National Early Reading First Erf Evaluation Effective Professional Development Practices PDF Download

The mission of the National Institute for Literacy (the Institute) is to help children, youth, and adults learn to read by supporting and disseminating evidence-based reading research. Under the provisions of No Child Left Behind, the Institute is authorized to disseminate information on scientifically-based reading research and information regarding Early Reading First (ERF) projects that have proven to be effective. In 2003 the Institute provided funding to the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) for its national evaluation of the Early Reading First program. The evaluation's purpose was to gather information on the extent to which: (1) ERF improves children's skills in oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet knowledge; (2) the quality of language and literacy instruction, practice, and materials differ between ERF preschools and non-ERF preschools, and (e) variations in ERF program quality and implementation are associated with differences in participants' outcomes. Funding from the Institute supported the collection of data that could inform the Institute's efforts to disseminate information on effective ERF projects. In June 2007, IES released the congressionally mandated final evaluation report. Purpose. The purpose of this follow-up study was to elaborate on the professional development practices identified as effective by the National Early Reading First evaluation in order to strengthen the knowledge of early literacy, language, and reading development of early childhood teaching staff. While the ERF report identified successful professional development strategies, it may not have captured some important lessons learned as the grantees became more mature. The study intends to enrich the evaluation findings by collecting more extensive and up-to-date information through program-level interviews with former ERF staff. The goal is to include more contextual information on how grantees successfully implemented ERF practices and provide more detailed information on the challenges encountered and how the challenges were overcome. Audience. Audiences for this report include early childhood program developers, administrators, and supervisory and training staff. Administrators and professional developers can use the report as a resource to find out what they need to know about the research findings, implications for classroom practice, key components of effective professional development, and how to share their knowledge and skills with teachers to improve early childhood literacy development. The findings can help staff assess current practices and identify short- and long-term steps for instructional improvement, including professional development plans for preschool teachers and staff. Given the audiences for the report, the intent is to showcase practical ideas supported by research.