
  aide families
• Provided take home book bags/ activities for
  families to participate in
• Provided connections for sites to Coach Dads
  initiative and Homeless liaison in school
  district.
• ALL PROS NO CONS in this department!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  !!!!!

20
Additions to Year 2 of Pilot

• Three more classrooms
• Two on Kansas City Kansas Public School
• property. (this will increase the diversity in
• the data the project will collect)
• One site in Leavenworth County
• Tiered levels of professional development
• Addition of part time FSW

21
Professional Development 2007- 08

• Tier One Staff will receive last years
  trainings.
• Tier Two Staff will have new modules around
  social skills/self regulation and Math Lessons
  that are Standards based.
• Tier Three Staff will participate in School
  District professional development trainings
  monthly which includes ESL endorsement
  opportunity.

22
What have we learned?

• Dialogue is powerful!!!
• Be realistic when staff is working, and trying
• to attend school simultaneously.
• Director buy in is important!
• Realize that the best lesson is yet to be
  taughtwe all have something to learn.
• Collect feedback from the staff you are working
  with so that you can adapt what is not
  working..(focus groups)

23
Questions???

• Contact information
• Marylee Griffiths
• Preschool Coordinator/CELL Grant Manager
• magriff_at_kckps.org
• 913-627-4806
• Chris Dewberry Mentor Specialist
• CHDEWBE_at_kckps.org
• 913-627-5629