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AUTHOR Buysse, Virginia, Ed.; Winton, Pam, Ed.; Little, Loyd, Ed. TITLE Early Developments, 1997. INSTITUTION North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Frank Porter Graham Center. SPONS AGENCY Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 1997-00-00 NOTE 45p.; Described as a quarterly serial, but only three issues were published in the first year, 1997. CONTRACT R307A60004 AVAILABLE FROM Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185; Tel: 919-966-0867; Fax: 919-966-0862; e-mail: [email protected] PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Early Developments; vl n1-3 Spr-Fall 1997 EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Child Development; Child Health; Day Care; Disabilities; *Early Childhood Education; *Early Intervention; *Educational Improvement; *Educational Research; Family Programs; Policy Analysis; Young Children IDENTIFIERS Day Care Quality; Family Support; *Frank Porter Graham Center NC; *National Center for Early Development and Learning
ABSTRACT This document consists of the first three issues (1997 output) or the serial "Early Development." The publisher of this journal, the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has more than 60 state and federally funded projects, most of which focus on early childhood development of children ages birth through 8. The center's researchers study such things as young children's health, services and practices for children with disabilities, family development and support, recommended practices in child care, early intervention, and policy implications. This publication presents updates on current studies, excerpts from research and policy briefs, and articles about the center's research findings. Each issue also includes a special section on the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL), a 5-year project examining critical issues in early childhood practices and administratively housed at the Frank Porter Graham center. The spring 1997 issue offers introductory articles on the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center and NCEDL. The summer 1997 issue focuses on inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood settings. The autumn 1997 issue looks at child care policy at the national, state, and local levels, and examines the role of policy briefs produced by NCEDL and how policymakers and administrators function as NCEDL advisors.(EV)
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Spring 097 Volume I, No. I
ELCOML TO TI IL FIRST issue-of Early Developments, a newquarterly publication from the l''rank Porter Graham Child pevelopment Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Ha
The purpose of Early Develop: nients'i to share the activities and', ,findings.froin'the center's many Ongoing projects. Each issue aiso ; includesaspedatsection on the 'National Center for Early Develbp- etit,.& Learning (l:s4GEDL),,a five- year'projea exaMining critical isstles in early childhood practices, Captinueycmpage 2'
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PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 30S1 (k.
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 WELCOME continued from front page Develsi mentsThe Frank Porter Graham Center has more than 60 state and federally funded projects, most of which focus on early childhood development, ages birth to eight. Our researchers study such things as young children's health, Vol. 1, No.1 services and practices for children with disabilities, family development and Supervising Editors support, recommended practices in child care, early intervention, and Virginia Buysse, Pam Winton policy implications. Early Developments contains updates on current studies, Editor excerpts from our research and policy briefs, and articles about our research Loyd Little. findings. Craphic, Design Primary recipients of Early Developments include researchers, policymakers, M i ki Kersgard teachers, leaders in the field, and colleagues at sister institutions. We are committed to sharing our research findings with a broad audience, includ- Circulation. ing families, early childhood educators, and care providers. Your ideas and lay Hargrove suggestions about Early Developments are welcome. If you are not on our mailing list fill out the form below. Photography DonTrull Reprint permission and information Please feel free to reprint articles from our newsletter;we ask only that you give credit to Early Developments. If you have questions or need more Editorial Offices information, check the FPG home page at
Carrboro, NC' . If you are an editor of a newsletter yourself, please check the appropriate areas. We'll send you press releases and brief articles detailing our latest research as soon as they become available to share with your constituents. Early Developments is published four times a year by the Frank, Your name: Porter Graham Child DevelOp- Title: ment Center at the University of Newsletter name, if applicable: North Carolina at Chapel'Hill. Address:
Phone: Fax: Email: Newsletter circulation How would you describe yourself? 0 Administrator/Policy maker 0 Family member 0 Other 0 Teacher/Service provider 0 University/Community College Faculty/Trainer Early Developnuaasis funded in part bythe University of North Carolina at Chapel If you are an editor of a newsletter not already on our mailing list, how would you Hill and in part by PR/Award Number like to receive press releases and articles: R307A60004, administered by theOffice 0 PC disk in Word 6 0 PC disk in ASCII ofEducational Research and Improve- ment, U.S. Department of Education. 0 Mac disk in Word 6 0 Mac disk in ASCII Contents of articles do not necessarily 0 Hard Copy 0 As an email attachment represent the positions of the U.S. If you are an editor of a newsletter, what is your target audience: Department of Education. Endorsement by the federal government should not be 0 Administrators/Policy makers 0 Family members, 0 Other assumed. 0 Teachers/Service providers 0 University/Community College Faculty/Trainers
3 FPG directs one of four national projects examining quality in Head Start programs, now attended by nearly three-quarters of a million children in the U.S. Also, :j FPG, along with the UNC Neuroscience Center, serves as one of the nation's Mental Retardation Centers and is of research, development, home to three early childhood institutes. and public service Researchers at FPG are often called on to help state and local governments determine the impact of their policies on children and families and to make recom- HE FRANK PORTER GRAHAM mendations for improving policies and practice. For example, the center was chosen as the major evaluator Child Development Center of North Carolina's Smart Start Project. The center's Statewide Technical Assistance for Gifted Education was established in 1966 as a(STAGE) project works with selected North Carolina school systems to help identify gifted students, to multidisciplinary center at. challenge those youngsters and to support the teachers who teach them. And FPG's Linkages Project is working the University of North to improve early intervention for Latino families and members of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian tribe in North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated to Carolina. Partnerships for Inclusion (PFI) provides on- site consultation to improve quality in child care improving the lives of young children programs, training, seminars, a statewide lending library and product development. and their families through research, For 30 years, FPG has operated a family and child care teaching, and service. Today; nearly 40 program that serves about 60 children ranging from six weeks to five years of age. Since 1984, the center has investigators and 250 staff and students fully integrated children with disabilities into all aspects of the child care program. Small group sizes, optimum work on more than 60 funded projects. staff-to-child ratios, the integration of therapy and special services into Traditionally, the work of ESEARCH CONTINUES TO BE THE CORE of the Frank the context of daily center investigators has k Porter Graham Child Development Center. Over routines, a curriculum focused on children the years, major research themes have included: that promotes learn- under the age of eight ing through play, and years, and includes child Factors of early intervention that promote working in partner- and family research, optimal outcomes for young children with ship with families all health research, policy disabilities, and those at risk for school failures contribute to the analysis, curriculum quality environment. development, personnel Poverty and other risk factors affecting the Over the years, the development, and development of young children child care program technical assistance. Last Children's health issues, including lung function, has supported year, the Center was the transmission of disease in daycare, and the research projects selected by the U.S. relationships between nutrition and disease related to children's Department of Education health, development, to serve as the Family development and adaptation to a child and family involve- department's National with disabilities ment. Center for Early Develop- Child care quality and its effects on development ment and Learning. Financial support for FPG comes from a FPG is also home to the variety of public and National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System private sources, including the state of North Carolina, the (NEG*TAS), a clearinghouse and technical support consor- National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of tium to help states and communities develop services for Education. ea young children with special needs.
4 EST COPY AVAHABLE Fromhe director's office age of six now work, including mothers of infants and toddlers, and there is a pressing need for high quality oalls, options for child care. Unfortunately, study after study has documented that typical child care in the U.S. today is poor to mediocre, especially group care for infants and flPW and toddlers. Recent welfare reform legislation means that many poor mothers of young children will need to Research at enter the work force without the Frank Porter Graham resources for adequate child N THE 1960S the United States was faced with a care. Managed number of pressing social and economic challenges. care and changes The civil rights movement was in full swing, herald- in Social Security ing an era of gradual but fundamental changes in and other 1the treatment of all of America's citizens. An alarm- support systems ing rate of intergenerational poverty existed, dispropor- will likely result tionately affecting children from African American in a reduction in families. Women were entering the work force at earlier preventive and ages and at rates never seen before in the history of our therapeutic country. And persons with disabilities, many of whom health care had been relegated to lifelong confinement in large services. With the residential institutions, were beginning to return to shift from federal their families and their communities. These forces and to state responsi- research gave rise to: bility for control , of resources and othe belief that by providing high quality child care decisions, states ' during the earliest years, school failure could be will have to preventeOiand the cycle of poverty could be establish stan- broken; dards and °concern that the return of mothers to the work policies that balance the needs of children with the force &ring the early childhood years could financial constraints of programs and families And damageChildren's social development and social despite a national goal that all children will enter relatio n§;!' and school ready to learn, many children arrive at kindergar- 0' the belief ihat early intervention for childrenwith ten unprepared for the social and academic expectations disabilifie§ coUld help them be successful in of school. their families, schools, and communities. In this issue of Early Developments, we focus on FPG's It was in this context that the Frank Porter Graham latest initiative, the National Center for Early Develop- Child Development Center was born in 1966. In the ment & Learning (NCEDL). Funded by the Office of ensuing 30 years, center investigators have produced a Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S. library of articles, chapters, books, monographs, tests, Department of Education, NCEDL's mission is to provide and curriculum materials. Collectively these efforts havenational leadership for research in early childhood. Our demonstrated the importance of the early childhood research covers a diverse array of complex issues facing years, shown that quality of care is the essential ingredi- children, families, and schools today: enhancing the ent in ensuring successful outcomes for children and quality of child care, easing the transition from pre- families, demonstrated the meaning of quality, docu- school to kindergarten, preventing problems in children r-.mented the importance of family support, shown the at high-risk for health, behavioral or educational important roles played by state and national policies, problems, identifying important policies for state and and provided-many practical aides to practitioners, federal governments, and translating research into administrators, and faculty in early childhood. practice.
K. Have we now solved all of the major issues related to In each area, rather than conducting a single, isolated 11. young children? Unfortunately the answer is no. We study, which may not tell us the whole truth, we are still see high rates of poverty, with nearly 25% of engaged in multiple, coordinated activities. Take, for 17. children under the age of six living below the poverty example, the need to improve quality in child care. We wrts level. The majority of mothers of children under the knew in 1972 that if you provided high quality care for
5 EST COPYAVATIABLE children at risk you could make a difference in their with the goal of understanding change over time and the lives. Amazingly, here we are 25 years later still trying to forces that promote or impede change. Most importantly, make the same point. Many factors contribute to poor a child development center must ground its work in the quality: lack of training, staff turnover, lack of adminis- everyday worlds of children, families, and the adults who trative leadership, inadequate financial resources, weak provide, administer, or set policies for programs that state standards, uncoordinated systems of care, and the serve children and families. list continues. To improve quality we need to under- stand how all of these factors interact to prevent quality We hope that Early Developments will be an effective from happening. Thus the center will involve a critical means of sharing the research and development activities mass of people who have a long history of seeing the at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center. big picture and who can work together to figure out We also hope that it will serve as a forum for highlighting what to do. major issues facing children and families today Most issues will be thematic, summarizing an array of activities To function as a child development center, an organiza- around a particular theme. I will use "From the tion must conduct both basic and applied research. It Director's Office" as a way to summarize issues about the must draw on multiple disciplines to examine the varioustheme and to provide editorial comments on both the facets of a problem. It must examine policies and train- research and the state of the field today. Comments and ing practices. Its work must be longitudinal in nature, reactions from the readership are encouraged. Don Bailey Bailey is Director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center and holds academic appointments in both the School of Education and the School of Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill.
-1-Highlights The quality of infant care positively correlated with scores on standardized assessments of cognitive development; language deVeloPment and coMmu- nication skills
Recent findings at FPG Although a positive association was found between quality of chkicare and quality of the home Quality of Center Child Care environmentVleach independently related tO:infant and Infant Cognitive-and ,Cognitive deVeTOpment. Language Development Quality of carein child care centers and at homemas positivelyrelated:Analyses suggested that the process Margaret R. Burchinal, Joanne E. Roberts, measure cif thildcare independently related to an- Labra A. Nabors, & Donna M. Bryant. infant's cognitive development, and one structural (1996). Child Development, 67, 606-620. measure, the infant-adult ratio, inclependentlyrelated to the infant's oVerall communicationslca
This study provides the first systematiclevidence of the role of quality and its effects on childien,as young as i 2 months of age. These findings, in conjunction with This study rated the quality of center-based the growing child care literature, stiggest:that reSear-Chers child care received by 79 African American and policy makers should focus On hoN.V.quality bf,child 12-Month-old infants, and tested the care can be improved to enhance,not iinpair infit* relationship between quality and infants' development. This concern is especiallyleleVant,beL. cognitive and language development. cause many of the infants in this study attending.poor Previous studies have addressed this issue quality care were reCeiving subsidized care paidfor-by with older preschoolers; but research on federal and state nianeys, providing a very dubiOus very young children has'been limited. investment of tax dollars.
BEST COPY AVAHAIBLE 6 byresearchers at the Frank Porter Graham ChildDevelopment Center
Assessing the Comfort Zone of Child -Associations'between Marital Distress Care Teachers in Serving Young Children .and Wbrk Loss in a NationalSample. with Disabilities: M.J. COX, M.S. VOrthofer, H.J. Markman, Buysse, P. Wesley, L. Keyes, & D. Bailey: (1997). S. Stanley, St R.C.:Kessler.(1996). Journal of Journal of Early Intervention, 20, 180-203. Manlage andthe.Family, 58, 597-605..
Families as Systems. Characteristics:of Infant Child Care: M.J. Cox, & B. Paley. (1997). The Annual. Review of Factors,COntributing to Positive Psyclwlogy, 48, 243-267. Caregiving. M.). Cox, corporate author. NICI ID Early Child The 21st Century for Young Children Care ResearCh Network.(1996). Early Childhood with Disabilities and Their Famlies. Research'Quaiterly. 11, 269-306. I. Gallagher. (1997). Chapter in E. Erwin, (Ed.). Putting children first:. Visions for a brighter future for Policy Development and Implementation young children. andltheirfamilies. (pp. 261-264). for Childten with Disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paull+ Brogkes Publishing Co. J. Gallagher:.- (1996). Chapter in E. Zigler; L. Kagan(Eds:), Children, families, andgovernment. Educating Exceptional Children..(8TH ed.) (pp. 1771,187). New York: Cambridge University S.A. Kirk, J. Gallagher,..& N. Anastaslow. (1997). Press. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Practical Strategies for Family-Centered Otitis Media in-Young-ChildrenMedical, 'Early Intervention. Developmental and,Educationar McWilliam, P.f. Winton, & ER. Crais. (1996). Considerations. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. I.E. Roberts. EW. Henderson, A 1.P.Wallace. (Eds.). (1997). Baltimore, Mb: Patiql. Brodkes Therapy ServiCes in Early Intervention: Publishing Co. -Current Status, Barriers, and Recommendations. Evaluating the Effectiveness of R.A. McWilliam, H.I. Young, & K. Harville. Curriculum Alternatives for Infants arid (1996). Topics in Early Childhood Special Preschoolers at High Risk. Education, .16(3), 348-374. D. Bailey. (1996). Chapter in M.L.GUralruck.; (ed.). The effectiveness of early interVention.. '.121 SupportinTEarly Childhood Inclusion: (pp. 227-248). Baltimore, MD: Paul:H.:Brookes Lessons Learned Through a Statewide Publishing Co. Technical ASsistance Project. Also in this book... P. Wesley, &Y. Buysse. (1996). Topics in Early The Effectiveness of Early Intervention Childhood.Special Education, 16, 476-499. for Disadvantaged Children. D. Bryant, & K. Maxwell. (23-46).
Quality of Center Child Care..and Infant Cognitive and Language Development. 3EST COPY AVAIIA11LE M.R. Burchinal, I.E. Roberts, L.A. Nabors & D.M. Bryant. (1996). Child Developnient, 67; 606-620.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7 NCEDLz Inokiare to the futu L3) Researchers with the new National Center for Early Develoornen`.. & Learning (NcEDL), administratively housed at the Frank Porter Graham Child DevelopmeqCenterat UNC-CH, have hit The groi,ind running as they beg n five-year studies aimedat boosting U.S. children's inte lectual and social development.
n 1996, the Frank Porter has-established a consumer advisory invitation to join the early childhood Graham Child Development board in California, and her co- Laboratory Network Programs, Center was nained the National director,, Richard Clifford of UNC- facilitated by SERVE, one of ten Center for Early Development, CH,has organized a similar one in regional educational laboratories 1& Learning by the U.S. Depart-. North Carolina. funded by OERI. A workplan, based 1 ment of Education's_Office of on a national needs identification ! . Educational Research and Improve- NCEDL aiSo collaborating with process, has been created by repre- ment (OERI). As one of several other national institutes and research sentatives from the seven participat- centers funded ing labs and NCEDL. Planning for the I by OERI, but the national Policy Summit has involved only one SERVE representatives Nancy Livesay, dedicated to )3r C .1 Nationaenter fo V^ Peter Mangione, Brian Curry and young children, Roy Forbes. NCEDL is Earl Develo itent earning charged with MS advancing knowledge and improving prattiee entities. Within weeks.of establishing =./ in the education and Care of YoUng the center, NCEDL accepted an iilestv 29k children and their families.
NCEDL has divided its work into six Highlights strands: early child care quality, Nccrx researchersinclude senior kindergarten transitions, ecological. faculty members atUNC-CH;the- interventions, policy, statistical _University of Virginia, the University modeling of extant and project data, Of Arkansas at Little Rock and the, and translation of research to practice.!University of California at Los
. , Angeles. Here's a snapshot of malor ' A conference to synthesize cUrrent The center will sponsor an annual events to date: knowledge and practice With . conference to synthesize early infants and toddlers, principally childhood issues of national con- ,Data from a nationwide kinder- those in out-of-home care, Will be cern, will hold at least one major garten transitions survey was held in the fall of this year:.aCcOrd- survey each year, and-will publish Collected from 10,000 kindergar- ing to Thelma Harms, uNC-.C.H;- who quarterly Early Childhood Research ',ten-teachers last fall and is now is working in the Quality_Strand and Policy Briefs being analyzed by strand directors- and the Ecological InterventionS Bob Pianta, University of Virginia, Strand NCEDL's multidisciplinary approach and Martha Cox,UNC-CH. means also building partnership§ with constituents (parents, day care The Research to Practice Strand ',-A national Policy Summit to CT.,4 providers and administrators, has drawn up a national data base examine current research about for broad-based disseminatiOn teachers, the medical community , 'quality child care and the implica purposes, andEarlyDevelopments and policymakers) through focus ; :tions of welfare reform for quality groups and advisory boards. Each is the first issue of a new quarterly care will be held this year, publication, according to strand strand is taking an individualized according:to Policy Strand.director,: approach with the goal of involving director Pamela Winton,uNC.-CH. James Gallagher,UN&CH. Ex- NCEDL'shome page on the Internet diverse and inclusive groups in a pected products include recom- variety of ways at each site. For is under construction andcan be - Mendations for state legislatures. found at example, Carollee Howes of UCLA,
13EST COPYAVAIRABLE uNCEDL 14=7! f)
c. e, NCEDL project spotlight e are HE WAY WE MEASURE QUALITY IN CHILD CARE Quality for infants:with disabilities accounts for only a portion of the-Variability A study of qualitY of services for infants andtoddlers seen in childcare programs. So this five-year 'with disabilities is underway by-Don Baileyand Lynette grant is an opportunity to take a fresh look Darkes, and Debby Cryer, all at UNC-CH. at quality identify the salient featuresthat we haven't been measuring before, identify Programs that he heart,of each study isprocess quality Clifford need to improve their quality intervene irrthese pro- thinks this is where some thingsmay have been grams, and then see how it affects the children." missed in the paSt; particularly in childrenat risk for not doing well in school. For example,there is a In a nutshell, that's how Richard.Clifford, an education movement in recent years toward private academies. professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Manyare highly structured, andsome appear to be Hill, describes his work,as co-director of one of the six effective at getting children ready for school.Some of research strands of the National Center foi,Early Devel- these programs will be examined. opment & Learning.The strand is Quality Studies;,and he and his co-director, Carollee Howes, a professiii at the Research' has given a pretty clear picture of themany University of California at Los Angeles, have divided theiraspects of structure:This new study will look forcenters work into the three following components that are doing a very good job and, insome areas, are 'doing an' exeniplaty, job: For exaMple, it's been believed Cost, quality and child outcomes that the best quality care includesan infant staying with This project represents the second-grade follow-up of" the same caregiver over a long time Flowever,this several hundred children participating in the Cost, : practice has not been siudied in depth. The study will Quality and .Outcomes of ChilciCare Study Its liurPOse also look,at qualitY care in the more culturally diverse is to assess the long-term effects.of varying'clay-care communities, especially in California. quality in children's later performance in The search for best school. Collaborators Wee X practices sites is under- . on this study include way now, and site visits Ellen Peisner-Feinberg are expected later this of UNC-CH, Sharon . year. Twenty sites will be Ritchie of UCLA, Lynn selected; ten in North Kagan of Yale University Carolina and ten in and Mary Culkin of the California. Intervention University of Colorado's .1101. programs at selected Sites Health Science Center. should begin late this year or early in 1998. Quality practices and interventions Researchers are looking for ; Developing measures of common themes cutting best practices means across these "best pro- looking at quality of grams." For example, there care in terms of struc- Carollee Howes and Richard Cliffordneeds to be an underlying ture (teacher training, co4irectors of the NCEDL Quality Strandstructure that helps a child/staff ratios, classroom operate, so that classroom size) and teachers and students ,. process considerations (what happens on a-day-to-day don't have to start frOm scratch for every decisionyou ,a-, basis with children, how time is ukd, "tone",,:iiir the.: make. What is the role of the teacher versus the child? >. environment). Assisting in this study are IanaTleming Who makes what decisions? None of our currentmeasures and Thelma Harms, both at UNC-CH. really get at that in the opinion of Clifford.
AVMIIABLE 9 BEST COPY NCEDLz Howes said, "We're looking for highly structured centers the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale. And, of with a high level of love and care as well." course, we want to.make sure our data can be repli- cated." (Clifford, Harms and Cryerare authors of three In addition, Clifford and Howes will conduct a.national widely used rating Scales, including the ECERS). survey this fall to gain the perspectives of teachers on "best practices" and their opiniOns on barriers tO high "Measurement instruments are importantto us quality practices. Those results should be ready by the scientifically," Cliffor&said. "This spring of 1998. is true in almost everY, aspect4orrlIlli& of science. The Hubbell,
Like all of the work at NcEDL, the Quality gtrand pulls Telescope is a good ! together research and researcherS from a broad base andexample. We are learning a is building partnerships withconstituents (parents, day wholeset of things about care providers and administrators, teachers, the:medical_how, the universe works community policymakers) through focus grodps and from.this one innova- advisory boards. For example, Clifford and HOwes have on and measuring , consumer advisory committees:of parents, teachers and tooL.History is administrators actively at *it-kin North Carolina and full'of examples California. where huge leaps:follow a Consumer advice new.or better The third component of thestrandquality.of services way of . for infants and toddlers With disabilities and their measuring familiesis under theguidance of Don Bailey and something. This is our time to try and make another Lynette Darkes, both at tiNC7CH. They have set.up leap fOrward irr this area." consumer advisory boards and foeus groups, completed a written survey of 175 early intervention administrk In addition to fresh.grist for an upcoming synthesis tors in North Carolina, and held a series of focus groupsconference and for NCEDL's Early Childhood Research and with practitioners and parents in North Carolina. This PolicyBfiels, outComes from the Quality Strand will be data is being analyzed now. Also, a-literature review is disseminated to..0arents, practitioners, policy makers underway. and the:public. Parentsare sometimes notvery discrimi- '.,nating:,in evaluating the quality aspects ofa child care Clifford said the measurement instruments they expect prograrn. They:tend to rate the one they've chosenvery to develop will be anned'at researchers and practitio, high. phe LTG researcher, Debby Cryer, has found that ners and will include training materials. The researcherswhen parents fihd something at a center hard to judge, said, "we have a good toolbox, but we need to verify', they iend to give the center the benefit of the doubt and some of them. There's also a possibility we'll:be revising rate that aspect:high even through they may not be sure. I tell parents that when Parental involvement Clifford said he.sympathizes with parents. "It's hard for parents to look for quality. I tell parents that when you you go into 'a classroom go into a classrobm to observe child care, don't watch what they're doing with your child, watch what they're to observe child care; doing with other children. Teachers, ofcourse, behave differently when adults from the outside are visiting: I don't watch what also remind parents that the younger a child is, the less clear is the feedback you'll get from the child, so parents must take more responsibility for quality for the they're doing with your youngest children."
child, watch what Information from Quality Strand studies will be widely disseminated as soon as practical through this Early Developments publication, as well as the NCEDL home they're doing with page, fact sheets, position papers and press releases. -=a other children.
Richard Clifford EST COPY AVAILABLE
1 0 XCEDL sc.) The co-directors Guatemala as a volunteer with the American Friends Service Volunteer organization, a Quaker-relatedgroup ofNCEDL'SQuality Strand have many things in .with a mission similar.to the Peace Corp. In the.early commonboth are at home in science and 1970s, she did some ofthe first studies focusedon math, for examplebut the most significant center-based care. "We used naturalistic observations in the centers and in the homes," she said. bond is a shared fascination with how people interact with one another. After joining UCLA in 1981, she began workingin the policy area. "At the time, not a lot of attentionwas on CAROLEE HOWES quality care for infants and toddlers." In 1989, shedid the National Child Care Staffing Study, the first.large- O.. OWES GREW UP ON A FAMILY FARm in the 'country- scale center-based care study since the Abecedarian side outSide of Philadelphia. She was in the fifth Project of the Frank.Porter Graham Center began in the ti generation of a Quaker'family. "We had dairy early 1970s. From 1983 to the present, she's been cows and grew everything we needed. MemberS.'of my a core faculty member at UCLA for the National Institute of family tell stories," she said laughing, "about me:. Mental Health's training grant in applied human watching for hours and with great.curiosity.a mother development. She's been head of the Psychological cow and her calf or a :Motheueat.arid her kittens I guess ,Studies in Education DiVision of the graduate school that's when my intereSt begam":- Since 1994. Between getting a baChelor's.degree''and going.to Her research has also focused on the development of graduate school at Boston University, she spent a year in children's relationships with others. She completeda series of articles on children'S S. construction of social relationships with.peers, including the 1988 - 0 0 . " I Society for Research in Child - - Development monograph, which is considered a classic in the area of I peer relations of young children. . 55 She was one of the first researchers to consider both family and com-
A munity child care influences on . " " . children's development. 0- IA" . ' A O" 0" . Currently on a year-long sabbatical, Howes said she's recently received a Early Head Start grant and is hard at - work on that as well as "trying to catch up on a backlog of articles I - . need to write." . - RICHARD CLIFFORD !AFFORD SAID, "My father was . a Baptist minister and my mother a high school science 5""0 teacher. When I was a kid, 1 wanted SI to be a medical missionary. My ' - father was always interested in mission work, and we had a close - friend who was a missionary in G. Nigeria. My mother had majored in - . chemistry, and so sciences came naturally to me." - -. - 41 5555 0-0 After majoring in physics at Wake
. Forest University, Clifford and his wife taught school in Wilmington,
IEST COPY AVAILALIE NC, and then "I decided, for some weird reason, I wanted to be a school principal." He liked it and ; began working on a master's degree Here are ten of the majorresources that were the at night. Soon, he was asked to help ; I foundation for-research being donebyNCEDL's run, and design the curriculum for a Quality Strand: new model elementary, school in Burlington, NC. "It was exciting, a Bredekamp; S., &..CopplC:;:.(Eds.).(1997). Developmentally great experience.'Starting aSchool apprOpriate practice.in earlyChildhoodprograms (rev. ed.). Washing- from scratch." tonf DC:.National.Association.for theEducation of Young Chil- dren,: Still, his life course wasn't fixed until he met an associate dean ofeduca- Cost; Quality and Outcomes StudyTeam. (1995). Cost, quality and tion at LINC-CH named Roy Harkin. child outCOM es in child care:centers: "I hadn't particularly,liked.the course Public, report, Denver: University .of.C.Olorader, EConomics Department.[Or the executivesummary work in the master's program, but orftintedinical report.F..* Roy was interested in the thenry Of how organizations worked; andi Hayes, CPalmet,': J., & Zaslowi- M. (1990 became interested in that. You luiow ). Who cares for America's children?:Child care policy*the- the old adage? The most practiCal 1990s. Washington, Dc :: National Academy Press. thing is a good theory: For'rne.that, was true. How people.functionin organizations was much.more useful Harms; Ti;:& Clifford, R.M.:(1980). The earlychildhood environment
. seak:NewArork:TeadierSit011ege I to me than practical.things such; as . Press.Or the I nfant/toddler how to use a piece of equipment or enintOnment rating scale (100) by:Harms, Cryer& Clifford, or the what you do when a parent gets mad Family day care enVironment:,"tkting:scale(1989 ) by la rms & Clifford at you." alsO!'PubliShed bY:TeacherS:tiallegePress.1 ;
"1 was always interested in seienee, Harms, Ti &:Clifford, R.W(1993).. Studying educationalsettings figuring out how things work and In 1:t::Spodek, (Ed:), Handbook of 'researchon tlie education of young whether they work. That interest children:: New YOrk: spilled over into my work in educa- tion as I sought to discover Whether Howes,.C.1(1990).. Can the.age:ofentry into childcare and the different education reforms actually qUality otehild.Care:prediCt.adjustment in kindergarten?Develop- make any difference to kids," he said. mental PsychologY,26 (2) 292=-303..
Clifford enrolled in, and later Kisker, E, Hofferth, S., Phillips, D, & Farquhar, E. (1991) graduated from, a.Ph.D. school A Profile of Child care settMgS:''Early education andcare in 1990 leadership program jointly spon7 Prineeton; N): Mathematica!Pblicy Research,Inc. sored by Duke University and UNC- Cii. The family moved to;Carrboro, Schochet, R, &Meekstrath, A. (1996). Are they inany real just outside Chapel Hill, and it was danger? What research doesand.doesn'ttellus about c,Idld care only a matter of time until he and quality and childien'S ivell;:being..'Prineeton, N): Mathematica Pohq the Frank Porter Graham Child ReSearch, Inc. Development Center found each other. He has been the principal Vanden, D. L., &Córasaniticlvi.A..(1990). Variations in early child investigator in a number of studies care: Do they predict subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive of early childhood settings ranging differences? Early Childhood- Research Quarterly, 5, 555-572 from public school settings to typical child care. He was a key Whitebook, Ni, Howes, C., & Phillips, D (1990) Who Lares? Child consultant to the National Associa- care teachers and the quality of care in Amen( aFi nal repot t of the tion for the Education of Young National Child Care Staffing Study Oakland, C.\ Childcare Em- Children (NALYC) in the develop- ployee Project ment of the association's highly acclaimed accreditation program and is current president of NAEYC.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE 41 NCEDLz Mesea Poi nie M Each quarter,NCEDLproduces a Research and Policy Brief on topics of interest in the field tt;
This quarter's paper by reduced behavior problems, in- Although the dynamics of the John M. Love, Ph.D. at creased cooperation, and improved caregiver-child relationship are the Mathematica Policy language in children. heart of quality, structural featuresi Research, Princeton, N.J. of child care provide the founda- focuses on quality in early There appear to be no detrimental don for higher-quality dynamics, i childhood programs. effects on infants attachment rela- justifying the increased costs that tionShips with their mothers so long smaller ratios and group sizes IN SUMMARY,Love said an as mothers provide adequate atten- entail. examination of three'dozen don Whiletheir babies are at home. major child care studies over the A copy of Love's complete Research and past 20 years clearly demonstrates . Longitudinal studies have found Policy Brief may be by obtained by strong, positive relationships some of these benefitsin both the writing Publications Office, FPG Center- UNC-CH, Campus Box # 8185, Chapel Hill between a variety of quality sbcial, , and:cognitive domainspersist measures and varibus diMensions into .the elementary-sehool,years. NC 27599-8185. Complete briefs also are of children's development and on NCEDL's home page at
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Ao at...... Reprint CD V__CEM :: permission and: sky :: information nts The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Vol. 1, No. 2 Center was established in 1966 as a Feel free to reprint; articles fromour ; Supervising Editors multidisciplinary center at the University of newsletter; we ask ; Virginia Buysse, Pam Winton North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their that you credit Editor families through research, teaching, and service. Early Developments. ; If you have Loyd Little More than 30 investigators and 220 staff and ques- ; students work on more than 70 funded projects. tions or needmore ; Graphic Design ;information about; Miki Kersgard Traditionally, the work of center investigators has ; our investigators ; focused on children from birth through eight ;and projects, check Circulation years, and includes child development and ;theFPChome page Jay Hargrove family research, health research, policy analysis, ;at
Phone: Fax: Email: How would you describe yourself? 0 Administrator/Policy maker 0 Family member 0 Other Teacher/Service provider 0 University/Community College Faculty/Trainer Newsletter editors Early Developments is funded in part by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Newsletter name: Hill and in part by PR/Award Number Circulation Number of issues per year: R307A60004, administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improve- How would you like to receive press releases and articles? ment, U.S. Department of Education. 0 PC disk in Word 6 0 PC disk in ASCII Contents of articles do not necessarily 0 Hard Copy 0 As an email attachment represent the positions of the U.S. Department of Education. Endorsement What is your target audience? by the federal government should not be 0 Administrators/Policy makers 0 Family members Other assumed. 0 Teachers/Service providers 0 University/Community college faculty/Trainers 15 From the director's office 110MCD11E`a`RDICa CDETNT QTEFEEm D)mreD, cippruraDancR CNEffic-47
1-0S EDITIONOF Early Developments with and without disabilities, how regular therapy and other special services can be provided in a regular tOcuseson the inclusion of children preschool setting, and the policy issues underlying inclusion. Some of the publications that have resulted th disabilities in early childhood from this work appears on page 7 of this issue. We have tried to maintain a balance between advocating for r:Ittings. For nearly 15 years, the Frankinclusion as a desirable goal for These barriers Porter Graham Child Development all children with disabilities and Center has conducted a variety of studying inclusion should not to determine projects addressing various aspects of objectively how it prevent us from works and when it inclusion. Currently the Center has doesn't work. striving to four major efforts: We recognize that inclusion is, in make inclusion ,The FPG Family and Child Care program, under many respects, a % the direction of Debby Cryer, is a fully inclusive value-driven goal. happen \-lchild care center. Approximately 25% of the infants As such, different [and toddlers served by the center have some type of people hold different views about its appropriateness in various circumstances. Thus, A_Tulti-site Early Childhood Research Institute onwhile inclusion may be a desirable goal for all children, L----Indusion, under the direction of Sam Odom, the issue is complicated by different opinions and by the exarrfines ways in which preschoolers with disabili- fact that many programs have neither the resources nor j7ti7es-ean be successfully included in childcare and the expertise to make inclusion work as it should. preschool programs. These barriers should not prevent us from striving to _A multi-site Early Childhood Follow-Through make inclusion happen. But they point to the impor- L----Research Institute, under the direction of Mark tance of continued research, model development, policy Wolety, examines school practices with children studies, and technical assistance efforts designed to help EL-witi disabilities in kindergarten through third achieve what should be the ultimate goal: the inclusion
grade. of children with disabilities in settings that include N., ON children with and without disabilities are of high ON Partnerships for Inclusion, under the direction of quality for all children, meet the specialized learning /pat Wesley, provides a statewide network of techni- needs of children with disabilities, and fulfill parent assistance to help communities and child care expectations for the kind of programs and experiences programs establish policies and practices to pro- they want for their children. nriitife successful inclusion. Don Bailey
Over the years we have conducted research on the Bailey is Director of the Frank Porter Graham efficacy of inclusion, the effects of inclusion on families, Child Development Center and holds academic the perspectives that families and practitioners have appointments in both the School of Education and thera about inclusion, social interactions between children School of Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill. cu ® -1ZDMElaaoE017MG ran ow one defines inclusion affects the policy decisions that are made about placements.
--IHE EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH INSTITUTE on Identifying goals Inclusion (Ec Rn), a joint effort of the RIC Center These factors come into play because different program and uNc's School of Education, has found that types are associated with different goals and if these communities, schools and early intervention programs goals can be identified, this may lead to better informed have a variety of ways of defining inclusion for pre- decisions about placements for children. Put another school children. A better understanding of definitions way: Having a common understanding of the may lead to more informed placements of young meaning(s) of inclusion allows discussion of programs children with disabilities, according to ECRII director that might be most useful for specific children. Sam Odom. Another component of Odom's institute examined the "Our research is beginning to reveal organizational impact of changing roles on relationships among factors that may serve as barriers to and facilitators of professionals in inclusive program for young children inclusion," said Odom. Policies make a difference. "For (see sidebar on page 5 for highlights of this study). example, in order for community-based programs to operate, some school systems had to develop policies Policy implications that allowed them to use funds to pay for the tuition of These findings have implications for personnel prepara- children with disabilities in private child care centers tion. Odom said, "Previously, personnel preparation has and to allow staff to travel in the community rather been child-centered with little emphasis on consultation, than working within a school building." group process and interpersonal skills. However, as programs that serve young children have become more Organizational structures are another factor. When Head inclusive, adult roles are changing radically. The ways in Start operates within the public school organization, intra- which adults work with, communicate to, and collaborate agency organizational variables (for example, whether the with other adults is assuming primary importance. Efforts early childhood programs for young children with disabili-to prepare personnel are critical so that participants ties are administered through a Special Education division develop the skills necessary to collaborate effectively in a or an Early Childhood division of the organization) variety of new roles." appear to affect the implementation of inclusion (See POLICY, next page)
A better understanding of definitions may lead to more informed placements of young children with disabiIities _ ru-v no (----f? ofthisjstudy -1 p file Impact of Changing Roles on Min the ielationships between Professionals in CO nclusive Programs for Young Children uni LIILDING A RAMP FOR CI-IILDREN with disabilities is the c, When early childhood teachers had little input least of the problems faced by many community into the development of the inclusive pro- child care programs trying to become inclusive. gram, problems with roles and relationships were identified. Recognizing this, in 1991 several state agencies in North Carolina and the Frank Porter Graham Center created Joint ownership sometimes proved difficult to Partnerships for Inclusion (PR) as a technical assistance achieye in a number of programs using an vehicle to raise community awareness, help erase fears itinerant approach (i.e., early childhood about inclusion, and provide strategies for child care special education teachers travel to consult and other community programs. with teachers in child care centers). c.Communication among program staff mem- It started as a test project in 17 counties; today, it covers bers was also a major determinant of how all 100 counties and is funded by a number of state successful their relationships were and how agencies, including successfully the program functioned. the division that licenses child care III-defined and poorly understood roles programs. The project sometimes affected teachers' satisfaction with has three offices their role and served to undermine working across the state and a relationships. dozen staff members a The ability to release roles and share responsi-including three full- bilities was helpful in some circumstances. time inclusion ").Familiarity with other adults in the program, specialists. which often had a positive impact on the relationships among the adults, did not occur Over the years, PFI has when there was a lack of stability in the developed many professional staff. technical assistance services and models. di,In a new program, a lack of familiarity with For example, the roles and among the various adults in the community forum is a program can impede the development of staffhalf-day event where relationships. diverse stakeholders ' A sense of shared philosophy or joint owner- in the community ship of children appears to produce more come together to positive experiences for adults and children. learn what inclusion is. "For many commu- nities, it is a spring- POLICY continued from page 4 board for planning And as head of a new degree program in Child Devel- future directions," opment and Family Studies at UNC's School of Educa- said Pat Wesley, an tion, Odom finds himself in the position of being able FPG researcher and PH to make the changes he and others have urged. "Our director. program includes emphasis on both early childhood education and early intervention. Our graduates will be Inclusion of prepared to work in kindergarten, child care preschools different cultures and early interventions programs," he said. An empha- In recent years, Wesley sis is placed on preparing students to be leaders and the and her team have local and state levels. cez (See PARTNERSHIP page 6)
1 3 PARTNERSHIP continued from page 5 moved into an increasingly familiar direction for many:success with inclusion and like it. And they'll come to Developing products and technical assistance for peopleus and say, 'You need to explain all this to our bosses. who speak Spanish. "Inclusion today means not just They need to understand how it works'." children with disabilities, but people from different cultures and countries," said Wesley. Another challenge is in academia. Wesley said, "We need to raise the scholarly status of technical assis- She said North tance, so that researchers Carolina has see TA as a vital link made good between their work and strides toward practitioners. It's not a !lighlights inclusion. "But one-way street. We need we've got a long Designed a preservice curriculum about inclusion more constituent involve- way to go before for students taking early childhood courses in the ment and collaboration we, as a state, community college system. in our planning, research can say we're and dissemination." In collaboration with state agencies, reviewed offering quality standards for child care and early intervention child care to PH is building its own every child." programs with an eye toward removing obstacles ramp to the future by to inclusion. expanding the definition She sees several Developed training materials and award-winning of inclusion beyond the challenges: "In videos for child care providers and other profes- classroom to include North Carolina, sionals serving children and families. community opportunities child care is Publishes a quarterly magazine for early child- for children with disabili- expected to be hood/early intervention professionals and families. ties. "Are there children available and with special needs in affordable, and Trains general early childhood and early interven- karate class offered by the the.truth is that tion professionals to provide consultation services community.rec depart- we pay some to improve the quality of child care. ment? What about the 4- child care Conducts staff development activities with about I-I camps? Scouting? providers less 2,000 people each year who work across Nc in child Before and after school than we pay care, public schools, early intervention, Head Start, programs? If we listen to parking lot research and referral programs, public health, the people in communi- attendants. Smart Start, and other community agencies. ties, more and more of Typically, Maintains an extensive statewide lending library them see the need to providers don't of materials about inclusion. make opportunities like have degrees these open to all chil- or adequate Offers training and on-site consultation on class- dren. At the state level, we training in child room strategies. see more flexible funding development, Conducts study tours of effective inclusive mechanisms in early much less programs. intervention and in- special educa- creased subsidies for tion. A system child care programs. that does not These are important recruit and policy changes designed maintain qualified providers is a system ill-prepared to to support inclusion at 0,eNserve children at all." the local level.My hope is that it won't be long before inclusion becomes a way of life in all communities. I Lack of expertise guess then I'll be looking for a new job!" Fear of change is another challenge. "Some special education teachers and therapists have felt threatened by (For more information about PFI, contact Pat Wesley inclusion because they lack experience and expertise in at 919-962-7356 or
"Today, we're discovering that, with training and support, early interventionists and early childhood teachers have
19 Providing Family Support in Integrated 0.e-F,Qded !® Settings: Research and Recommendations P.J. Winton. (1993). In C. Peck, S. Odom, & D. Bricher (Eds.), Integrating Young Children with -2pua Eicano-ns Disabilities into Community Programs: From Research to Implementation. Baltimore,MD:Paul Brookes Promoting Positive Attitudes of Kinder- Publishing Co. garten-Age Children toward Individuals Dimensions of Mastery in Same-Age and with Disabilities Mixed-Age Integrated classrooms P.C. Favazza, & S.L. Odom. (1997). Exceptional P.M. Blasco, R.A. McWilliam, W.B. Ware, & M.R. Children, 63,405-422. Burchinal. (1993). Early Childhood Research Supporting Early Childhood Inclusion: Quarterly, 8,193-206. Lessons Learned through a Statewide I Mainstreaming Young Children: A Train- Technical Assistance Project ing Series for Child Care Providers P. Wesley, & V. Buysse. (1996). Topics in Early P. Wesley. (1992). Chapel Hill: University of Childhood Special Education, 16(4), 476-499. North Carolina. Rethinking Pull-out Services in Early ir Promoting a Normalizing Approach to Intervention: A Professional Resource Families: Integrating Principles with R.A. Mc William. (Ed.) (1996). Baltimore, MD: Practices Paul H. Brookes. Pi. Winton. (1990). Topics in Early Childhood :7 Assessing the Comfort Zone of Child Care Special Education, 10(1), 90-103. Teachers in Serving Young Children with Er: Normalizing Early Intervention Disabilities D.B. Bailey, & R.A. McWilliam. (1990). Topics in V. Buysse, P. Wesley, L. Keyes, & D.B. Bailey. (1996). Early Childhood Special Education, 10(2), 33-47. Journal of Early Intervention, 20(3), 209-210. I Friendship and Acquaintance Among Fami- :74 The Relationship Between Child Charac- lies in a Mainstreamed Day Care Center teristics and Placement in Specialized D.B. Bailey, & Pl. Winton. (1989). Education and Versus Inclusive Preschool Programs Training of the Mentally Retarded, June, 107-113. V. Buysse, D.B. Bailey, T.M. Smith, & R.J. Stability and Change in Parents' Expec- Simeonsson. (1994). Topics in Early Childhood tations about Mainstreaming Special Education, 14(4) 419-435. D.B. Bailey, & Pl. Winton. (1987). Topics in Early .17-] Providing On-Site Consultation to Pro- Childhood Special Education, 7(1), 73-88. mote Quality in Integrated Child Care Programs Consequences of Mainstreaming for Families of Young Handicapped Children P. Wesley. (1994). Journal of Early Intervention, P.J. Winton. (1986). In C.J. Meisel. (Ed.), 18(4), 391-402. Mainstreamed Handicapped Children: Outcomes, Communications among Preschoolers Controversies and New Directions. Hillsdale, NI: with and without Disabilities in Same- Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Age and Mixed-Age Classes Selecting a Preschool: A Guide for Par- J.E. Roberts, M.R. Burchinal, & D.B. Bailey. ents of Handicapped Children (1994.) American Journal of Mental Retardation, P.J. Winton, A. Turnbull, & J. Blacher. (1984). 99,231-249. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press. tiT1 Behavioral and Developmental Out- m A Comparison of Specialized and comes in Young Children with Disabili- ties in Integrated and Segregated Mainstreamed Preschools from the Perspec- tives of Parents of Handicapped Children Settings: A Review of Comparative Studies A. Tumbull, & P.J. Winton. (1983). Journal of Cel Pediatric Psychology, 8(1), 57-71. V. Buysse, & D.B. Bailey. (1993). Journal of Special Education, 26(4), 434-461. I Mainstreaming in the Kindergarten Class- room: Perspectives of Parents of Handi- 7.--D Friendships of Preschoolers With Dis- abilities in Community-Based Settings capped and Nonhandicapped Children A. Turnbull, P.J. Winton, J. Blacher, & N. V. Buysse. (1993). Journal of Early Intervention, 17(4), 380-395. Salkind. (1983). Journal of the Division of Early Childhood Education, 6,14-20. As the group of three-year-olds sings the verses of "Teddy Bear," they turn around, touch the ground, show a shoe, and jump in the air in a play room at the Frank Porter Graham Child Care Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
During the next series of games, the children maneuver plastic scooters up a low ramp. They bump and struggle and push themselves across the ramp. Occasionally one slips off or runs into the cushioned sides. But they are having a great time.
Roger* is slightly bigger and a bit more coordinated that the others. He is also more rambunctious. Ellen is often hesitant, but once she figures out the game, she is enthusiastic. Leland has a little trouble steering at the same time as going up the ramp. But after several runs, he gets the hang of it. If you look closely, you might notice that he occasionally gives the hand sign for more" when he wants to repeat something.
Physical therapist Margie Muenzer and occupational therapist Lilie Bonjani pay no particular attention to any one child. They guide, encourage, praise, and help each child whenever needed.
# 71- Avp
Children's real names were not used in this article It seems to be a play period with directed activities. And it is also the delivery of therapy services for Leland who has Down syndrome.
Of the 65 children in theFPGchild care center, 25 percent have disabilities. Therapy services are delivered in an inclusive setting. The children are normally grouped by age, and smaller groups, which always include one child with disabilities, receive therapy services together. The center has a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a speech and language therapist who work in the classroom and with parents.
2 1 On this particular day, some games help develop the that they already had most of the skills needed. I said children's gross motor skills, and others address their they should view children with disabilities as children Fine motor skills. For example, at one point the thera- first. And they needed to recognize that the parents had pists give the children plastic tokens to pay a "toll" in been through many challenges in getting services for order to pass through a tunnel made of cushions. their kids. I showed them video tapes about families and their concerns. I tried to convey an attitude that "Actually, it's quite fascinating to watch because when they were capable of doing it and that help would be therapy is going on, you don't know it because all the there when they needed it," said Bailey. kids are doing it. No child ever stands out as being an unusual child. It's hard to tell toward whom the therapyThe center hired a part-time speech language patholo- is directed," said Debby Cryer, director of the FPG Child gist and contracted some physical therapy work. Pam Care Center. Winton, a UNC doctoral graduate in special education, was hired to help coordinate research efforts. One of the The FPG Child Care Center began including children first things she did was a survey of parents of typically with disabilities 13 years ago, and Don Bailey, now FPC developing children and of children with disabilities at director, remembers that first summer. He had just been the beginning and end of the school year. named director of early childhood research. "I immedi- ately set about to identify children with disabilities to Bailey said, "We found that both groups of parents held come into the center and to convince the staff that this a lot of expectations. But also some were worried about was an achievable goal. Both turned out to be interest- teachers spending too much time with children with ing challenges. From the parents' perspectives, disabilities while others worried that their child might they had been served by self-contained programsnot get the specialized help he or she would need." but they were also aware of, and interested in, Another study looked at family relationships. Would the inclusion. They had concerns about whether families of typically developing children and their child's needs would be met. They knew MC families of children with disabilities get to had a good reputation, but also they knew that know each other, and would they become we had not served children with disabilities friends? before. We recruited 8 children, from toddlers to age 5, to enter the center that fall. They had a
range of disabilities including several with genetic "In general, we started out with families having positive disorders, several with cerebral palsy, one with spina attitudes and at the end of the nine months we ended bifida and one with Down syndrome." up with even more positive attitudes. We also saw that parents of children with disabilities had a moderate While the child care staff thought inclusion was a fine level of concern about specialized help for their chil- idea, some had doubts about whether they had the dren. This reflects the ongoing dilemma of all families, expertise needed to care for children with special especially those with children with disabilities of learning needs. Bailey hired a special education teacher wanting their child to be in as typical a setting as to work with the staff and parents and to help develop possible, but also to receive all the specialized services individual plans for the children. Then he held training they need. This is a constant tension." sessions for the staff. "The training was focused more on working with families than on individuals. I told them (See INCLUSION page 11)
17.1r) BEST COPY AVAILAbLA,., Kids say the darndest things In 1984, during the first six weeks of the new genetic disorders and mild delays was inclusion program at FPG's Child Care Center, commented on less frequently. teachers were asked to write down every comment made by typically developing children Bailey said, "We had been worried that children about children with disabilities. with disabilities would be rejected by the other children. That didn't occur. That's more likely to The teachers reported no negative comments in happen with older children. With younger all that period of time. FPG Director Don Bailey children, all the comments were curiosity said, "The children were curious about who these comments. They clearly noticed differences, but children were and why they were the way they these differences were presented a context in were. We recorded comments such as, 'Why is she which teachers could talk about it." four and still wearing diapers?' or "Why can't he talk or walk?' There were also some interesting As an extension of these findings, a current study comments. I remember when one of the children by FPG researchers Virginia Buysse and Barbara was going for a doctor's appointment, and one of Goldman is examining how typically developing the other children said, 'Will she be able to walk children view their peers with disabilities using after she gets back from the doctor's?" dolls depicting various types of disabilities.
The teachers found that children who had more obvious disabilities received more comments than those who didn't. So a child with braces or a four- year-old who wasn't toilet trained was the subject of a number of comments, whereas a child with
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93 INCLUSION continued from page 9 One of the questions Bailey and the staff struggled structure and disability on engagement. McWilliam with that first year was how to prepare the children has examined the status and barriers to early interven- for inclusion. "One model would be to show movies, tion and made recommendations for changes in have discussions, or use puppets. But we decided not therapy services in early intervention. to do that. We decided to bring children with dis- abilities aboard like Today, every other child; we McWilliam didn't want to highlight continues his their disabilities. When studies by children raised the examining how inevitable questions, we different wanted the teachers to teaching styles be prepared to handle affect engage- them. But we let the .- ment in typi- children bring it up." cally developing children and As for how to provide children with services, traditional disabilities. For specialists were needed, example, early but the way the services results indicate were provided is still the that children subject of debate in the with disabilities field. Bailey said, "The have a higher traditional model is pull level of engage- out therapy, and it often works quite well. But some- ment if the teacher uses some level of directiveness, times, the skills don't transfer back into the regular although it varies by age. "However, responsiveness in classroom. The children may do great in the therapy a teacher is important at all ages," he said. McWilliam sessions, but if the teachers don't know the goals and is now delving into more precise definitions of "direc- the therapy activities, then the services are not as tive" and "responsive" teaching. effective. So, we've really try to work on integrating specialized services into the regular routines. This has Sam Odom, who directs his own Early Childhood been interesting because some therapists and some Research Institute on Inclusion at RC, is doing natu- specialists feel that this approach compromises their ralistic observations at the child care center to further effectiveness. We don't think that's the case. Robin his studies on the ecology of a classroom and peer/ McWilliam, one of our researchers, has written a social interaction and these effects on intervention and book on integrating early childhood services and that children with disabilities and their families. (See provides a good model for us." related article on page 4.) Buysse and researcher Barbara Goldman are conducting a similar study Early research at FPG showed inclusion could work. In involving community-based programs. a 1993 report synthesizing existing research, Bailey and Virginia Buysse, an FPG researcher, found support for Inclusion brings many benefits as Family and Child the benefits of preschool integration with respect to Care Center Director Cryer observed on the day the social and other behavioral outcomes. group of three-year-olds were pushing their tricycles around the play room. "Children, even typical chil- Since then, researchers have been studying how best to dren, develop at different rates, so these kinds of make it work. LTG research expanded into many exercises help not only the child with disabilities; they aspects of intervention and led to articles, books and also help all the children. It is a true integrated ap- assessment scales. These studies also led to new proach, and in reality, everybody benefits from it." SD models and implications for early intervention person- c7"). nel preparation and for family-professional relation- ships. Winton published reports on effective commu- nication between parents and professionals in early intervention and reports on providing family support "ZS in integrated settings. Bailey and R.A. McWilliam published articles on normalizing early intervention programs and on the effects of classroom social CIID
and program characteristics of different states. Challenges The right tools related to this are to identify practices which constitute high quality early intervention services, and then develop a practical system for evaluating those practices," said for the job Darkes. "The primary challenge is how to develop something useful in a system so While research on issues of quality of complex." early child care and experiences has focused NationalCenter fo primarily on typically Earlypevelopment &Learning developing children, At the moment, the format of the scale is modeled on the investigators with the National Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) because the goal is to develop an instrument that can be used by Center for Early Development and local and state pro- gram administrators Learning (NCEDL) are working on a and service providers to see what they are You can't way to assess quality practices for doing and how they might improve the infants and toddlers with disabilities quality of services. In comprehensively addition to program and their families. improvement and assess quality planning purposes, NCEDL investigator Lynette Aytch Darkes and her team are the instrument is also of services `03designing a tool to evaluate the quality of services pro- being developed for vided to infants and toddlers with special needs and their use as a research tool. families. Their work is part of the "Quality Practices for without Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families" In considering what project, which is one of three separate studies that com- components to assessing prise the Early Child Care Quality strand of NMI- include in an instru- ment, Darkes and families' Currently, no 7brganizinTframework other team members instrument is The:organizing framework of examined what broadly used and the tool is subscales that r professionals and accepted across encompass 'seven dimensions parents say about a variety of of early interVention services: quality, studied other geographic areas instruments, and drew on existing literature such as Assessment and programs to recommended practices by the Council for Exceptional comprehensively Comprehensive Plan- Children's Division of Early Childhood. evaluate early ning/IFSP Development intervention Quality of relationships Service Provision services. A The research team believes a critical element in the number of states, Transition Practices assessment of high quality services is the quality of the however, have parent/professional relationship and the relationship Personnel Competency developed between the child and service provider. "It is often not too evaluation Supervision/mentoring difficult to evaluate the procedural aspects of a program or strategies and service, but evaluating the quality of relationships is a Program evaluation others are in the more challenging task," said Darkes. process of designitig such procedures. .-.-: ss . . : . To help organize their approach to such challenges, the 7."Our goal is to develop an instrument that is sufficiently research team organized a survey and held focus group ns ar comprehensive and flexible that it can fit the unique needs meetings with program administrators, service provideN 9J7° ..; NCED1L2 and families in North Carolina in the fall of 1996 and need to identify those critical indicators and how they spring of 1997. Here's an example of one of the survey relate to the long-term success for children with disabili- questions, and the answers received, ranked in order of ties and their families," said Darkes. frequency: In addition to the instrument itself, additional products What are the most important features of from the study may include fact sheets, quality guide- high quality early intervention services? lines, resource materials, and implications for policy and Parents identified: practice. Timeliness, availability, and accessibility of services The principal investigator on the study is Don Bailey, who is also director of NCEDI, and ITC. In addition to Personal qualities of services provider Darkes, Debby Cryer is an investigator. Mark Wolery is a (such as warmth, genuineness) research partner and Laurie Selz is a graduate research Good parent/professional communication assistant. Extensive knowledge and experience of service provider about child's disability
Practitioners identified: Availability of parent support services e pAision OfiNtEp Effective service coordination e.Natibnal_Center for Early DeVelopment Appreciation for the cultural context and and Learning.(NCEDL) is administratively sensitivity to the values, beliefs, and oused at the-Frank Porter Graham Child priorities of families Development Center at uNc-a-i. NCEDL has divided its five-year mission into six strands: Availability and accessibility of services. early child care quality Information from the survey and focus groups suggested that the quality of relationships was an important indica- kindergarten transitions tor in early intervention services. ecological interventions
While the instrument is being developed to be used by policy service providers, administrators, and other program statistical modeling of extant and project personnel, the research team expects to develop a parallel data tool for parents. "It is likely that a parent's perception of service quality is distinctly different from that of the service translation of research to practice provider. You can't comprehensively assess quality of services without assessing families' perceptions," said NCEDL researchers include senior faculty Darkes. members at UNC-CH, the University of Virginia, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Researchers hope to have a draft of the instrument ready the University of California at Los Angeles. for review and critique by services providers, administra- The director is Don Bailey, who is also tors, parents, and a team of technical experts and advisors director of the Frank Porter Graham Child by the fall of 1997. After extensive review and revision Development Center. based on the feedback, the tool will be field tested in a representative sample of early intervention programs NCEDL is funded by the us Department of cr. across the nation. Education's Office of Education Research and Improvement through the National Institute for Variations in quality Early Childhood Development and Education. c5-1 "Ultimately, we would like to use the instrument in research to first determine variations in quality of programs provided by early intervention programs, and then to study the relationship between variations in quality of services and outcomes for young children and families. While it may seem that all the indicators in the sra: instrument are important to positive outcomes, some may in fact be more or leSs important than others. We IEVT ar)EqAITMLA , 2G ACIEDL
the idea of a new assessment tool, Darkes laughed and ,c) Advising the said, "They confirmed the complexity of the endeavor." The technical experts were oftwo basic opinions: One cresearchers was that you can't really determine the quality outside the context of the family and the child. What really Investigators with the National matters is the experience of the children and families in the system. The other opinionwas that sometimes Center for Early Development & parents are not the most accurate source of determin- ing quality. "For example," said Darkes, "ifparents get Learning (Nam) who are creatinga along well with the service provider sometimes they'll say that it's a good quality program. However, an tool to assess quality practices for independent observer may rate itas a moderate or low-quality program." Investigators endedup taking infants and toddlers with disabilities the best of both camps of advice and using both perspectives. are investing time in collaborating The advisory board has seen an initial draft of several with and listening to parents, subscales of the instrument. "The feedbackwas posi- tive overall as well as providing substantive critique practitioners, administrators, which will guide our continued work," Darkes said. technical experts, experts in the field, Researchers are planning to meet with additional focus groups and in the future perhaps expand its advisory providers and others. board, to work with investigators over the five-year life of the study. This investment is a fundamental practice ofNCEDL and involves constituents in the planning, implemen- tation, evaluation and dissemination of all six of its 9%3 research strands. Constituent advisory boards are used by all strands at the National Center for Early For example, members of the "Quality Practices for Development & Learning for a variety of Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their purposes. For example, one board recently Families" project have held meetings with their reviewed board meetings themselves and advisory board, their team of technical experts, focus made a number of suggestions. Their ideas groups and others during the study's first 10 months. included: Researchers also met with coordinators of infant Consider having some meetings in the disability programs in Washington,DC. community, rather than all at the re- search center. The study's advisory board has 12 members, including parents, practitioners, administrators, and other Consider inviting constituent "pairs;" researchers. The board has meet three times and that is, two people who know each Investigator Lynette Darkes is pleased with the group's other and can support each other's ideas and feedback. "At first, it seemed to bea bit of a participation through sharing rides, challenge because our study is rather technical information, etc. focusing on the development of an evaluation instru- Keep meetings short, focused (stick to ment. But it's important that we find a way for all agenda), and well-facilitated. advisory board members to have active and meaning- ful roles. It's certainly beneficial to the study and it's Make sure all voices are heard. important to hear different perspectives. Parents, for Be sensitive to "keeping the playing field example, give a wonderful perspective because they'll level" to build a sense of trust and say, 'I've gone through this personally and I can tell collaboration. you if that was an important indication of quality in my experience'." Avoid jargonuse proactive strategies to minimize it. Darkes and her team have also met with a group of After meetings, provide follow-upon technical experts. Asked how this group respondedto how suggestions and recommendations have been incorporated or made a difference. 2 7 csEt puLtirnatiens by researchers at the Frank Porter Graham Child DevelopmentCenter
p Families As Systems. (II Reforming Personnel M.J. Cox, & B. Paley. (1997). Annual Preparation in Review of Early Intervention: Issues, Models,and Psychology, 48: 248-267. Practical Strategies. Increased Virulence of Coxsackievirus P.J. Winton, J. McCollum, & C. Catlett.(1997). B3 Due to Vitamin Eor SeleniumDefi- Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co. ciency. CZ Family-ProfessionalPartnerships in I M.A. Beck. (1997). Journal of Nutrition,127: Managing Otitis Media. 966S-970S. P.J. Winton, J.E. Roberts, & S.A. Zeisel.(1997). pInteracting Nutritional and Infectious In Otitis Media, Language andLearning in Young Etiologies of Keshan Disease:Insights Children: Medical, Developmental, andEduca- from Coxsackievirus B-InducedMyo- tional Considerations. J.E. Roberts, I.F.Wallace, & carditis in Mice Deficient in Seleniumor EW. Henderson. (Eds.). Baltimore,MD: Brookes Vitamin E. Publishing Co. O.A. Lavander, & M.A. Beck. (1997). Biological M Encounters with GeneralEarly Educa- Trace Element Research, 56: 5-22. tion: Lessons Being Learned. 0 The Impact of ChangingRoles on Rela- M. Wolery. (1997). Journal of BehavioralEduca- tionships between Professionalsin tion, 7,91-98. Inclusive Programs for Young Children. a:I Training Elementary Teachersto Embed J. Lieber, P.J. Beckman, M.J. Hanson,S. Janko, Instruction During Classroom Activities. J.M. Marquart, E. Horn, & S.L. Odom. (1997). M. Wolery, L. Anthony, E.D. Snyder, M.G. Early Education and Development, 8(1), Wens, 67-82. & J. Katzenmeyer. (1997). Educationand Treat- DAM: Speech Therapy in Patients with mentofChildren, 20,40-58. a Prior History of Recurrent Acuteor M Instructional Methodswith Students Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion. Who Have Significant Disabilities. J.E. Roberts. (1997). Abstracts of ClinicalCare M. Wolery & J.W. Schuster. (1997). Journal Guidelines, 8(9), 2-6. of Special Education, 31,61-79. Otitis Media, Language andLearning in M Comparisons of Observed Young Children: Medical, Developmen- Process Qual- ity in Early Child Care and Educationin tal, and EducationalConsiderations. Five Countries. (1997). W. Tietze, D. Cryer, J. Bairrao, J. Palacios, J.E. Roberts, I.E Wallace, & EW. & Henderson. G. Wetzel. (1996). Early Childhood Research (Eds.). Baltimore, MD: BrookesPublishing Co., Quarterly, 11,447-475.
?a BEST COPYMU* ABLE ___RNOGIMM OPO Highlights Recent findings at FPG * In contrast to previous research with parents, child care teachers Assessing the Comfort Zone of expressed fewer overall concerns about the effects of inclusion for Child Care Teachers in Serving children with and without disabilities and their families. Young Children with Disabilities. * Teachers identified concerns about the lack of specialized Virginia Buysse, Patricia Wesley, LynetteKeyes, & Don Bailey. Journal of Early Intervention, 20(3),189-203. training among early childhood personnel and fewer oppor- tunities for children with disabilities to receive special services and individualized LTHOUGH WE HAVE LEARNED appropriate positioning techniques much about inclusion duringor modifying the classroom environ- instruction in inclusive settings. the past 30 years, few studies ment to accommodate wheelchairs * Comfort levels were lowest when have examined the perspectives of and walkers. Teachers' comments the child was reported to have ,child care teachers who serve chil- and concerns about inclusion and severe to profound disabilities in the areas of leg functioning, dren with disabilities in their class- their decreased comfort in serving muscle tone, and appropriate .rooms. This study examined the young children with severe disabili- behavior. attitudes of 52 general early child- ties should not be viewed as discour- * In general, teachers who expressed hood teachers serving young childrenaging findings. Earlier studies have with disabilities in inclusive early reported that despite teachers' initial more concerns about potential childhood settings. hesitancy about serving children with drawbacks of inclusion were less severe disabilities in general educa- comfortable serving individual children with special needs. The study's authors noted that early tion classrooms, many later de- interventionists who are consultants scribed transformations that oc- in general early childhood programs curred as a result of direct experi- could use comfort zone ratings to ences and their willingness to be identify collaborative classroom involved with these children in a goals with teachers, such as using meaningful way.
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4141.P. Un catro roam, of Early Developments, we look at child care policy from the national, the state, and the local levels. We also examine the role of Vol. 1, No. 3 Early Childhood Research Policy Briefs, Eau:Supolicy produced by the National Center for Early change at the Development & Learning (Nun), and how Supervising Editors national level, p.4 policymakers and administrators function Virginia Buysse, Pam Winton as NCEDL advisors. Editor We hope you enjoy this issue and find our Loyd Little information useful. Graphic Design Miki Kersgard Early Developments is available online at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Circulation Center (FPG) web site
6,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $5,000.00 or $0.77 per copy. Reprint permission NCEDL Policy briefs Feel free to reprint articles from our synthesizing newsletter; we ask that you credit Early research, p.15 Developments. If you have questions or need Early Developmentsis funded in part by the more information about our investigators University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in and projects, check the EPG home page at part by PR/Award Number R307A60004,
This month's "From The Director's Office" is a guest column by Is there a public commitment to making Jim Gallagher and Robin Rooney, two investigators at the things better for young children? Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center. Jim, director Judging by the public's actions to date, (allocation of society's of FPG from 1970 to 1987, is a nationally recognized policy resources) the current answer is: "No:' or at best "Maybe." Unless we researcher and head of the Policy Strand of the National can convince the public that the answer is: "Yes, young children's Center for Early Development & Learning. Robin has needs are important:' then all other discussion fades into a dialogue specialized in policies pertaining to federal legislation and in among professionals, not likely to yield major social changes. personnel preparation in early intervention. Don Bailey Fortunately, we have a broad base of data, all of which clearly Director,FPG indicate that resources spent early in a child's development can pay off significantly. It is critical that we use those data to convince OLICY SPEAKS THROUGH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS that funding agents that this investment is a wise and lasting one. allocate scarce resources to almost unlimited social needs. For the next few months the American public seems How can we combine our existing destined to hear much about young children and their resources to help young children cr. development. This is probably because of a collective decision develop more effectively? by the popular media, encouraged by key policy players, that early child President Eisenhower once said that we cannot afford to have the development is a "hot" issue. How can we take advantage of this interest to nation saved four times over, once each by the Army, Navy, Air Force, create a permanent infrastructure for enduring policy that will outlast the and Marines. Similarly, we cannot afford the expense, nor is it predictably limited attention span of the media and the public? prudent, to give every agency devoted to young children, all that is requested. Our current policy problem is not that states lack plans Let's examine what key policy questions need to be considered as we for young children, it is that they have too manyfive or six at least. ca. review the rules and regulations that govern programs for young What each state needs is a Comprehensive State Plan for Young children and allocate resources to those programs. Children which will identify common goals, combine available
(see NOTES, page 6) 71-;
3 ot.. N INCREASING NUMBER O There is a direct relation- monumental the legislation be useful to families. In general, of infants and toddlers ship between the nature of was. It is very far reaching. It mothers expect services to focus with disabilities and the services provided and asked people to change lots of on their child. Assessment their families in the U.S. the quality of program different things all at one focuses on child skills, and in are served by early intervention leadership. In communities time. If people had been general there is no systematic services (formerly Part H and where the program's leader asked to change two or three assessment of family needs. now called Part C of the knows recommended things, they could've focused Individuals with Disabilities practices, services on those and perhaps done it "We started out saying, what Education Act), but there's provided to all children quicker or more efficiently. services do children and their room for improvement, consistently reflect these People have made progress in families get? Then we said, why is according to a study in three practices, with the implementing this law, but it that certain kids and families states by researchers at the exception of the provision there has been more progress get what they get? Is it state Frank Porter Graham Child of therapies. in some areas than in others." policies? Is it something about Development Center. the communities they live in? Or, El Therapies most often Some indications of progress is it something about the families A team of researchers is consist of a more tradi- are: More children with themselves? We found that it was wrapping up a five-year study tional, clinical, and disabilities are being identified an interaction. The most positive of the federally mandated and specialized approach than at younger ages, and families outcomes occurred when there state-implemented early an integrated one. report little delay getting into were certain factors that existed intervention programs for infants and toddlers with CI Families and service disabilities from birth to age 3. providers often believe that Significant findings by the individual (pull-out) Early Childhood Research therapy is better than "...when we looked at Institute on Service Utilization therapy integrated into the ciennijAvania's policies (ECRI-SU) include these: natural environment. -",:tirefoundi'itherewas oUse of early intervention ID Most early intervention nOthing thatA, required services is high, particu- programs do not have a Programs to look outside larly compared to the system of recording utilization rates of other expenditures so that the f=oflhmselves." entitlement programs. cost of services can be calculated. oCommunities have put together a comprehensive The ECRI-SU research team is programs once they find them. in the system, the service array of resources to meet headed by Gloria L. Harbin of Many programs expend providers, the families, and in the the diverse needs of FPG and Thomas T. Kochanek substantial effort to broaden the relationship between the service children and families. The of Rhode Island College, array of services and options. In providers and the families. You number of programs used Providence, RI. Nine commu- general, families feel that couldn't just say everything will in the nine communities nities were selected in service providers are supportive be OK if you just have three studied ranged from 11 to Colorado, North Carolina and and responsive to their child's specific things in the service 66 per site. Pennsylvania for the principal needs. Only 18% of families system. It had to be the whole sites. A total of 72 children studied use less than 50% of package. We confirmed a lot of El Services are primarily child and their families partici- their scheduled services. what has been theorized about oriented. Surveys showed pated in case studies and a recommended practices, and that families expect larger sample was followed On the other hand, families that's very exciting for our field." services to focus on their for two years. report that they would use more child, but would be open to services if they were offered. For example, progress has been a broad family focus, if Harbin said,"In examining Individualized Family Services made in the coordination of the introduced properly and at the implementation of this Plan (IFSP) documents, in their system of services. On a 10- the right time. law, we realized just how current form, do not appear to e, point scale assessing the extent
0.s. 33 How three states implemented federal policy for infants with disabilities of coordination, the mean rating and very privatized programs. and families. In many commu- cooperation. Furthermore, it across the communities studied Their programs have many nities, the resourcefulness of mandates two interagency was 7.2.1n a previous study by fewer positive outcomes for program administrators structures. North Carolina Harbin and her colleagues, children and families. And a lot (obtaining grants, use of programs were rated high in participants indicated that the of it goes back to state policy?' extent of coordination in North Carolina prior to 1986 would But since only three states were likely have been rated at 2.5. involved, how about flukes? Harbin said,"Colorado has done ,":...vn-colorado, those Harbin said,"We found certain a great deal of training, and it coutuiliunities 'that pushed links that influence that turned out that its assessment package: the leadership at the practices were the best of the coerainatIon dud well..." L_ community level and their three states. Taking another knowledge of recommended example: Of the three states, practices, their ability to North Carolina has placed a lot visualize a comprehensive, of emphasis on not only telling coordinated system, and their people about recommended Medicaid,"deals,") increased terms of outcomes and ability to work and play well practices, but the state will not options for services. Also, coordination. Colorado was in- with others. This speaks to the fund programs unless they researchers found that curricu- between, encouraging inter- importance of early childhood agree to follow those practices. lum activities for children most agency coordination but not leadership development We found that in North Carolina often reflect a focus on the use mandating it. And in Colorado, programs with implications for a lot more children proportion- of test items to guide interven- those communities that pushed policymakers. Getting a master's ately were served in inclusive tion instead of using a routines- coordination did well, but those degree will not ensure those settings than in segregated based focus for intervention. that didn't, did less well." three things. The person has to settings. Hardly any children in continue to be a lifelong North Carolina were served in Harbin's researchers found that a She advises parents, service learner." segregated settings, but that is significant determinant in providers and program not true in the other two states?' outcomes was how comprehen- administrators to be patient and ECRI-SU looked closely at the sive and how coordinated service not give in to frustration. She relationship between state Overall, program administrators systems are."The more compre- said that she has learned that it policies and outcomes. Harbin report that many therapists lack hensive and coordinated the takes a long time to implement said,"Of the nine communities the knowledge and desire to use service system is the better the policy, particularly something outcomes for children and their on the scale of IDEA. - families. This was an assumption , f\ ,P7.70,4t1Orthicaridnialitrally of the law but there had been no "Many people want it to happen 'II 4-' streiSei interagency data that policymakers had; they sooner. I want it to happen , just assumed this would be true. sooner. But there's good reason 's ,COordination and Now, we have some data, even if to go slowly we don't want i----,-, ' -cooperation." it is only nine communities?' casualties while we're trying to get it right and trying to teach She said that one state people to get it right. Because Pennsylvaniahad the least the causalities would be coordinated service system of children and their families. It's studied, three had programs an integrative approach to the three states studied and very difficult to watch some- that were really like programs in therapies. The study found that "when we looked at body fall through the cracks and the 1970s, using a traditional some program administrators Pennsylvania's policies we found not get what they need. That's form of early intervention. All appear to lack the knowledge there was nothing that required part of the frustration you find three were from the same state. necessary to set up an adminis- programs to look outside of in wanting things to happen When you look at that state's trative structure for a more themselves. On the other hand, more quickly. But the reality is policies, you see that they transdisciplinary and inclusive North Carolina really stresses that we really do need to set included no funding strings, learning experience for children interagency coordination and realistic expectations?'em
3 4 NOTES continued from page 3 resources, and make clear what is needed for Demonstration with fiscal responsibility so that the public has the future. High quality programs for young children are confidence that the plan being followed ties needed to demonstrate how effective practice emotional intentions to the financial commit- This is no small task. It will require the best can be made practical. Once effective practice ment made to children and families. thinking of many different professional can be seen in action it is easier to upgrade disciplines and many different policy makers. service delivery. AccountabilityReport Card The variety of laws passed at the state and on Young Children federal level for different subsets of children, Research If a state and its elected leaders commit to a at different times, and for different purposes, We need to add to the knowledge base on comprehensive plan, there should be equal each have their own rules and regulations child development and effective programs, commitment to accountability. The people that do not easily allow for collaboration. Yet, including research on the developing brain who pay the bills need a clear statement of collaborative planning is a top priority if we and the various interventions that pay' off in how we are doing. On the report card, we are to achieve some practical outcome of all tangible benefits to the children and their should publish the number of children being this current interest. families. This requires both basic and served through various programs and applied research. services, the number of children entering How do we build an kindergarten each year who can demonstrate infrastructure for quality Dissemination that they are ready and able to learn, the services for young children? A central communications network is needed number of children raised in poverty, the Over the years service areas such as health, to allow service centers for young children to infant mortality rate, and so on. In short, the education and social services have learned communicate with one another and with report card should tell what the public is what an infrastructure for quality consists of, professionals so that ideas can be exchanged, getting for its investment. and have created some isolated elements in such new methods passed along, and more a structure. Let's review these components. effective dissemination of research-to- Such a collaborative effort will create varying practice information. Currently, programs are degrees of professional discomfort. Some Materials Development isolated, and there are few provisions at the disciplines and organizations will be forced We clearly need to continue to develop state level to create any kind of an intrastate out of their accustomed roles and routines. materials and procedures that enhance the or interstate network. No one said that change and improvement quality of child care, whether that care is in would be easy, but for perhaps the first time, child care centers, family day care, or at home. Financial we will be able to say that we have the interest To determine what money is allocated, we of the general public on our side. There is Personnel preparation need a mechanism to track money spent in much to be gained for young children if we There is close to universal agreement that top early childhood from the level of the governor's put our minds and hands to the task. quality early childhood personnel is a key to office. North Carolina once had a Children's quality programs. But there are two enor- Budget that showed where all the money on In another time, Benjamin Franklin mous barriers to making this a reality. First, children was being spent. Some similar device remarked,"Gentlemen, we must all hang salary levels do not match our expectations of that fits the needs of individual states would together or assuredly we will all hang personnel. Second, we do not consistently seem to be required. separately:' Fortunately, those of us who toil integrate our major personnel preparation in early childhood programs do not face that entities, such as community colleges or We also need to know what costs await us if we violent result, but our hopes and dreams for higher education institutions, to improve follow certain initiatives. Many proposals for services for young children are at similar risk practices at the service delivery level. helping young children have been generated by if we do not collaborate across agencies and emotion. Good intentions need to be backed disciplines.
Recent Foublications 1. by researc ers at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center Welfare Reform and You Partnerships with Other Commentary: Personal R.M. Clifford. (1997). Young Children, 52(2), 2-3. Professionals Dimensions of Leadership R.M. Clifford. (1997). Young Children, 52(5), 2. R.M. Clifford. (1997). In S.L. Kagan & B.T. EZ-: Partnerships with Families Bowman (Eds.), Leadership in early care and 44. R.M. Clifford. (1997). Young Children, 52(3), 2. education (pp. 103-104). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Partnerships with Our Colleagues Young Children. ea R.M. Clifford. (1997). Young Children, 52(4), 2. Li visited 187 centers and interviewed child care directors as they Giving Children examined a variety of childcare indicators. They found that 11% more child care centers scored in the good-to-excellent range on a measure of environmental quality compared to 2 years earlier.
"Our results show that child care quality was better in 1996 than in 1994 and that the level of quality was related to Smart Start efforts:' she said. "The fact that we have seen changes of this magnitude in the formative years of Smart Start when programs were just getting off the ground is really quite positive." 0 /se ef I Smart Start is not just one program; it's many. Local Smart Start 4,7e ;-s) partnerships of parents, educators, child care providers, nonprofits, churches and business people decide how to improve (or provide, in *4, some cases) local child care, health care, and family services to children under the age of six. Thus, one community may allocate additional money toward solving transportation problems; another community may beef up child health screenings; and yet another may further the education of child care providers. All communities conduct multiple programs.
According to the NC Partnership for Children, which is the lead state agency, during Smart Start's first three years:
c'kr.More than 154,000 children received higher quality early education . . and care statewide. More than 34,000 children received childcare subsidies so their - - parents could work. More than 72,000 children received early intervention and - . preventive health screens.
Smart Start began as a pilot in 18 of North Carolina's 100 counties. Later, yLTHOUGH NORTH CAROLINA'S SMART START PROGRAM is only four 37 counties were added, and this year the state allocated enough money ears old, it has been cited by early childhood professionals to expand the program to all 100 counties. Aas one of the most comprehensive public-private initiatives in the nation to help children enter school healthy and ready to learn. FPG evaluates the overall Smart Start program, but local partnerships perform their own evaluations and this, according to Bryant, is a lesson Many of the building blocks of Smart Start grew out of research for other states. "At the local level, many counties simply don't have the done at the Frank Porter Graham Center. FPG's current role is to capacity to conduct an evaluation in the same way as institutions like conduct the statewide evaluation of the Smart Start program. The FPG. It's not an unreasonable request to ask for accountability, but it's evaluation includes both performance and outcome measures. For very difficult to conduct good evaluations:' she said. example, this spring, FPG investigator Donna Bryant announced at a press conference that this year's evaluation showed that child care has As a result, Bryant's Smart Start team this year formed an evaluation improved in the counties where the program first began. Evaluators assistance team to help local groups design and carry out evalua- (see SMART START, page 11)
Challenge or Boredom? Gifted The Role of Policy in Translating Knowledge Students' Views on Their Schooling. Special Education into Action J. Gallagher, M.R. Coleman, C.C. Harradine. J. Gallagher. (1997). In James L. Paul, et al. J. Gallagher. (1997). In James L. Paul et al (1997). Roeper Review, 19(3), 132-136. (Eds.), Special education practice: Applying (Eds.), Special education practice: Applying the knowledge, affirming the values, and the knowledge, affirming the values, and creating the future (pp. 26-42). Pacific Grove, creating the future (pp. 227-240). Pacific CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co. Grove,CA:Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.
(continued on page 10) 36- C E N
T IS REMARKABLE. I still shake my head at what's been accomplished in a very short time. From my perspec- tive, this process and this policy permits local districts to do what is right on behalf of gifted children in their schools?' That's the opinion of Mary Ruth Coleman, an investigator with the Frank Porter Graham Center who helped give birth to North Carolina's new statewide gifted initiative.
From a brand-new project scrambling to get on its feet four years ago, the Statewide Technical Assistance Gifted Education (STAGE) project completed a planning model for local school districts, developed a system level plan for service delivery, trained a statewide leadership core, designed a self-assessment program for school districts, designed and implemented a certification program for teachers of gifted children, and this A textbook example year saw its results and recommendations go statewide into all 100 counties in North Carolina. The task force recommendations included the following: creating a a"It's been fascinating. And it's been exhausting:' said Coleman, who local planning model so that each district would have to develop its has averaged driving 50,000 miles a year. for the past three years. own plan for gifted students, changing state funding for gifted education, setting up a mechanism for technical assistance for the The movement of STAGE from an idea bounced around by school districts, and changing the definition of gifted by using members of a task force in 1993 to full-blown state policy multiple criteria. four years later is an example of how a state education policy can be based on the best available data, developed quickly, and In 1994, these recommendations went to the state school board, implemented with a minimum of fuss. which asked, will these work? Coleman said,"We told them we weren't sure. And the state said, what will it take to find out? And we In 1993, the North Carolina legislature established a task force to said, time,-a little seed money, people to play with, and permission to consider a statewide policy on education for gifted children. Two of make changes. And they granted all of that?' those appointed to the task force were In 1995, STAGE asked for proposals from Coleman and Jim "The overwhelming school districts who wanted to help Gallagher, another response has develop a model and who would put FPG investigator. been a willingness to develop $10,000 on the table. The state Department Both are nationally a plan for of Public Instruction kicked in some known researchers money, expecting perhaps a half dozen on policy in general gifted students that also benefits all proposals. Twenty-four proposals came in, and gifted educa- and STAGE took on nine districts."At that tion policy in sudents in the district." point, we began to take the policy from particular. Thus, the theory to implementation. Basically, we task force had quick had six months to work with those nine and easy access to districts:' said Coleman. STAGE developed a distillations of work by Gallagher and Coleman during their national model of what a comprehensive local plan should look like and policy studies in the early 1990s."We culled the 50 states for the best began working on documentation for the state about what would in gifted education ideas:' said Coleman. happen if these new ideas went into effect statewide.
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been very little rancor. The districts have stepped up in good faith. Coleman said that with a deadline to have plans ready by the spring of '98, more than two thirds of the districts are well underway. Only a very small number of districts are resisting things. For example, in helping districts begin the process, STAGE held regional conferences and of the state's 120 districts, only 8 did not participate in one of the conferences.
"The overwhelming response has been a willingness to develop a plan for gifted students that also benefits all students in the district:' she said."The plan is seen as a way to raise the expectations and thresholds for students across the board. Plus, the new identification protocol for gifted takes into account children from culturally diverse families, f research to policy children from economically disadvantaged families, and children with disabilities:'
In 1996, an additional six school districts enrolled and said, we She said,"Another remarkable thing is that we've actually been able also want help setting up a model regardless of what the state to unfold the program with ongoing evaluation and feedback. As eventually decides. we've gone along, we've been-continually pushing the envelope but doing it based on feedback and evaluation:' said Coleman. A year later, in the summer of 1997, legislation was passed in North Carolina that establishes a timetable for all 120 school In fact, four school districts were so taken with the plan that they districts to create gifted education programs."The legislation was are using it to realign their entire school curriculum from quite specific and the language was almost identical to that we had kindergarten through high school. written for the model sites. It sent us almost into an absolute panic. We went from 15 districts to 120 districts required to do the She said that so far the only missing piece is legislation that attends same thing:' said Coleman. to funding."Currently in North Carolina, if a child has a disability, a school district can draw down $2100 in additional funds to meet She and Gallagher had been doing most of the legwork themselves, their needs; but, if a child is gifted, the district can draw down only so they decided to create a leadership core across the state. The state $720. That's quite out of balance in terms of additional resources gave additional money and the STAGE team put together a cadre of needed to educate an exceptional child:' 25 people to act as planning facilitators for school districts. Coleman cited a number of factors that she said contributed to the Coleman described the entire process as remarkable, citing in smooth adoption of STAGE'S recommendations. The major one is that particular the fact that collaboration was built into the policy there has been traditionally strong leadership in gifted education changes from the very beginning. It was a joint effort with collabora- across the state, not just in the Department of Public Instruction. tion at many levelsthe district, the Department of Public Instruc- "Jim Gallagher has provided outstanding leadership for years:' she tion, higher education, regular education, the state legislature, parents, said."Ann Harrison, lead author on the programs for gifted students and advocacy groups."When we talk about this in other states, they has been a major player across the state. Judy Howard has been an are just aghast that all these people are on the same page at the same outstanding leader, is president of the State Association for the time ready to move things forward," Coleman said. Gifted, and was one of the Gallagher's doctoral students. Linda Robinson came to STAGE from Virginia State and worked as the Although it's been a very fast time line with a fair amount of legislative liaison for the state gifted association. Linda Weiss- pressure on the districts to make these things happen, there has Morris, executive director of the state advocacy organization, has (see STAGE, page 10) as ") STAGE cont'd from page 9 SMEi DEFINESGIFTEDNESSas the manifestation of ability to learn well beyond the been a colleague and contribu- expected level of one's age mates. Indicatorsare student achievement, observable student tor. Sylvia Lewis was head of the behaviors, interest, motivation to learn, aptitude, andperformance. state's Department of Public Instruction when STAGE was Within any indicator, a single criterionmay reveal a need for services. However, no single getting organized."She was a criterion can eliminate a student from consideration.Information from any and all indicators visionary and her influence was may be used in matching students with appropriate service options. criticar Coleman said."She really pushed for model sites. STAGE'S team drew on Donald Treffinger 's book New Directionsin Gifted Education to define She left and Rebecca Garland these levels of need for differentiation in programming forlocal school districts: came on board and her first meeting was with STAGE and the El Services for all nine model sites. Garland has Services in the regular program should be designedto motivate and stretch all learners to been a godsend and pragmatic reach their maximum potential and to providea challenging curriculum that develops the and unflappable." abilities, skills, and talents of all students. III Services for many ith a leadership Many students occasionally need differentiation. They core trained and may show giftedness only in one area through certain talents and/or certain abilities. Underachieving school districts gifted students and "overachievers" may be in this category. Gifted students from well underway with their plans, culturally diverse families, economically disadvantaged homes, and gifted students STAGE is about to put itself out with disabilities may also need the differentiation provided at this level. of business. However, members 1111 Services for some of the STAGE team are already Some students show outstanding ability in planning follow-up studies, a number of academic areas and needastrong differentiated program that provides challenging especially in the areas of gifted opportunities where they can pursue curriculum in more depth and at a faster children from culturally diverse pace. II Services for few and from economically A few students need a highly differentiated disadvantaged families and program that might involve radical accelera- 9® children with disabilities. tion of content and grade. For students capable ofworking three or more years beyond their grade placements, services must be designedwith transitions across grade levels. Despite her quickly aging car, Coleman said she is pleased Based on these differentiations,STAGEsuggests a whole array of service delivery options 'or with the entire process. She even each level of school (elementary, middle, and high). told a joke:"After eight month or so of working frantically with For example, under "services for some" in the elementaryschool grid, the iearning us, a person from one of those environment might include cross-age grouping, part-timespecial class, and resource class; first nine models said to me, we content modification might include tiered assignments,contracts, and independent study; paid $10,000 to get involved talent development might include advanced enrichmentclusters and mentor programs; special with you. If we give you $20,000, programs might include Saturday classes, fine arts activities, and Battle of theBooks; and can we get out?" SD instructional strategies might include problem-basedlearning, group investigation, and seminar teaching.
more...RecentFPGpublications
Playmate Preferences and Assessing the Communication of Community-Based Approaches to Perceptions of Individual African American One-Year-Olds Personnel Preparation 4Differences among Typically Using the Communication and P. Wesley & V. Buysse. (1997). In P. Winton, J. .2Developing Preschoolers Symbolic Behavior Scales McCollum, & C. Catlett (Eds.), Reforming V. Buysse, L. Nabors, D. Skinners, & L. Keyes. J.E. Roberts, L.P. Medley, J.L. Swartzfager, & personnel preparation in early childhood (1997). Early Child Development and Care, E.C. Neebe. (1997). American Journal of intervention: Issues, models, and practical -. 131,1-18. Speech-Language Pathology, 6(2), 59-65. strategies (pp. 53-80). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. Smart Start SMART START continued from page 7 findings tions."We won't do the evaluations for them, budget. We're a bargain. We're a blue light but we'll help set them up. It would be a special:' she said, laughing. good start for some counties if they could Here are some results announced just get an accurate count of who they're "Good" research is possible even through this year of an evaluation of North serving. But people really want outcomes. such studies as the Smart Start evaluation, Carolina's Smart Start program in Are their children doing better? Are parents according to Bryant."The real world doesn't the 18 counties where theprogram relating more to their children? These are afford the same opportunities for control as began: hard outcomes to measure. And because clinical trials.You have to find ways to each county sets up Smart Start differently, satisfy your needs for an adequate compari- In 1994, only 14% of child care the precise son group or a centers were rated as "good" on a evaluation reasonable baseline measure of environmental quality. is left up to the measure.You can By 1996, 25% were rated "good." county," said Bryant. still do good "I think there is a research; it's just In 1996, the research team founda Bryant said a new different?' significant jump in the number of component of the significant role for child care centers (among the 91 technical assistance Although she's visited in both '94 and '96 provided by her state government pleased with how evaluations) that receiveda higher team is an Internet Smart Start directs "AN" licensing level of the state. web site for Smart in establishing local communities Start participants to to play a much Almost a fourth of the families swap ideas and get quality standards." larger role in child interviewed in 1996 said they questions answered. care policy, Bryant needed parent educationpro- "One partnership, said she has a grams. for example, may lingering concern ask us for guidance about the role of In 1996, while most childrenwere fully on evaluating the the state vis a vis immunized by kindergartenas three different kinds of home visiting quality care."I required by law, only 53% of programs they're funding. We can put our think there is a significant role for state kindergartners had been immunized answer on the web and other counties can government in establishing quality on time. access that. We call it our evaluation standards?' roundtable." In 1996, kindergartners who had As for working near the often volatile attended child care had better At the national level, Bryant said, it's not timbers of politics, Bryant said she language, social, and thinking skills unusual to spend 10-20% of the budget of doesn't shy away from stating her opinion than those who did not. a new intervention or a new project on as long as she has the data."The re- evaluation."For example, if the federal searcher has an obligation to share data, From 1994 to 1996, scores for government put $20 million into a new pilot even if that means supporting a new quality care in child care centers program, it would be within the realm of program or saying, the research doesn't rose as a group from 4.25 to 4.51 credibility to have a $2 million evaluation show changes as a result of a program. on a 7 point scale. Experts consider program. We're doing an evaluation for Program dollars should be redirected to scores of 5 or higher to be good. about 1 percent of the overall Smart Start where they'll have the most effect." eD
Planning for Success: A Teacher's The New Planning Guide Teacher Relations Between Child-Care Guide to a New Planning Guide Posters Experiences and Children's to the Preschool Curriculum P.Wesley, & M. Mathers. (1997). Lewisville, Concurrent Development: B. Hardin, L. Lohr, & Pat Wesley. (1997). NC: Kaplan Corp. The Cost Quality, and Lewisville, NC: Kaplan Corp. Outcomes Study E.S.Peisner-Feinberg, & M.R. Burchinal (1997).Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 43, 451-477.
4-0 CIEDIL s) 7 A 7e are great proponentsof keeping the folks who are on the front lines at the table from the beginning to the end:'
That's one reaction from a North Carolina state administrator and policy maker after her first few months as a member of a Constituents Advisory Board to the National Center for Early Development & Learning.
While research centers sometimes have advisory boards of citizens and constituents, NCEDL is trying to get the opinions and advice of constituents from the word go. Even as investigators design their projects, input is sought from practitioners, teachers, parents, policymakers, administrators, consumer advocacy groups, and ' professional organizations.
The advisor quoted above is Kathy Shepherd, a program coordina- tor and a policy administrator in the Division of Child Development of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources. As a program coordinator, she works in early childhood professional two day care consultants. Each NCEDL strand sets up its own development, and as a member of the division's policy unit, she advisory board, or in some cases, boards. This one organized by helps write early childhood and early childcare policy. Winton acts not only as an overall advisory body to NCEDL, but also to the Research-to-Practice strand. The board has divided Shepherd is used to working in a collaborative setting. For example, itself into several smaller groups to focus on such responsibili- she and other administrators worked closely for months pulling ties as providing input on the context and format of policy together North Carolina's original Smart Start program. She has briefs, developing guidelines for increasing constituent partici- worked in focus groups and with researchers before, but has never pation in NCEDL activities, and designing components of joined the workstream at such an early stage."It's working out well. upcoming national surveys. It makes perfect sense she said."We may not understand the methodology or all the terms, but it's given me a better understand- As more programs are established for early childhood and early ing of research. And it's a two-way street. I think the researchers are child care, there is an increasing need for not only policy learning from us about what the field needs in terms of information evaluation, but also for accurate ways to assess programs, and and how to share that information in effective ways:' this is where constituent advisors can shine. Shepherd said, "We're outcomes oriented. We Pam Winton, who directs the Research to want to know if we're really Practice Strand of NCEDL and who set up Constituent feedback making a difference. Program this particular advisory board, said the people tend to be more goals of constituent involvement are to: allows researchers to subjective than objective, and 0 ensure that project activities reflect the we need the researchers to needs and priorities of the groups who get a feel for how keep us on track. So that we ultimately might use the information have actual evidence and generated by the center's research; practical and relevent proof of something when we 0 enhance the contextual validity of the say it?' She said,"We welcome center's efforts; their research can be. research. Research is the basis 0 create a shared sense of ownership and of everything if we are ever support of the center's work; and going to make a difference:' 0 provide guidance for mechanisms by which information can be disseminated to inform practice and For example, North Carolina state government this year created a policy. new licensing system designed to make it easier for parents to rate child-care centers. The system took into account research This board has nine members, including a teacher, a mother, a that shows well-trained staff make a difference; therefore, the new father, three state administrators, a day care administrator, and license emphasizes training. rk\ NCEEDL-2
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Stie Fleming-Hansen is another NCEDL advisory board member. hers and research centers such as NCEDL is of great importance."I She is executive director of Child Care Resource & Referral of Wake would absolutely recommend this type of advisory board to other (NO County, a private, non-profit United Way agency. It is her first research groups. Research is a long, difficult process, and it's nice time to work in an advisory capacity with a research group. She for researchers to know that what they do is appreciated by those said,"It really helps someone out there in the field to see the working in the field," she said. process that research goes through to reach the outcomes they de She feels the ideas and suggestions from the advisory board are Fleming-Hansen said she sees an increasing need for quality child being taken seriously by NCEDL. In fact, Winton, who said she is care services and that is why collaboration between groups such as pleased at the energy, the level of sophistication and the seriousness (see DOORS, page 15) Recognizing dedication Two strand directors for the National Center for Early Development and Learning have recently been honored for their contributions to children and families.
4( Jim Gallagher, who directs the Policy Studies strand, has been named the 1997 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children at the University of Iowa, Iowa C4 Iowa.
Gallagher, former director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, is receiving the award for his "distinguished service to the organization and to the needs of the gifted and talented children of the world for more than a decade."
Pam Winton, who directs the Research-to-Practice strand of NCEDL, has received the 1997 Distinguished Services Award from The Arc of Durham (NC) County for her "outstanding contributions to impact rights and services of persons with developmental disabilities." )0- uNCEDL ;Z riefly speaking Policy briefs synthesize research and policyissues
Too often, policy makers, administra- For example, the quality care brief makes ent Advisory Board, and staff of the Early tors, agency personnel, and practitioners these recommendations for policy changes: Childhood Institute and the Office of must make decisions about practices 0 Strengthen standards and regulations Educational Research and Improvement without knowing the full range of research for child care programs. (U.S. Department of Education). or policy issues. Timely reviews may not be 0 Require initial and ongoing training for available or easily accessed and traditional staff working in child care programs. Briefs are printed by the Early Childhood literature reviews are often long and written 0 Find ways to recruit and retain more Institute and dissemination is by the institute in academic prose. This results in few highly educated and skilled staff. and through NCEDL's own distribution articles being read by practitioners or policy 0 Continue efforts to inform parents system. Briefs are also posted on the NCEDL makers. about the importance of quality child web site, which is
particular age group, population, or type of Center and Gwen 11 WM. Or YOUNG accuracy and confidence. hildeen In Me United Despite the availability of service, or advocacy groups with particular Morgan of Wheelock tatm are Cared foe by good measures. Hole nationally someone other MAO repreientative dela are available. their patents. Much of this care thus resew:hen and policy philosophical orientations:' says Don Bailey, College. Clifford is also Is provided by extended family maims must rely on knowledge members. friends, or nelghbOYS. from studies conducted In director of NCEDL"We feel an important An fncreasIngiy liege numbet of particular areas of the tountry or associate director of children, however. are cared foe with particular types of ynten. In child care centers. The need An analysis of thew studies role of a national center is the objective NCEDL. The brief is for affordable child care win Indkates Mat typical quality It increase undee the new welfare considerably below what is synthesis of research information and policy provisions of 'Senesces!). Anis- considered good practice. The focusing on state tame tog Needy Famines trANO. QM. (boditg MM.?. as access to child care become, aStudy trA20. IMP reported that of issues around topics of national importance, regulation of child critical ingredient of welfare the more than 4430 centers recipients. einployabllity. studied in four states, only A% ot Inlaid classroom, and 2434 of and the dissemination of those findings in care, a hot topic in What Are the Issues? seesawed classroom were of Quality child care I. Important good or excellent quality. In an easily readable and accessible format:' lot the wellibeing ea young le% of mew:tool promairn and many states this year. childeen. Slight/ qualify ought 404 of Infant peograms the to malt in better outcomes foe quality was rated as poor. As children. But what Is qualify displayed In the graph on page 2, and how ran it be measueed? less than adequate quality has NCEDL is publishing a policy brief each Hove good Is the quality of beett emoned In a nuretbee of Upcoming topics child care programs In the studies. and a synthesis Id this United States today! Most research (LOW, Sthoctor, It quarter. The first is "Quality in Child Care include infant/toddler Importantly. what do we know Meckstroth, 19,0 smutests that about the eelatIonships be. the findings we m comistent tween quality of child care Andto take broad concern about the Centers" with John Love of Mathematica childcare practices and outcomes for children? quality of care In early childhood settings natiornelde. Inc. as the primary author. Love is also an Quality in Otild Caen Canten Three additional lath COGO011 kindergarten transi- Quality can mean dtherent that quallry el care is tell than things to different people. Sortie what most patents mould want NCEDL research partner. The four-page tions. Some briefs will focus on structural team ei tuch for their children: as group sue, chilthseall ratios. 2 The gdUcallOO credentials of brief summarizes current quality care phyilc4l spat, teach. tloalificai staff who work In child care be linked to NCEDL do, staff training, wages, and centm ale often inadequate safety. Others focus on how edadve to the Oils required. studies, recommends specific areas of synthesis conferences caregiver, !Inman with children The COO Study tnd Mat and the actual experiences only 36',4 of teachers had a children have. Useful measures bachelor's degree or higher. needed research, and makes policy and to the release of .1:"., NM been developed, so that The SaltriSfudy of truly Nadeau.' Center fot a.. the many dimensions of quality Child CAve MOM found that recommendations. A one-page "fact sheet" new NCEDL national DAIDffe,3030001611 can now Pe assessed Mel, Otlanin Pep di complements the brief for even quicker survey data. reading and easy dissemination. Each brief goes Bailey said topics for the briefs are issues through a lengthy and of national importance for which "we careful review process already have sufficient data or which are to ensure an accurate based on work recently done by national synthesis of what is one-ageF6VZDGGe center investigators or affiliates, such as known about a topic cornp G,0c4M,a® QuaZy ccep. our research partners:' The briefs are and a balanced not advocacy documents, but rather are rendering of the issues. GYMpnw6d6ag bgw pod[a5 fkx intended to be balanced descriptions of Drafts of each brief are venoktgffreadN issues, what is known about them, and reviewed by all NCEDL cI recommendations for both policy and investigators, research research. partners, the Constitu- _ _ 4-3 NCEDL2 DOORS continued from page 13 her board shows, routinely informs the group, in writing, about what the Annual Division has become of their ideas and if they are being used. of Early Childhood Conference this fall A constituent advisory board is also an opportunity to let in New Orleans by A constituent researchers know they haven't missed some fine point in setting NCEDL research up their research. More importantly, having constituent feedback partner Ann advisory board is allows researchers to get a feel for how practical and relevant their Turnbull and research can be. As Fleming-Hansen said,"We've been there; we've Winton in conjunc- also an opportunity done that. We know the kind of information that we need to be tion with Pat Snyder, to let researchers effective in making changes:' DEC Research Committee chair. know they haven't There has been another positive link established. Winton and NCEDL researcher Dick Clifford have been named board members of the NC This session missed some fine Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, an advisory includes researcher- body to the state. Shepherd said,"It became clear to us in the constituent teams point in setting up Division of Child Development that your center and your researchers -from around the their research. are links that we want to maintain:' country who have formed collabora- It is important that those links go both ways. Membership on state tive research and local advisory boards provide researchers with yet another way partnerships in to ground research in the everyday world of childcare practice. different contexts. Strategies and information about the costs and benefits of constituent participation in research are on the There is growing interest across the country in learning more about agenda. Panelists include Don Bailey, NCEDL director, and Naomi constituent participation in the research process. An intensive half- Karp, director of the US. Department of Education Early day session on participatory action research has been planned for Childhood Institute.
SOTES
The online version of this issue of Early Developments contains a list of selected child care policy publications : by staff at the Frank Porter Graham Center. The FPG home page is located at
: In addition, four projects now have their own web sites, which may be of interest to early childhood policy makers, : practitioners, parents, teachers, and administrators.
:NCEDL ECRI-SU :
NEC*TAS ECRII
This study examined the extent to rates of growth for overall development and interact, indicating that these 2 factors had which etiology, amount of vision, and in all domainspersonal-social, adaptive, additive, not multiplicative, effectson co-occurring disabilities affect the motor, communication, cognitive. development during early childhood. developments of young children with visual impairments. Growth curve analysis was Visual function of 20/800 or worsewas This article represents a compreshensive based on 566 assessments with the Battelle associated with significantly lower study of early development of children with Developmental Inventory (13D0 to describe developmental ages across time on all vision impairment and is the first to identify thesievelopment of 186 children, ages 12-73 domains measured by theBDIand with the level of vision impairment that really months, with vision impairments. slower rates of growth in the personal- begins to affect children's development. The social and motor domains. The distinct study provides important baseline data Developmental patterns varied markedly divergence of developmental trajectories of against which future intervention efforts among the children, with part of that children whose visual function was 20/500 can be more appropriately evaluated. variability related to co-occurring or better from those of children with 20/ disabilities and amount of functional 800 or worse suggests that the level of vision. Children with co-occurring visual function that inhibits typical disabilitiesin this case, mental retarda- development, as measured by the BDI, is in tion or developmental delay (MR/DD)had the 20/500 to 20/800 range. Amount of lower developmental age scores and slower functional vision and NIlt/DDdid not
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